Tiny People Vancouver Edition

I walked on a sunny but cold day, looking for a cafe to draw out of. I found nothing that fit what I needed. But walking had brought me to the vicinity of the Vancouver Art Gallery, and there are a lot of people you can see from the plaza in front of it. Thankfully, there are also many public benches to sit on. I picked one.

I was looking to draw Tiny People again. It’s a favorite exercise when in a new city. And I’m glad to see it catch such positive attention on Reddit. I want to draw enough people that I can put it together as a giant poster, or a wall-paper spread, or on a blanket, or a bed sheet, or all of those things. I want them to be on a giant wall, magnified. I want everyone to see themselves in it.

Each of these drawings took 10-20 seconds. I can’t take longer. A pedestrian is gone by then, replaced by another equally interesting one. As much as I want to draw the one I saw, I don’t want to miss the next. So I hurry. The speed brings its own economy of style, and line. That becomes what others see as style.

It’s important to recognize the power of constraints. Constraints shape us and give form to our creative outpourings. What is a river, but a rush of water held by unyielding land on either side? Still, it is the river we find beautiful, not simply the water itself.

Think of haiku. The lyrical constraints are of syllables - 5, 7 and 5. It forces you to discard one word, or one line that you might love. And pick another. Or another. That filtering and editing brings out the good stuff.

“Tiny people with
Tiny legs, tiny hands, clothes -
Forever, in ink”

“SneakyArt is a
Moonshot to eternity
Locked in time and space.”