#OneWeek100People

Welcome! Here’s a little index of all my posts from #OneWeek100People for the first five years.

2022 : A Week of Sketching Videos!

2021: Pandemic Edition – Sketching at Home from Found Photos

2020: Watercolor Silhouettes! Tiny figures filled with color

2019: 100 People Doodle Blitz! and then Bonus Self Portraits

2018: Brush Pen on the Street + Subway Silhouettes and Miniature Portraits

2017: All 100 on Day One! plus some wild Bonus Events!

>>>> So, WHAT IS #ONEWEEK100PEOPLE ? <<<<

Taking inspiration from online challenges such as #Inktober, urban sketchers Marc Taro Holmes (Montreal, CA) and Liz Steel (Sydney, AUS) invite the world to join in with #OneWeek100People – every year in the first week of March!

The simple goal is: Draw 100 People in One Week.

You can do it any way you want. Pencil drawings, or pen and ink, maybe watercolor sketches. Whatever it is that you’d like to practice most.

If you want to join in, we’ve created a Facebook Group – or – if that’s not your thing, just use the hashtag #OneWeek100People on any social media. Search for other people on your platform, and send them the likes and faves. You’ll get back double in return :)

We’ve all heard the classic advice Practice Every Day.

We figured; Lets use the strength of social media to motivate each other. Just for one week, if everyone is doing it, it’s so much easier to get excited and get the pen on paper!

Every year, in the first week of March, we commit to drawing about 20 people a day, and we post our work online for everyone to see and share.

It’s a big commitment. But it’s very possible to do without disrupting your life.

The goal is PRACTICE. Not PERFECTION. So maybe it’s only 20 minutes of work each day? If you’re doing one minute gesture drawings, you can do that on a lunch hour :) I’ve done all 100 in a single day, but I’m not trying to make it a competition. That’s just to say, if you get into the fun of sketching, and forget the urge to be perfect – you’ll make a lot more progress.

The first time I did this in 2015, I just decided – for one week, I’ll be ten minutes late for everything.

I would skip one or two trains and sketch people waiting on the platform. Or go to the movies and get a few drawings of the people in line. Queueing up became my favorite thing. I’d go to the bank, or the grocery store with my sketchbook. Whatever it takes to draw 100 people in five days!

Here’s some suggestions:

Street Sketching Advice:
Be quick on the draw! Carry a small sketchbook everywhere – pocket sized is perfect – and one pen. (maybe a ballpoint pen + brushpen). Minimizing your gear helps you jump-in whenever you see someone sketch-able.
Find a sketch-buddy!. It’s so much easier if your doing this with someone you know. You can keep each other excited, and perhaps have some friendly competition. And for many of us, if you go out in a small group, you get a little boost of courage. Maybe go places you wouldn’t otherwise go. Sketching people in public can feel a little awkward at first. Consider looking up your local chapter of Urban Sketchers! Or – maybe use our Facebook group to connect-up with other sketchers in your area. If you comment on someone’s work a few times, it’s very likely they’ll comment back on yours!

What if you don’t like drawing from life?
During Covid, a lot of us were not doing any drawing in public. Luckily this event takes place on social media :) Instagram is great for finding portrait subjects. There is also the Flickr app (I like street photography groups), or another choice is Museum by Sktchy, a picture sharing app just for artist and models. Some people use the YouTube Croquis Cafe (for nude figures). or my old standby; cuing up a movie and sketching on pause.

Advanced tips:
Practice some time management. If you want to sketch on location and color later at home – that’s fine! It’s not cheating :)
Think about your pace, and how much time you have per day. Will you try for 20 sketches a day? If that’s the plan – will they be 5 minute gesture sketches? or 20 minute paintings? What’s realistic for you? Remember – It’s not a competition about quality – it’s about helping each other learn and grow. Do whatever fits your lifestyle, and you’re more likely to finish the marathon – and – have a way to continue this training after the week is up.
Plan to swap out any of your usual ‘time-wasters’ for drawing. Put off that Netflix binge, or buying that new video game – just for one week. This is secretly my main motivation. To keep myself away from video games!
Maybe plan your locations in advance? Work up a list of crowded places to draw people. A park, beach, or outdoor festival, the public library, a sporting event – I like the museum and the university library. (Lots of captive subjects. And you can always say you’re an art student).
Maybe search out public performances. Live music is excellent. The performers can’t get away! Theater rehearsals if you can find one. Any public lecture (even zoom these days), or a reading at the library? Anywhere you have people on stage. Even a trade-show is great material.
The main thing is give yourself permission to succeed! Anything you do is good! Don’t overthink the results – don’t judge your work – just draw! I promise you’ll see results at the end of the week.