MASTERCLASS
I WANTED THE BOOK TO EMPOWER MORE
PEOPLE TO DRAW AND BE COURAGEOUSROUGH DRAFTS
Lynne is currently illustrating
a new children’s book. Her
pencil drawings will be sent
to the publisher for approval
before work begins on the
final pastel paintings.GOT IT IN THE BAG!
Lynne has refined her
urban sketching kit to fit in
a small black bag (above).
Her favourite tools include
Derwent Inktense pencils
and a Sailor fountain pen.looking for people to be
correspondents globally.
I looked at the way the other
correspondents were drawing
everything and celebrating the every
day, and I suddenly realised I was missing a trick.What’s the appeal of drawing a person on a train?
I’m interested in capturing a moment in time, so it’s
not just about drawing you, it’s about drawing you
today rather than yesterday and here rather than there.How do you get away with drawing a stranger?
There are techniques for disguising it. For instance,
I’d pick somebody who wasn’t just sitting looking
around. I often try and get a seat with a table too,
so I can put the sketchbook below it.What do you do if somebody sees you drawing them?
Usually if you smile, they smile back and the tension
is released. For most people, being drawn is a once in
a lifetime thing and they take a photo on their phone.What’s the philosophy behind your new book,
Sketching People?I wanted the book to empower
more people to draw and
encourage them to be courageous.
I want to encourage people to use
watercolour as well. If you get a book on
watercolour, there is all this prep and it
sounds terrifying so I didn’t use it for
years, but then I saw these sketchers
who were just chucking it at the paper
and I thought that was so exciting.Has your urban sketching changed your
own studio practice in any way?
No, I think its purpose is mainly keeping
my skills at a high level. When I’m
drawing the picture books, I’m drawing
from my imagination so building up visual memories
is really useful. One of the dangers is not looking –
for example, people tend to draw kids wearing clothes
that they wore when they were a kid, not the sort of
clothing that is out there now. Urban sketching gives
you an awareness of what people wear and how they
move. It gives you a whole library of things in your head.
Lynne’s new book, Sketching People, is published by
Search Press, £12.99. http://www.lynnechapman.co.uk
Artists & Illustrators 2726 In the Studio.indd 27 18/02/2016 14:51