We’ve all done it: sleep, eat, use our phones and, ummm … wear bird print (I definitely have). With teaching, work and travel, it’s been another busy time in my life, so squeezing in any drawing has been mostly a commute-only activity. The fragments of opportunity to draw have included: standing […]
commuting
123 posts
Is it ok to be cutting nails on the Tube? On a busy morning commute, I was rather appalled when a woman sat next to me began to clip her fingernails. At first, I thought she might be trimming one quickly, but I think she ended up cutting them all – […]
Nothing stops London. Events in the news have been shocking, but – despite the headlines – life in London carries on. It has to. This drawing took two months and done almost entirely during my commutes, which was the only time I had to draw due to work and other […]
The Tube is a good place to work out your expenses. On my way to Victoria station during a reasonably quiet time, I saw how people will leave a seat between each other if they can – this isn’t possible during the rush hour! The lady on the left attracted […]
It’s winter, even on the Underground, can’t you tell? The product of six weeks’ worth of commuting time, this drawing records my first journey on the Tube to work after my trip around Europe. Somehow, the familiarity of my crowded commutes was an odd comfort after the constant change […]
A drink brings everyone together… At night, the Tube takes on a different atmosphere, it becomes more social when groups of people travel together. Few people are going to work, instead they’re jovially coming back or on their way to paaaaarty. I was coming home from Romford after a meal […]
Another morning commute… Another exciting day heading to work in central London, surrounded by fellow commuters reading, playing on their phones or eagerly waiting to reach their destination. Nothing specific caught my eye,it felt like any other commute. This time is used the Adobe Draw app, one I’ve rarely use […]
You can transport anything on the Tube… Time it right and you can use the Tube to carry anything: furniture, giant luggage, a class of kids — but not in rush hour! It seems the main reason I use the District line is to go to the V&A, which is […]
Sometimes there’s just not enough seats on the Tube… It was a lot warmer back in August, but since this drawing has been completed the weather is more autumnal – now everyone has a coat and umbrella, and scarves and gloves will follow soon. This work is based on a sketch of a […]
No sunburn or cakes for me thanks, just commuting. I took me a while to draw this. I had originally abandoned it and left it as an onsite sketch, and I went on to draw other work, but the central character protectively holding a box of cupcakes proved hard to […]
Make the most of your time on the Tube… Running as part of your commute is certainly a great way to make the most of your mornings. But if I did that, I would have been able to draw this runner stretching on part of my journey to work on […]
Rush hour can be enjoyed by anyone or anything. Most people during rush hour on the Tube are going to work, adult age and, rather obviously, human – me! Any deviation from those parameters is noticeable, like a child, an older person or a tourist with large suitcases. In this […]
The flowers weren’t for me. I toil long hours at my job to keep those bills paid, it leaves little time to draw. So, as usual I’m snatching a few minutes here and there to scribble away at my iPhone screen, hence over a month to finish this drawing. On […]
I have no idea what they were looking at. Returning home from a meal at a friend’s house, I took the long and convoluted journey from east to south London. Every Tube line is different, but the people are always interesting. Medium: Digital drawing created on an iPhone 6 and using […]
Sometimes a whole lot of activity takes place in a Tube carriage: yawning, reading, public displays of affection, writing and using mobile phones. Medium: Digital drawing created on an iPhone 6 and using Adobe Ideas app Drawn: 11th April – 2nd May 2016
Should dogs pay for public transport too? This was a journey into work, early in the morning to do some extra hours. Sometimes it’s worth going in early into the office to get more done – though it didn’t feel less busy on the Tube. Medium: Digital drawing created on an […]
The lady on left seemed to be very tired and was asleep with her head on a cushion until her friend (her mum?) woke her up at Victoria station. I was fascinated by her clothes and shopping trolley. The two younger women, speaking in French, sounded very excited. Medium: Digital drawing […]
Cake, tears and tiredness. Another Saturday evening. It was a Saturday and a long journey on the District line for me between two birthday celebrations: a late one for myself and another for a friend. Some people seemed to be going to parties, others partied out and the most unfortunate […]
R.I.P. I heard early in the morning the sad news from friends. By the time I finished work and on my way home, news of David Bowie’s death was everywhere, and sites near or across Brixton became gathering places for Bowie fans. Medium: Digital drawing created on an iPhone 6 and using […]
Time for less commuting and for more eating and gift giving. In the run up to the Christmas holidays, there was a noticeable increase in the appearance of wrapped gifts, large shopping bags and rolls of wrapping paper on show. Like most people around me, the focus of my growing […]