I’m still amazed by the frantic atmosphere created on public transport in London by the thousands of people rushing around me each morning and evening on my way to and from work. For me, it’s an endlessly fascinating subject to draw. I’m not a full-time artist, I often only find time to draw during my commutes; the Tube has become my mobile studio. It’s a personal thing to help me appreciate and understand that shared London experience – riding the Tube.
I’ve been drawing my journeys, on my iPhone (sometimes iPad), since 2012 and until the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. It made my commutes a lot more memorable. I don’t take photos, I make a quick sketch of a journey and rely on that and my memory to draw it in more detail during other journeys. As I draw, bits from other journeys are incorporated, such as the adverts and secondary characters. Drawing on the Tube isn’t original, many people have done it before and doing it right now, but I hope my drawings make you look around you a bit more and inspire you to draw too!
Here’s a glimpse of what I and millions of other Londoners see every day. The question is: have I drawn you?
Meditation, Victoria line, London, 8th January 2020Notting Hill Carnival, Victoria line, London, 25th August 2019Flying hair, Victoria line, London, 18th July 2019Dogs, coffee and phones, Victoria line, 3rd May 2019Curtains, Victoria Line, London, 3rd March 2019Friday night, Central line, London, 11th January 2019Peace lilies, Victoria line, London, 1st November 2018After the pop festival, District line, 25th August 2018Digital devices, District line, London, 18th August 2018Family breakfast, Victoria line, 30th June 2018Pull-ups in rush hour, Victoria line, 21st May 2018Putting on makeup, Victoria line, 24th April 2018Internet orders, Victoria line, 5th March 2018Tuesday morning, Victoria Line, 13th February 2018Young and old, Victoria line, London, 29th January 2018Interesting phone, District line, 22nd December 2017Rolling up, Jubilee line, London, 1st December 2017Sleeping spaniel, Victoria line, 7th November 2017Japanese tourists, Victoria line, 15th August 2017Bird print dress, 30th June 2017, Victoria lineCutting nails, 16th May 2017, Victoria lineGood Friday, Victoria line, London, 14th April 2017Friday morning, Victoria line, 10th March 2017Wednesday morning, Victoria line, 25th January 2017Saturday evening, Victoria line, 17th December 2016Morning commute, Victoria line, 15th November 2016Flat-pack furniture, District line, 16th October 2016Monday bank holiday, Jubilee line, 29th August 2016Sunburn and cakes, Victoria line, 29th July 2016Stretching, Victoria line, 3rd August 2016Dog during rush hour, Victoria line, 12th July 2016Wednesday evening, Victoria line, 8th June 2016Tuesday evening, Overground line, 3rd May 2016Monday morning, Victoria line, 11th April 2016Tuesday morning, Victoria line, 15th March 2016Sunday afternoon, Victoria line, 21st February 2016Cake and tears, District line, 30th January 2016David Bowie, Victoria line, 11th January 2016Christmas gifts, Victoria line, 15th December 2015Pram, District line, London, 28th November 2015Rush hour, Victoria line, London, 25th November 2015Sudoku, Victoria line, London, 18th November 2015Tired, Victoria line, London, 1st October 2015Card and flowers, Victoria line, 21st August 2015Sleeping, Victoria line, London, 18th June 2015Two fingers, Victoria line, 28th May 2015Tuesday morning, Victoria line, 5th May 2015Father and baby, Northern line, 3rd April 2015Meditating, Victoria line, 26th March 2015Clothes rail, Victoria line, 15th March 2015Two guys, Victoria line, 28th February 2015Coffee+conversation, Victoria line, 10th February 2015Make-up, Victoria line, 27th January 2015Family, Victoria line, London, 22nd January 2015‘I love Brixton‘, London, 7th January 2015Frosty couple, Northern line, 29th November 2014Mother+daughter, Bakerloo line, 11th Oct 2014Nice tie, Bakerloo line, London, 8th September 2014Financial reports, Bakerloo line, 19th August 2014Tired, Piccadilly line, 17th August 2014Blue suits, Bakerloo line, London 15th August 2014Man crying, District line, London, 10th August 2014Hidden face, Bakerloo line, 2nd August 2014Nearly empty, Bakerloo line, 29th July 2014A couple on their phones, Bakerloo line, 20th July 2014Solving a Rubik’s cube, Bakerloo line, 15th July 2014Drinking, Bakerloo line, London, 12th July 2014Wednesday evening, Bakerloo line, 25th June 2014Monday morning, Victoria line, 9th June 2014Saturday night, Victoria line, 14th June 2014Tired woman, Victoria line, 1st June 2014Fancy dress, Victoria line, London, 25th May 2014Highlighter pen and bags, Victoria line, 18th May 2014Last Tube home, Northern line, 28th April 2014Monday evening, Victoria line, 21st April 2014Carrying an A1 model, Victoria line, 19th April 2014Birthday present, District line, 5th April 2014Nail biting, Victoria line, London, 14th March 2014Dachshund, train from Herne Hill, 22nd February 2014Snickers bar, Victoria line, 19th February 2014Reading, Victoria line, 11th February 2014Delayed service, Victoria line, 28th January 2014Reading, Victoria line, 7th January 2014No.68 bus from Euston, 5pm Friday 3rd January 2014Giant bear, Victoria line, 3rd December 2013Bald man, Train to Farringdon, 21st November 2013Crotch view, Victoria line, 13th November 2013Coats and winter, Victoria line, 4th November 2013Couple, Metropolitan line, 31st October 2013Friday morning, Victoria line, 25th October 2013Train to Farringdon, 22nd October 2013Train: Birmingham to Euston, 21st October 2013Thursday’s news, Victoria line, 17th October 2013Popcorn for breakfast, bus stop, 9th October 2013Sweating postman, Victoria line, 1st October 2013Applying make-up, no.196 bus, 29th September 2013Burger, Victoria Line, 23rd September 2013Coat stand, Victoria Line, London, 5th September 2013Sunday evening, Victoria line, 25th August 2013Feet off the seats, Herne Hill, 12th August 2013Lipstick, Victoria line, 1st August 2013Bright colours, Victoria line, 29th July 2013Empty Tube carriage, Bakerloo line, 20th July 2013Pregnancy ad knitting, Victoria line, 16th July 2013Celebrities in print, Victoria line, 15th July 2013Armpits on display, Victoria line, 13th July 2013Wearing sunglasses, Victoria line, 9th July 2013News of Andy Murray, Victoria line, 8th July 2013T-shirts, Victoria line, London, 4th July 2013Person asleep, Victoria line, London, 29th June 2013Person planning a trip, Victoria line, 24th June 2013Man picking nose, train to Herne Hill, 12th June 2013Eating, no.3 bus, Brixton, 10th June 2013Tying shoelaces, Farringdon, 3rd May 2013
