This blog has the results of sketching from an online (non sketching) event. It was the first time I have done this and it was a learning experience.
The event was the relaunch of TROVE.
Trove is a collaboration between the National Library of Australia and hundreds of Partner organisations around Australia.
Trove provides access to over 6 billion records about Australia or of interest to the Australian community. Trove focuses on freely available digital content created by Australians and held in the collections of Australian Libraries, Archives, Museums, Galleries, University, Research and community organisations.
Search for digital copies of newspapers, Government Gazettes, maps, magazines and newsletters. Or books, pictures, photographs, archived websites, music and interviews. Even information about famous Australians, including copies of letters, diaries and personal archives.Search Trove to locate books and other physical items held in libraries and organisations around Australia.
I use Trove a lot personally for family history and at work as well. The launch was for an updated Trove, including the homepage and landing pages, Collection Features, and more.
It was live online and I decided to sketch it. I often sketch at events and conferences and was not sure how different it would be. It was very different ! I have scanned my sketches as they were done on the night, (apologies to all speakers) as well as the notes I made – quotes from the speakers.
I have only added the names of the panelists (online and live) , which I had to look up after. Usually, when going to an event I will know the names of panellists.
When sketching from an online or tv event, you have no control over the camera, and how long it will spend on a particular speaker. I assumed they would be asked further questions, which some were, and thankfully the speakers did not move position, and I could add a little bit more. When I am sketching on location at an event I never know how long the speaker will be on the stand, but I can get an idea fairly quickly. And I can often still sketch them after they have left the stage and sat down.
I liked the immediacy of grabbing comments the speakers made that connected with me and scribbling them down. Unfortunately, they were written with the soft watercolour pencil and are almost unreadable.
This week I will take the time to rubout and rewrite in pen.
I then discovered that this event is available to view and therefore available to pause and sketch. I will probably go back and improve the sketches. Capturing the likeness of a person is a skill that requires practice. I have seen this accomplished by some people with just a few strokes of pencil on the paper. I will have to practice and practice this.
I felt a lot more pressure and I did not take in the content of the conversation as I would have when sketching on location. When I attend an event, such as Melbourne Rare Book Week events, I usually sit at the back of the room, listen to the fascinating speakers and sketching is automatic. I usually focus my sketches on the audience (lots of backs of heads of people) and the features of the room (if there are any). In fact, if I am not sketching I always wish I was. This time I was out of my comfort zone and it was learning experience.
Does anyone have any hints or tips of sketching live in these days of Zoom meetings?
I like how you have expressed yourself here and I am sure there will be some resemblance in the characters you have sketched.
I think these drawings are great! I have attended a number of live video events on Zoom since the pandemic, some social and some for special family events (a funeral, a birthday party and a 50th anniversary celebration). I’ve sketched at all of them, and it’s a lot of fun! (Well, the funeral was not exactly fun, but I felt honored being able to participate in that way, and I knew the deceased person would have welcomed it). I feel no pressure because I’m not worried about how they will look. I shared them with the others who participated, and they all enjoyed them, even if most of the drawings were not flattering! 😉 If I have a tip, it would be to rely on the fact that most people return to the same pose over and over (habitual movements and postures). So if they move, just wait a bit, and undoubtedly they will return to the previous pose.