Tips for Drawing at the Protest

Last Saturday, I participated in a peaceful No Kings protest in the Bay Area. There were many people, dogs, music, and of course, I drew there!

I found a nice corner with some shade, and because it was a corner, there were people coming from many sides, and there was a traffic light where they would stop for a little bit, so I had a few extra moments to draw. I took with me a minimum amount of tools - see my sketchbook with a little pen pouch attached to it with an elastic band. When drawing a crowd, I apply the following techniques: 

• drawing some of my subjects in whole, especially if they talk to someone near me (that duck suit with a lady who gave me a button);
• combining some people out of many looks at them as they stand, talk, and walk (three people who were actually waiting for the light to turn green - on the second sketch, or a group on the corner (first sketch, right side)
• putting together some figures out of several people (little humans near the tree), plus adding notes and taking a break to draw something else from time to time (like trees).