Travel with Angela Lansbury: Sketching and painting on the train

What have I learned? What can I tell you? Ideally have your sketching materials such as a paintbox pencil eraser and paper such as postcard size water colour paper in a large pocket such as in a photographer's jacket or trousers (Americans say pants). Failing all else if your subject is getting off the train at the next stop, and you want a record, draw on your thin lined paper notebook.

Note Your Subject's Colours
Colours are important. Eye colour? Blue, brown, murky mixture?

Complexion - pink, brown, sallow?

Shadows? Is the light from overhead or the left or right? Are the shadows pink, brown or grey?

Take a photo with your phone camera. No time, subject doesn't want to be photographed? Then note your subject's color of eyes, hair and complexion and shirt or tee-shirt.

Note on the back of the paper, if you are doing a series of sketches you will use as the basis of another drawing or painting at the same session or later when you get home. Note the date, not just the year or month, on your sketch.

A week or more later you might be hunting for the subject's photo. I could not find my photo. However, I found it in my contacts list under the subject's name.

If you think the pen colour or indentation of your writing might show through, instead use the facing page. When I worked in a photo agency I was taught never to write on the back of photos but to write on a label.

You can write a curved heading of the country or event over the top to frame the face.

Allow space around the paper for later framing if you will use a small frame. If you are a professional or meticulous and have enough wall space and can afford large frames you might frame in a bigger frame with a backing. If you are using a frame similar in size to your paper, leave room around your subject and signature, which otherwise might be obscured by the frame edge.