Travel-Sketching Oaxaca: Life on the Streets

Life in the streets and in the markets are my favorite things to sketch. We did a whole day of learning how to sketch people in our workshop, including a session on gesture drawing and one on faces and features. We sketched together at a street market, but I also used every opportunity I got when we took a break int he afternoon to do another sketch. Here are some of those.

At the agua fresca stall in the market. My hands down favorite flavor is cucumber and lime flavored agua fresca.

Caught some dancers in action at the very end of their set one night. For sure quick gesture drawings like this I use my brushpen.

I sketched this man with the tamale cart on my final morning in the city. These bicycle-carts appear at street corners every morning selling tamale or fruit. They’re gone in a couple of hours, replaced by others carts selling other food.

Two takes on the shoe stand guys in the xocalo. Reading a newspaper seems like ta thing you must do while your shoes are being polished.

This is my very last sketch, before I headed back home. I was back at the xocalo where I started on the first day, drawing a balloon seller again. The white splatter on this piece is from the bubbles made by a bubble-seller standing just behind me. When they landed on my page, they popped and left little spots all over it. I like that they’re imprinted on my sketch.

As I sat there painting, a lady came up to me and chatted. I told her how much I loved Oaxaca and that I was leaving in an hour. She said to me, “Oaxaca is like your abuela, with open arms, you can come to her anytime.” I’m sure I will be back.

Thank you for joining along on my Oaxacan adventure. Here are the posts before this one.
Travel-Sketching Oaxaca: Jumping Right in
Travel-Sketching Oaxaca: Capturing Vignettes
Travel-Sketching Oaxaca: Monte Alban and More
Travel-Sketching Oaxaca: My Favorite Church and a Colorful Street

If you’re interested in joining in on the next adventure, just email me and let me know. I’m planning that next trip soon!