Listening to Each Other

I planned to sketch outside today but the heavy rain drove me into a cafe. There were artificial orchids on the tables and I got into drawing them.

Soon a couple sat at the next table and my attention shifted to them. One of my learning goals is to tell a story with image and there was something about their interaction that captivated me. I noticed how carefully they were listening to each other and wondered why. I tried to show their interaction by capturing the distinctive elements- the man’s steady gaze, his raised eyebrow, the way both figures leaned onto the table and their still posture. I also liked the buttons along the back of the woman’s blouse and how the color of her jacket complemented the orchid’s color.

This is a pencil and watercolor sketch on multimedia paper.