More readers

I realized when I looked over my stash that I have been skewing female on my reader paintings, and although I know from statistics that far more women than men are avid readers, still we have to give the guys their day. So I went looking through my reference photos and...didn't find too many!

I had, however, saved a photo of my Facebook sketcher friend Don Low, along with two of his buddies, all sitting side by side on a bench on the subway (or some kind of train), and they were each intent on sketching in their sketchbooks. I chose instead to shove them a lot closer together and let them all read from the same book, which Don is holding. I wanted to give that feeling when you think you're having a solitary experience despite being surrounded by others, and then suddenly realize that others may be having the experience with you!

I thought about putting in some writing in the top right corner, saying something like "Don suddenly realized he wasn't alone," but then I thought that maybe it was more fun for the viewer to get the idea from the expression on Don's face, as he looks up and feels the other eyes on his book.

I had big fun deciding what colors to make them all—I was going to make them all one color, but then I thought, Why choose? so I didn't.

Not too much extraneous ornamentation in this one, but I put in a few anomalies here and there.

Pencil, Daler Rowney inks, black gesso, watercolors, Uniball pen, white gel pen, on Strathmore 140-lb. watercolor paper, about 10x8 inches.