Seen While Sketching
Lessons from a Parking Lot
I didn’t think that drawing vintage cars in a parking lot would change my outlook. But it did.
On the first Saturday of every month of summer, the antique car club holds a meetup in the church parking lot nearby. I’m not much of an old car aficionado, I could hardly wait until the muscle cars and classic vehicles started rolling in. Ever since I discovered Ian Fennelly, I’ve been interested learning to sketch cars. Fueled by the summer sunshine and a can-do attitude, I gathered my favorite supplies and went to give it a try.
As I walked toward the church, a flicker of anxiety crept in. I draw in public often but never at something like this. Airports, busy sidewalks, cafes — people mostly ignore me in those settings. But at a car meetup? There’s a lot of hobnobbing. I anticipated feeling a little … seen.
I reassured myself: Nobody will pay attention to me. I’ll be invisible. Right?
Walking between rows of polished chrome and sun-warmed paint, I searched for the right subject. In the back corner of the lot sat a sassy Dodge Coronet1— the kind of hot rod the cool boys had when I was growing up. Perfect. I sat down on the curb opposite the car, took a deep breath, and started drawing.
A man walked up, glanced down, and said, “I’m an artist, too.” He invited me to join the local plein air group he’s part of. Before leaving, he pointed across the lot. “That guys owns the Coronet. Be sure to show him your drawing. He’ll love it.”
I looked down at my sketch. Wonky lines. Funky proportions. Not so sure.
A few minutes later, a kid plopped down beside me, looked over my shoulder, and exclaimed, “Wow! That’s cool!”
“Thanks,” I said.
“That’s my dad’s car.”
We agreed that newer cars are boring compared to old hot rods. His dad came over next and asked to take a picture of my sketch. Of course, I said yes. He seemed genuinely delighted that I’d take the time to sketch his beloved car.
Another man walked up and studied my page. “I wish I could do that,” he said.
“You can,” I replied. “Just take some online lessons and practice. If I can learn to draw, anyone can.”
But I could tell he didn’t believe me.
After finishing the Coronet sketch, I went looking for an old pickup truck. I have a real weakness for vintage trucks — probably rooted in my misspent youth in the cotton fields of north Louisiana. I spotted a handsome baby blue GMC and settled down again.
Within minutes, a young woman approached. “That’s my truck!” she said proudly.
She’d always wanted a vintage pickup and had saved up to buy this sweet 1960 GMC. Good choice.
As I walked home from the meetup, I felt giddy. This is what on-location drawing does for me; it gives me a huge rush of happiness. But the best part was the delight it brought to the car owners. It never occurred to me that they’d be so touched. It was only then that I realized the anxiety I’d felt about being seen had melted away. I had worried about what people might say to me, and what they said turned out to be the best part!
I sometimes see artists on Substack write about how uncomfortable it feels to be noticed while sketching in public. I get it. There’s a real vulnerability in making art outside my safe studio space. But for me, this experience was liberating. The mistakes and wonkiness in my sketches didn’t seem to matter at all to the people who saw them.
The lesson I’m taking with me is this: be less self-critical. Instead of zeroing in on what’s wrong with my drawings, I want to hold on the the joy of the moment — and the connections those sketches created.
Have you ever drawn in public? How did it go? I’d love to hear in the comments.
Insiders get a photo gallery of ten vintage cars to sketch!
This week’s Behind the Paywall post is a gallery of car photos I shot as drawing references—plenty of angles, close-ups, and quirky details to work from. Take a look and get sketching!
You can purchase stickers and original art here.
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The Dodge Coronet has a long history dating back to the 40s. The Wikipedia entry includes lots of photos that would make fun drawing reference.