Stranger Studies

His shoulders sag down to his elbows. Glasses rest on his bearded face. A few specks of grey hair hidden in his brown curly head of hair hint at his age.

He is young with an oval face. He clasps his hands loosely in fists and rests them around his face. Occasionally they pull at his brown straight hair.

He is wearing a ski parka from the nineties. It is black with purple and turquoise designs. He has a full figure and an unshaven face. His eyes are drooping and sad; they are nearly  hidden by his black ski hat.

She is wearing a long skirt and pale blue long sleeved t-shirt. Her thin metal glasses rest on her small nose. Her bangs slope across her face and fall over her eye.

One relying only on physical description…..

He is wearing a ski parka from the 90s; it is black with turquoise and purple patterns. He sits in the cafe with all of his jacket and hat on holding a to-go coffee cup. He forgot to shave today or maybe he woke up and just didn’t give a fuck.

One exclusively on persons movement….

He stares forward and holds his to-go coffee cup. He bounces his knee as a nervous habit. He pulls all of the contents out of his pocket, counts the change, stares at two pennies, and then puts all the contents back in his pocket.

creates a direct relationship….

He doesn’t seem to notice I am watching him but then he starts to shake his knee. I wonder if he subconsciously knows he is being watched . He is wearing his jacket and hat and holding a to-go coffee cup but he doesn’t show any other indications of leaving and I hope that he will stay longer.

Now I was so interested in this man that I wanted to create a sketch using both movements and appearance…

I am sitting only one table away from him. He is wearing a ski parka from the 90s; it is black with turquoise and purple patterns. He is wearing black pants, heavy brown leather boots, and a black winter cap. He has not removed any of his outerwear except a pair of black fleece gloves that rest on the table. He got his coffee in a to-go cup but I have been watching him sit inside with his jacket and hat on for 20 minutes. Maybe he is just cold? Maybe he just wanted to waste paper? He actually looks like he just doesn’t give a fuck. He coughs and then leans forward with his elbows on the table. He forgot to shave this morning or woke up and just didn’t care. His hand slides across the table and clasps the edge. He puts his hands in his pockets. Why is he so cold? He pulls all of the contents out of his pocket and starts organizing his change into rows. Is he counting? He then puts the coins back in his pocket but he leaves two pennies on the table. He is considering leaving a two penny tip? He shoves the table away, stands up, and walks out of the shop. His gloves, to-go cup, and two pennies are still on the table.