Challenge#13: Oh there's good ole what's his name?

quick likeness sketches-ball point pen

  Perhaps the challenge isn't always the effort to draw. For me I am bad about remembering names. I'll remember your artwork, your dog's name but your name will be the last to become filed in the memory banks. Ever notice when you join a new group you are introduced to dozens of people? After the event you are lucky to recall 3 of those named. Sure they got these cutesy word association things that help the absent minded remember things but sometimes that is just as exhausting to invent a story to link the pertained information- heck I leave things out in a joke then wonder why nobody "gets" the punchline... until I recall forgotten details then throw them in at the last minute; it still doesn't work!
   As an artist it only seems natural to connect visually so (if it's not too awkward) I try to do quick sketches of these people while they chat among themselves- those who know each other. On one particular afternoon I was with a group of sketchers who just came off an event and were gathering for show and share. I was looking at one guy knowing I had sketched with him previously and wondering if his name was ? or??- at least I had it narrowed down. So my solution was to do a quick 2-3 minute sketch and ask him the spelling of his name regardless of the degree of being lame since his name was simple- maybe he would give me his last name so I didn't seem such a dolt? Loosing my nerve to ask the name, I asked the guy beside me then went on to draw his sketch. In 10-15 minutes I had a page and a half of faces and named them accordingly; it all worked out in the end and was a darn good practice to get a fast likeness and make notes of names for future reference.