Have you ever craved being the subject of a serendipitous yet voyeuristic piece of art? For city dwellers, the pinnacle of this experience is being casually drawn by someone on the subway, but it’s not always easy to achieve the harrowed and disheveled look you need to be chosen as the subject of a public transport drawing. Follow these tips to see how your next trip to Manhattan can make you the next Mona Lisa:
Play Up Your Usual Tired Characteristics
The key to being drawn on the subway is to stand out. That’s why it’s not enough to just look plain tired – everyone looks tired on the subway. Instead, kick up all the usual tired and distressed physical characteristics you have to the max. Make sure your eye bags are extra baggy and maybe even have a slight blue tinge. Trying to drink more water? Stop! Try biting your fingernails a little extra today! It’s time to be performatively disturbed.
Pose in a Contemplative and Tragic Way
A surefire way to catch the eye of a subway artist is to pose in a way that is both contemplative and tragic, as if you are coming back from the hospital after saying goodbye to a loved one, or after finding out your spouse was having an affair. Try holding your head while leaning on your legs, or looking out the window wistfully. Get creative – the more pain in those soulless eyes, the better!
Wear Cute Clothes That Look Slightly Worn
To become the troubled street muse of a subway artist, you have to look the part. This means nailing a delicate combination of streetwear cool with harrowed frumpiness. Try wearing a wrinkled tee with a blazer, or a very chunky scarf with a slightly mismatched outfit. You want to look bad but not bad. If you ever feel stuck when choosing the outfit for someone to trace into their moleskin, go for something with an elbow patch. You’ll be an anonymous tragic figure for someone to project onto in no time!
With these tips, you’ll soon be the subject of someone’s hurried but hopefully good drawing. Now just put out a sad singer-songwriter record and this can be the album art!
