Wonderful! Here’s the cleaned-up final draft:

---

One Week 100 People — 2024

I came back to this challenge after two years away. Life happened, as it does. But in 2024 I finally sat back down with a sketchbook and committed to One Week 100 People again.

There was one big difference from 2021. Last time, I drew tiny gestural figures — whole bodies, loosely suggested, no faces to speak of. This year I decided to actually draw faces. Properly. Or as properly as I manage anything.

I treated myself to a new marker set to mark the occasion: the Faber-Castell Goldfaber Aqua Dual Marker Portrait set, with six warm tones — Apricot 116, Pale Pink 114, Sand 281, Vintage Pink 195, Terra Cotta 185, and Burnt Sienna 283. A small, muted palette. The warmest browns ended up doing a lot of heavy lifting, since Burnt Sienna was my only real dark — every head of hair, every jacket, every shadow ended up in that rich brown. I didn’t mind at all.

My companions for the week were Murdoch Mysteries, The Curse of Oak Island, and Death in Paradise. Good, comfortable television. The kind you can pause.

Somewhere around portrait 21, I drew someone live for the first time — a friend, sitting for me properly. It was more careful than the TV portraits, and it actually looks like him. Not a perfect likeness, but close enough that someone who knows him would recognize him. That felt like a milestone.

Portrait 49 is one of my favorite pages from the whole challenge. I added water to the markers and got the most beautiful blooming effects in the skin tone — soft and loose and a little unpredictable. Exactly the kind of happy accident that makes me love this medium. My first ever self-portrait, which looks nothing like me. But I do love the effects of the water on the marker and the blooms created.

I stopped at 56, which is my second ever self-portrait. Also looks nothing like me. My people sketches were spread across three weeks, and I am completely fine with that.

What surprised me most was how easily the faces came. I’d been nervous — faces are intimidating. But once I started, something loosened up. I was better at it than I thought I would be. Though I was happy if it just looked like a person, and not too distorted. I didn’t mind if it didn’t actually look like the person!

I’m glad I did this challenge this year. I’ll definitely do it again next years!