Doing live sketches of people at markets provides a number of reality checks, even if you are only aiming at friendly relaxed caricatures.
Firstly, you are putting yourself "on-the-spot" as it were to actually produce something in the next ten minutes or so. Your clients ( or customers, if you think "clients" sounds too fancy) have put some trust in you, so you really have to give it a go. There can be no procrastination, for example, but unless there are real difficulties like kids that want to hide their faces, you really have to do it. Thus it is a test that you are an artist at some level above merely talking or thinking about it.
The next "Check" comes when you show your subjects what you have done. It does not matter how often you have seen previous clients laughing and smiling at their sketches, each drawing provides an immediate test of your abilities, and that "how will they like it?" feeling.
Last but not least, is the check that comes when you reflect about what you have done, particularly if you have taken a photo of the people holding your sketch. You are bound to see something you should have done better. You can tell yourself that perfection might offend the gods (That is why Japanese potters put a little mark on the bottom of their pots) but there is always some little thing you know you will have to do better next time.
Like in this sketch: Did I get the mouths right? Should I have outlined the ridge of the guy's nose, etc, etc.
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Nonetheless, I will be battling on with this until I make more progress with my "serious" stuff! Getting that out there is the real reality check I guess.
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