Sketching-People

LEANING IN
If a person is leaning in toward whatever he or she is
engaged with, he or she is expressing interest in what
is happening. Whether executives discussing a deal, a boy
exploring a bug on the ground or a concerned friend at
dinner, leaning in shows real interest in what is going on.
LEANING AWAY
Leaning away shows disinterest in what is happening.
The student at the back of the room leaning back in a chair
dreaming of summer is not interested in the teacher’s
math lesson. Leaning away can be a way of relaxing, not
resisting as a closed pose might be, but a way of disconnecting
from the surroundings.
LEANING IN
You can see that the couple eating together is engaged
in conversation because they are leaning in toward
each other. It shows they are interested and are paying
attention. The boy using the telescope is really leaning
over to peer into the eyepiece; he’s clearly enthusiastic
about what he’s doing.