It seems Velandria spends his daily 20-minute commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan sketching portraits with the aid of a tablet and the ArtRage natural media paint application. Described as a "corporate graphics guy," he began sketching with the tablet two years ago as a way of recapturing his earlier passion for drawing. "Everyone is so different, no matter how much you lump people together," he says. "I guess my ultimate goal is to really capture the soul of a person."

What's interesting is that he apparently makes a point of avoiding eye contact with his subjects. For me, beyond the somewhat soft, pastel approach of his work, the biggest difference between the portraits of Velandria and Grateau is exactly this relationship with the subject. Most of Grateau's portraits have an impact that comes from painting people sitting right across from him. They often look directly at the viewer, eyes wide open. In contrast, most of Velandria's subjects are either asleep or are depicted in profile. The result is a certain detachment, perhaps a reflection of the cultural differences between the two countries.

In any case, Velandria's Flickr gallery is well worth a visit. And if you're feeling inspired to try out a little sketching yourself, you can take the demo version of the modestly priced ArtRage program for a spin.