A Highgate man has launched an exhibition of sketches inspired by the characters he sees in libraries and on public transport every day.

Josh Cedar, of Holly Lodge in Highgate, captures the lives of ordinary people snoozing on trains, reading the papers, or seeking solitude in libraries in Kentish Town and Camden – as he goes about his daily life as a telecoms engineer.

The aspiring illustrator said: “I like to draw the people I see around me. I’ve lived in Camden most of my life and this is my way of capturing the interesting people I see.

“In the libraries especially you see some old men with fascinating faces, and on the tube or on buses there’s always someone who catches your eye. In London the most interesting thing is definitely the people.”

His project has struck a chord with Londoners.

“Everyone has seen the type of people I draw,” he said. “A lot of people who have seen the exhibition have said they’ve recognised someone or felt someone was familiar.”

His portraits, priced �70-�160, are on show at Flaxon Ptootch Gallery in Kentish Town Road until December 5.