Tag Archives: dr sketchys berlin

Found, finished and scanned: the lost drawings of Dr. Sketchys Berlin “Broken Baroque”!

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Marijn van der Waa at Dr Sketchys Berlin Jan 28 2018 by Suzanne ForbesI actually produce so many drawings that I sometimes lose track of some of them.

Having a Patreon has reduced the orphan drawings rate enormously, but some still slip through the cracks! During the Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin Broken Baroque sessions, I did some large pastel drawings on Canson Mi Tientes paper. I tried to work on them at home, then abandoned them, as it was early days in my re-embracing of pastels.

Luckily, I just bought an A3 scanner and searched through my large drawings. I am so glad I found this drawing of beautiful artist Marijn van der Waa!

Evilyn Frantic at Dr Sketchys Berlin Broken Baroque Jan 28 2018 by Suzanne ForbesThese three portraits of sexy, spooky Evilyn Frantic merely needed to be finished.

I found it surprisingly easy, two and a half years later.

Evilyn Frantic and gent at Dr Sketchys Berlin Broken Baroque Jan 28 2018 by Suzanne ForbesHere we see Evilyn and a lad whose name I will have to get.

I was very nervous, two years ago, about how to handle the pale pastel shades.

Evilyn Frantic at Dr Sketchys Berlin Burlesque Week June 23 2020 by Suzanne ForbesNow I am confident!

Adding the watercolor brush pens has made a huge difference to my mixed-media drawing technique. They are physically pleasurable to use, as pastels are not for me. And they allow me to apply fine control to detail areas.

Mixed media art is all about finding what works for you – no rules, except consideration of issues of archival problems. I honestly do not know how my drawings of the last couple years will hold up over time. But since they are created to be shared online, I am kinda not fussed.

Yes, my lonnnnng art education instilled the value of archival materials. But it was pre-internet. And because in school I meant to be a fashion illustrator, then a comic artist, my intention was always to make work for mass distribution. Ephemeral, yet joyful 🙂

I am so blessed by my Patrons on Patreon, whose monthly financial support makes it possible for me to grow and develop as an artist.

As usual these drawings are licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) for all to share and enjoy!

In addition, I release the copyright on each drawing to the performer shown and they may use the drawings for their own profit and pleeeasssure in any way they choose.

 

 

 

Color experiments and Weimar Glamour with Kabarett der Namenlosen.

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Le Pustra and Mama Ulita at Dr Sketchys Berlin by Suzanne Forbes Jan 15 2020I found a bunch of unfinished drawings from a Kabarett der Namenlosen session of Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin!

Work in progress Suzanne Forbes drawing of Le Pustra and Mama Ulita 2019I was shocked to find these drawings, hiding in a sketchbook I thought contained nothing of importance. (I also found an unfinished unterwegs that I genuinely don’t remember drawing!)

As you can see to left, the drawing of Le Pustra and Mama Ulita was mostly finished. The others were more scribbly, just pencil. But now that I have actually seen the live performance of the Kabarett, I felt I should try finishing them up.

Why had I abandoned them?Le Pustra at Dr Sketchys Berlin by Suzanne Forbes Jan 15 2020

Mama Ulita at Dr Sketchys Berlin by Suzanne Forbes Jan 15 2020 back viewWas it frustration that I can never really capture the wild glamour of these performers, in their soft silk robes and stockings, with their immaculate white tie and tails?

I feel terrible frustration trying to convey exactly how it feels to see Mama Ulita perform. When she whips off her bob wig to reveal her own seal-slick black cap of hair, the audience gasps. I honestly want to be David Downton, at moments like that. This drawing doesn’t have a fraction of her elegance.

But it is a valid attempt, and it was worth finishing to see where it went, so I don’t know why that didn’t happen. Maybe these drawings just overtaken by events, as they say in the military? It’s been a tough year or two, healthwise.

I’m working hard to figure out how to add color to my drawings, but I am still so unsure. I used markers, pastels and a water reservoir brush to add color to several of them. Color is such an important part of the visual design of the Kabarett, with bright wigs by Nina Budden Hair and pale ostrich boas. I don’t really know how to convey these soft vintage shades alongside the graphic black and white tuxedoes.

I am committed to the process of making color an integral part of my live drawing, and it’s tough!

Mama Ulita at Dr Sketchys Berlin by Suzanne Forbes Jan 15 2020Sometimes hints of color, little accents, are best.

Sometimes I try to do more and don’t feel I succeeded. The trouble is, even terrific photographers can’t capture everything the eye sees at a show like this. There are a thousand moments, each so beautiful, and I can’t show you them all.Le Pustra and Dekolars at Dr Sketchys Berlin by Suzanne Forbes Jan 15 2020

Still, I do my best, and I hope you enjoy this tender moment with Le Pustra and Lars Schwuchow, above.

I am so grateful to my Patrons on Patreon, who make it possible for me to document Berlin’s queer intersectional performance scene and release the artwork free to all.