Tag Archives: pastel drawing

Works in Process – drawing pastel clothing with pastels, yikes!

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WIP VIva Lamour by Suzanne Forbes detail Feb 2018I’m working on these three pastel drawings from Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin veeeerrry slowly.

This first one is of the beautiful Viva Lamore, who wore a marvelous outfit with a cage hoop. Because the theme for this Dr. Sketchy’s was Broken Baroque, everyone was wearing ropes of pearls and masses of ruffles. Plus fluffy white cotton batting wigs.

WIP VIva Lamour by Suzanne Forbes Feb 2018I’m struggling to control the “dust sticks” as I call them and render some kind of believable volume with such pale colors.

I find it so hard to get any detail with pastels. Especially drawing things like pearls and lace. As you can see, for important areas like the models’ faces, I just cheat and use ink. I’m using both my beloved PITT brush pens and 50% grey scale markers here to add in darker values. For the pearls, I started using a white color pencil.

WIP Dr Sketchys Berlin by Suzanne Forbes Feb 2018As much as I’ve hated and ignored color pencils all my life, I can see how on paper this good, they can be a nice tool.

Each of these drawings is on a different shade of Mi Teintes paper, as I randomly chose from my pad of sepia, umber, and buff paper in order to provide “new experiences”. Mighta gone a little overboard on adding complicating factors there, as the effect of each color of pastel stick is startlingly different on light vs dark papers.

WIP Evilyn Frantic by Suzanne Forbes Feb 2018So I am working on them just a little bit at a time, trying not to set myself the overwhelming goal of “finishing” or “getting them right”.

You can see the drawings I’ve finished so far from this Dr. Sketchy’s here.

Thanks so very much to my Patrons on Patreon whose financial support makes it possible for me to explore new materials like this. You are the best.

Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin “Broken Baroque”!

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Viva Lamore at Dr Sketchys by Suzanne Forbes Jan 28 2018I was super excited for this session of Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin!

There’s nothing I love like too much, and Broken Baroque is such a gorgeous theme. As always, LalaVox and Le Pustra did it up right. Above is the marvelous Viva Lamore as Mistress Overdone. She looked both beautiful and deliciously wicked! She is such an amazing performer, and her gestures are incredibly expressive. I brought my new pastels and drew with them!

LalaVox at Dr Sketchys Berlin by Suzanne Forbes Jan 28 2018I always try and draw hostess LalaVox, as she brings her A game to her look every time. Like this ship-in-head!

Isn’t the sacque-back gown a perfect style for her?

Evilyn Frantic at Dr Sketchys Berlin by Suzanne Forbes 1 minute drawing Jan 28 2018I had been wanting to draw Evilyn Frantic for a long time, since I saw her in the street last year, introduced myself and told her I wanted to draw her picture.

This one-minute sketch was my first chance, more to follow as I clean up and finish up the pastel mess I made!

Edited June 23 2020:

FINALLY finished this big drawing of Evilyn!!

dr sketchys victorian spiritualism by maren michaelis-303

LalaVox and Suzanne Forbes at Dr Sketchys Berlin Victorian Spiritualism by Maren Michaelis.

Bonus stuff: here is a picture of me and LalaVox by photographer Maren Michaelis from the last Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin, “Victorian Spiritualism“. The setting of Ballhaus Berlin is so exquisite.

Also bonus: here is a drawing of Viva Lamore jumping out of a Campbell’s soup can, from the Sunday Slips New Year’s Extravaganza! She is wearing a handmade bra fashioned after the 1940s Schiaparelli design! How amazing is that?

If you’re interested in a similar design, last year there was a hand print bra and panty set made for the Bettie Page line by Playful Promises, the queer, trans, gender-fluid-, sex-worker-, body positivity- and diversity-embracing lingerie company. Viva Lamore jumping out of a Campbells Soup Can by Suzanne Forbes Dec 31 2017

Thanks so very much to my Patrons on Patreon whose financial support makes it possible for me to go to events like this. You are the best.

Previous Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin posts here, here, here, here and here.

The Dr. Sketchy’s Berlin Instagram!