Tag Archives: U-Bahn drawing

Unterweg drawings Nr 1

There is a bit of a thing among Berlin drawing folk, urban sketchers and life drawing people and so on, of “Unterweg” drawings.Fluffy boots by Suzanne Forbes Nov 28 2016They’re the drawings you make on the U-Bahn, S-Bahn, bus or tram, as you’re underway.

I find that I’m using these opportunities to draw regular people going about their day as a place to practise techniques. I can drop on a half-finished drawing and decide to add dark values, or detail, or a second person, in the most relaxed and experimental way.Headphones guy by Suzanne Forbes Nov 28 2016

You get as far as you get with an unterweg, then the person you’re drawing gets off the train, or you do, or they notice you drawing and you have to stop. Often children gather to watch, and adults murmur, “Schon!”

It’s a wonderful way to pass the time, and try new things.

Maypole!

Maypole_by_Suzanne_Forbes_May_28_2016I glimpsed this little girl dancing around the subway pole, surrounded by tall black-clad guys, at the beginning of May.

Then I carefully reconstructed the scene over a series of short U-Bahn rides. Since you never know which model of train you’ll get, or if there will be a seat in the correct position, detailed U-Bahn drawings tend to take a few rides!