Monthly Archives: February 2020

Feb 2020 Unterwegs – Valentine’s lovebirds, grayscale and Pencil Cleanse!

Unterwegs with Valentines lovebirds Feb 20 2020 by Suzanne ForbesMy husband and I saw this sweet couple on the U-Bahn on Valentine’s Day.

The elegant lady was giving her partner a comforting touch on the shoulder. She noticed I was drawing them and I gave her my card, I hope she sees this!

Unterwegs Feb 20 2020 Grayscale by Suzanne ForbesTen years ago Brody, a cool person I knew in the Bay, did a Grayscale costume and makeup for Santacon.

It was so incredibly good that I have thought of her look (also known as Desaturated Santa) every time I see or type the word “Grayscale” ever since. I thought of her when I drew this grayscale unterwegs on gray paper! You really don’t see anyone reading a full-size or even a tabloid size newspaper on the subway anymore, and I miss it.

Pencil cleanse WIP by Suzanne Forbes Feb 24 2020I am conducting an occasional Pencil Cleanse.

Before I started working as a courtroom artist and then in comics, there was a period, ’89 to ’91, when I carried a sketchbook everywhere but only a mechanical pencil to draw with. All of my drawings were pencil only, or ballpoint if I ran out of leads. And they were great! They had a slow magic and a loose rhythm that my faster, rough-pencil-sketch-which-is-immediately-inked drawings of today lack.

I’d love to take a month to draw ONLY in pencil, but I just don’t dare. I don’t want to lose the chance to document a great performer because I can’t move fast enough with pencil. So instead I am doing pencil-only drawings when the stakes are low, like with unterwegs.

IT TAKES SO LONG!!!

This one is in process, with a couple hours on it already, and hundreds of corrections, perspective adjustments, and scale fixes. And yet it doesn’t look like much, right? It is the bones and vitamins of drawing, though.

You can see hundreds more unterwegs drawings celebrating life on Berlin’s public transit system hereAll unterwegs drawings are courtesy of my Patrons on Patreon whose monthly financial support allows me to make this free art available!

A Valentines Big Broad Revue at Tipsy Bear Berlin!

Dotti Moscati at Big Broad Revue by Suzanne Forbes Feb 22 2020We love the sexy, political, Berliner humor and magic of this show!

Don’t we all need a long, sweet lick of Liberty right now? You know we do. Co-producer Dotti Moscati brought the sadness, the frustration, the betrayal, and the sexy-ass life-force to this depiction of Lady Liberty.

Dotti Moscati for Big Broad Revue at Tipsy Bear by Suzanne Forbes June 25 2020Updated June 25 with another drawing of Dotti from this night.

Singing her hilarious, awesome Tinder song!

Gorjeaux at Big Broad Revue by Suzanne Forbes Feb 22 2020The surprise guest was radiant Gorjeoux, above, strumming and singing and making us giggle with her revised pop songs.

Duckie l Orange at Big Broad Revue by Suzanne Forbes Feb 22 2020Aussie Duckie l’Orange did a remarkable puppet burlesque number.

It was both hilarious and deeply unsettling!

Liliana Velasquez at Big Broad Revue by Suzanne Forbes Feb 22 2020Co-Producer Liliana Velásquez is always amazing!

We love her New Yorker/Colombian/Berlin stand-up humor!

My husband actually came out for Big Broad Revue, because he loves Liliana’s stand-up (and it was Valentines!) and he had a wonderful time. It was really a tremendous show, balancing outrage at injustice and the laughs that help us keep going.

Fannie Headaek at Big Broad Revue by Suzanne Forbes Feb 22 2020 Returned to us after a sojourn in Canada for makeup school, Fannie Headaek hit the stage!

You might wonder how a number could possibly live up to that wig. Believe me, she did!

Ruby de Cadence at Big Broad Revue by Suzanne Forbes Feb 22 2020

Last but never, never least, beautiful Ruby de Cadence!

Always a pleasure to draw this burlesque lady.

And always my pleasure and my honor to documentary-draw the folx of Berlin, which is made possible by the monthly financial support of my Patrons on Patreon