Adding Tones

This was done earlier of the year but grey tones added later. Nothing changes for the cafe interior except the people and perhaps the menu. I will be going for my cataract surgery on Wednesday, not sure my sense of tonal values and colour intensities will change after that.

Village Cafe

Very tired today and didn't feel like going out of office for lunch. So I went to Village Cafe in the office building for a nice hot soup and sandwhiches and finished up a sketch I started long long time ago on the last page of the Moleskine Japanese Album.

It is truly a celebrations of diversity when you see students and staff of different ethnicity and background in the cafe. Sometimes we have overseas visitors from Loas, Cambodia, Japan, Finland and many more.

same same but different

Same cafes but different sketches.

It's Sunday again

Consecutively the 3rd Sunday I was at this cafe but this time to sip my very first coffee of the day over a piece of oneh cake at around 4pm. The bald head Caucasian man at the back was playing chess with a young boy presumably his son.

There are story behind this sketch too that I was sketching in pain on my right cheekbone coz I had a fall and hit the bath tub the night before after a blast in sketch outing at ORTO in Yishun with the gang in the morning.

My face is very very round now and my right cheek is still painful but manageable, lah.

Sunday Brunches at the same cafe

tuk tuk in the mall

I was curious why the large, white lamp post was placed in the middle of the cafe which is open at all sides at Tampines One Mall. Even when there was no ceiling as the cafe was located right in the atrium open to plenty of natural lighting. I was more attracted to the fake 'tuk-tuk' or 'sam-lor'- a three-wheeled motorbike at the shop 'tuk tuk cha' selling Thai milk teas. A tuk-tuk is basically a rickshaw with a small engine capacity roaming the streets of Thailand.

The sketchbook is not suitable for watercolours so I added digital colours later.

Wheeler's Yard

I was with the students for the visit to Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall in the morning since 10am followed by Balestier Heritage Trail in the afternoon. So I was really tired when it ended at around 5pm. I refused to go home to rest as I was so near to Wheeler's Yard; a hippest cafe housed in a massive warehouse at Lorong Ampas just a stone throw away from Zhongsan Mall when I parked my car. I decided to check it out and I found myself sketching over a cup of strong long black and a small plate of black pepper lime squids at Wheeler's Yard. I knew the staff were standing behind watching me sketch since the cafe was quite empty at that time of the day. As I prepared to leave, they requested to have a closer look at my sketchbook and took a picture of the cafe sketch. I should have taken a group photo with them holding the sketch but I forgot.

Cafe people sketch

I was on official duty last Saturday and yesterday evening. So I took a few hours time-off this morning to enjoy my brunch at my favourite cafe - Penny University at East Coast Road. I was facing this loving young couple with a new born baby and got an urge to sketch the people. Sketching really calmed my nerves and at that moment I really wished I could stay a little longer. Too bad I had to leave for work and left before the lunch crowd walked in. Oh yes, sketching helps us pick up details - the ladies including the waitresses were all having ponytail hair except one even if they come and gone.

DisneySea

The eye of this whale would open and close but the kids soon got bored of it and asked to take the rides which had very long queues. I spent longer time at this cafe table and noticed a common phenomena same as the rest of the world - everyone was either looking at the smartphone or taking photos with the camera phone. The red flower and text stamps were added later from Muji store near Tokyo International Forum. The Japanese characters mean "Thank You".

lunch sketch

My first day of work on 2 Jan I went to The Old Malaya Cafe at Tampines Mall for lunch. My usual dishes - wanton noodle, a popiah (spring roll) and Kopi O gau (thick black coffee). A family of three generations at the next table after shopping at Isetan. The mother and grandmother was taking care of the toddler on baby chair and the very big size young girl about 13 or 14 years old was finishing up all the food left on the table. Slurp!

KOPI at Singapore General Hospital

I visit Singapore General Hospital (SGH) quite often these days as my mom is undergoing daily treatment since early May. Doctor is very surprised and tells us my mom is a very stoic and optimistic lady. I often take my lunch at this KOPI eatery located near the hospital entrance while my dad and the family helper are attending to my mom at the treatment clinic. The hospital is always crowded so to find a seat for lunch and sketch is a luxury.

Tiong Bahru Bakery

I was chilling at Tiong Bahru Bakery with a sketch after work.

at Udders for ice cream

Sketching at Starbucks

Did 2 sketches at Starbucks.

Penny University

Penny University, artisanl coffehouse, as it said on their name card is located at East Coast Road. It was a Wednesday late morning and my daughter bought me brunch at this cool place.

old friends gathering

This group of senior ladies probably had not met each other for a long time. They were understandably loud and emotional with all the hugs and kisses. They looked like a group of retired teachers from a convent school and decided to meet up for the new year.

at Coffee Club

Another sketch at Coffee Club at Siglap Road.

Tolidos

On leave and joined sketcher friends for a nice cafe hopping day!

at Artistry

Vacation time! I join my sketcher friends for a cool cafe hopping day!

Old Malaya Cafe

My favourite Pontian noodles, a cup of black coffee and a spring roll as lunch at Tampines Mall.