Group Photo for National Day Sketchwalk

Happy Birthday Singapore 2025

This piece was completed this morning at our annual National Day sketchwalk at Esplanade. The turn out was HUGE and the weather was scorching hot. I had to move into shade to complete this piece on the spot.

Happy Birthday Singapore and Happy SG60!

National Day Special Sketchwalk

This year National Day we went to Esplanade Outdoor Theatre again for our annual NDP sketchwalk. We never got tired of this scene that depicted the achievement of our nation with heritage buildings fronting the waters and skyscappers adorn the skyline. Within a short span of one generation or 59 years since 1965, the nation had achieved so much from a swamped land to a first world country.

For the naysayers, of course there are still rooms for improvement but one cannot deny the strength, deligence, commitment and dertermination by our pioneer generation and the strong political leadership of this country.

Happy 59th Birthday Singapore. HOME TRUlY!

Size: 760 x 285mm

National Day Sketchwalk 2024

Hello sketchers! In view of National Day and to continue our sketching momentum from Asialink Penang, we'll be having a special sketchwalk on National Day, 9 August, this Friday! Come celebrate National Day with a sketch of our iconic waterfront and bask in the mood this FRIDAY!
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Date: 9 Aug 2024 (Friday)
Time: 9.30am - 1230pm
Nearest MRT station: Esplanade, City Hall, Promenade stations
Meeting point: Space around DBS Foundation Esplanade Outdoor Theatre
https://maps.app.goo.gl/P5RkcV8UrbPBHdgA7
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Timeline for the day:
9.30am: Short brief
9.45am: Start sketching!
1215pm: Start packing your things and make your way for Show & Tell
12.30pm: Show and Tell - Space around DBS Foundation Esplanade Outdoor Theatre
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Instructions for the day:
1. Make your way to the location, be aware of surroundings, and maintain necessary distancing.
2. Challenge yourself to explore hidden corners that hasn't been seen/drawn yet; this will also help prevent too many of us crowding the same perching points.
3. Post your sketches, snapshots and videos online — 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬 #𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐬𝐠 — so everyone can easily find the day's artistic output.
4. Some sketch leaders will go around to catch you in action for posts on Facebook and Instagram, so look out for them!
5. Happy sketching!! 
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𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆:
By participating this Event, you agreed with the followings:
1. My participation in this Event is entirely voluntary.
2. I am aware of and agree to assume any and all risks which might be associated with the Event and I will not hold Urban Sketchers Singapore (USkSG) and any admin/organiser responsible or liable in any way for and will not commence any action arising from the Event, or claim for any loss and/or damage (including, without limitation, personal injury and/or property damage) caused by or sustained as a result of my participation in the Event.
3. I will indemnify USkSG and keep USkSG indemnified against all losses, claims, demands, actions, proceedings, damages, costs, expenses, and any other liability arising in any way from my participation in the above Event.
4. For participant under 18 years old, his/her parent/guardian are aware and agree to the above clauses.
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Credits:
Event banner by Patrick Ng

Happy 58th Birthday Singapore

This is the final complete piece and you can see two works in progress below on location.
Size: 750 x 280mm
Media: Ink and Watercolour on Arches

Special National Day Sketchwalk at Esplanade

Hey Sketchers! 

It’s that time of the year again! Come join us in sketching up a storm like we do every year, as we celebrate Singapore’s 58th Birthday! 🇸🇬🎂🥂🍾 

Meeting Place: Esplanade Outdoor Theatre 

Time: 2.00 – 5.00P.M. 

Dress code: Come decked in our national (SG flag) colors! 🇸🇬❤️🤍 

Throw-down at 4.45P.M. at Esplanade Outdoor Theatre

Happy 57th Birthday Singapore

National Day Special Sketchwalk at Esplanade

Hi Sketchers!

We resume our traditional special sketchwalk by the bay to celebrate Singapore’s 57th birthday on 9 August 2022 (Tuesday)!

We also have one of the Executive Board member (USk Events Director) and the host of our next International Symposium, Eric Ngan from Auckland, visiting and joining us!

The general meeting point is around Esplanade Outdoor Stage. Feel free to wear red and/or white!

Places that you may consider to sketch:

- Esplanade
- Helix Bridge
- Marina Bay Sands
- Art Science Museum
- Merlion

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In light of the COVID situation, we urge everyone to remain cautious, mask on at all times and with the updated COVID SMM. Let's all play a part to stay safe!
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Time: 9:30AM - 12.30PM

Google map: Esplanade Outdoor Stage
https://goo.gl/maps/1TY5mbHpDYsq4Duf9

Nearest MRT station: City Hall (EW13/NS25) - walk through Citylink Mall / or Promenade (CC4/DT15)
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𝑰𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆:
In compliance to Government Covid safety guidelines, be safe!

Remember: MASKS ON.
Please strictly comply. USkSG (and our sketch leaders) will not be held responsible for any flouting of the above guidelines. Thank you.

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Timeline for the day:
9.30am: Short briefing around Esplanade Outdoor Stage*

12noon: Start packing your things and make your way for Show & Tell

12.20-12.30pm: Show & Tell around Esplanade Outdoor Stage*

*Note that location of Short briefing and Show and Tell are subjected to change, depending on the weather of the day.
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Instructions for the day:

1. Please have your mask on at all times. Make your way to the location, be aware of surroundings, and maintain necessary distancing.
2. Challenge yourself to explore hidden corners that hasn't been seen/drawn yet; this will also help prevent too many of us crowding the same perching points.
3. Post your sketches, snapshots and videos online — 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬 #𝐮𝐬𝐤𝐬𝐠 — so everyone can easily find the day's artistic output.
4. Some sketch leaders will go around to catch you in action for posts on Facebook and Instagram, so look out for them!
5. Happy sketching!! 

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Credits:
Banner photo by Patrick Ng

National Day Sketchwalk at Esplanade

This time I used up all ten pages of the entire sketchbook during the sketchwalk at our National Day at Esplanade. Self-made Saunders Waterford watercolour paper sketchbook.

Photo Collage

Photo collage of our National Day Sketchwalk at Esplanade. We had a blast!

Happy National Day 2015

Today our nation celebrates 50th National Day. I had a busy day yesterday on all things SG50. While my husband was queuing to get into Art Science Museum, I did a sketch shown here at the Marina Bay. Everywhere was packed with people at Marina Bay but we had a restful late lunch at the No Signboard seafood restaurant at Esplanade. 3:30pm was our talk at the Esplanade Library and another restful teabreak with the potters before we had dinner at No Signboard again. This time the restaurant was packed and we were lucky to be given a table with a condition not to exceed one hour for our dinner. It was alright for us as we had a Nanyin concert to watch at the Esplanade Recital Studio at 7:30pm. After the concert, I stayed back to listen to the post-talk while my potter friends went home. As I got out of Esplanade, the fireworks had just ended but I was able to see the last laser show by MBS. I also managed to see The Fullenton clad in huge digital national flag. What a day and happy National Day and SG50 to everyone.

Panoramic View

Good Bye Mr Lee Kuan Yew

Last week was the saddest week for Singapore. Mr Lee Kuan Yew, our founding Prime Minister passed on at the age of 91 on Monday 23 March and we, the sketchers had our March sketchwalk at Esplanade Waterfront on Saturday to celebrate the achievement of Singapore which is synonymous with the wonderful life of our remarkable leader. Last week, there was an amazing outpouring of emotions by Singaporeans at large that people queued up for ten hours to the Laying-in-State to pay their last respects at the Parliament House.

While we were sketching in the shade at the Waterfront, people in the long long queue behind us were standing under the scotching sun in a orderly manner, no one complaint or grumbled. There were volunteers who supplied water, buns and umbrellas. I even saw a lady carrying an ice box with icy towels given out to people in the queue!

The next day on Sunday, despite heavy downpour, thousands lined the streets of Singapore when the cortege traveled from Parliament House to University Cultural Centre for the State Funeral where foreign dignitaries from more than twenty countries were there waiting in the hall. People dropped everything and the entire nation observed a minute of silence at 4pm. Good Bye Sir, may you rest in peace!

I like to share with you one of the famous quotes from Mr Lee Kuan Yew:

"I have no regrets. I have spent my life,
so much of it, building up this country.
There's nothing more that I need to do.
At the end of the day, what have I got?
A successful Singapore.
What have I given up?
My life."

Look at the sketch, within a generation; in a short span of 50 years, we transform the country from a mud land to a first world country. Thank you Sir!

March Sketchwalk

Sketch by Tia

For this month's sketchwalk, we want to celebrate Mr Lee Kuan Yew's life and what he's done for Singapore. So we will be sketching around the Padang and Esplanade on Saturday. From this area, you will be able to get a good view of the Singapore skyline and Marina Bay. There will be much to explore, draw and reflect on around the area. The nearest train station is City Hall Mrt Station - a short walk over. (10mins)

Meet: 9AM  at the waterfront outside the Esplanade (See map below). After a short briefing, we will spread out and explore/sketch the area. Start at the Padang, and plan your route so that you eventually arrive back at the Esplanade's waterfront at 12PM

Endpoint: 12PM at the waterfront outside the Esplanade. We will do our show and tell there.

Might get hot. So bring a hat. If not, there will be trees for shade.

See you there!



Taken from Google Maps.

Makansutra Gluttons Bay

Have not been sketching much as I was swamped with work but I tried. Here is a sketch I did a while ago...

The correct name for this place is Makansutra Gluttons Bay. While waiting for my next meeting at Esplanade, I sketched at this outdoor food court next to Esplanade and opposite Marina Bay Sands. It was crowded. The oyster omelette was average but the ambiance was pleasantly cozy.

Loola'a at Esplanade

Loola's by Awfully Chocolate is the newest restaurant at Esplanade specialising in "breakfast, braise and breads". The restaurant location used to be a Japanese restaurant that I frequented a few times before the shows at either the Concert Hall or the Theatre. The fish I ordered at Loola's was really good but the price is a little on the high side. Cost of living in Singapore is going up and up.

Esplanade Concert Hall

A sketch before the Saturday concert on a new sketchbook supplied by Book Actually to test out the paper for the bookstore. I started with Lamy Pen and it worked well till my ink dried out so I changed to Hero fountain pen which could not skirt smoothly across the paper resulted in dry, broken strokes. But I am still happy with the end result. Done in 10 mins before the show.

15 x 21 cm, Noodler's black ink

Sketchers at Guerrilla Lighting Workshop

Last night, a few of us attended the Guerrilla Lighting Workshop at the Esplanade Park.
These are some photos taken by Carol Lim and my sketches. The top was the view of City Hall from the roof terrace of Cricket Club and the next one was a quick sketch at the Cenotaph, one of the locations for the event.

The Cenotaph was built in memory of the 124 British soldiers born or resident in Singapore who gave their lives in World War I (1914–1918), with a second dedication (but no names) added in remembrance of those who died in World War II (1941–1945). To install a light painting "LIVE" just below the inscription "Our Glorious Dead" was a brilliant concept. The light installations at other locations were very interesting too but I was too involved in the presentations that I did not sketch.