Group Photo for September Sketchwalk

A Balinese styled gateway at Gillman Barracks

Gillman Barracks is a former colonial military camp in Singapore that has been repurposed into a contemporary arts, lifestyle, and food and beverage cluster. Named after General Sir Webb Gillman, a well-known officer of the British Army, Gillman Barracks was built in 1936. It housed army barrack buildings, married quarters, and even recreational facilities, built specially for the British’s 1st Battalion before World War II.

We went to Gillman Barracks for our September sketchwalk and I did two pieces today both on square format at the meeting place which was the location for a relica Balinese styled gateway. It was called "Candi Bentar" in Bali and it was built when the area housed Villa Bali, a former Indonesian restaurant that has since closed down. Timbre Group operated at the same location from 2012 for about eight years before the current tenant Wheeler's Tropikana specialising in Australasian cuisine took over till now.

I started by splashing the white watercolour papers with blue for sky and orange for the Bali Gateway plus green and yellow splashes here and there. I then sketched the scene with fountain pens but all three pens run out of inks after first piece! So the second piece was done with watercolour brushes especially with a very small thin brush and no fountain pen, no ink work.

Daler Rowney Watercolour Papers
Size: 350 x 350mm

September Sketchwalk at Gillman Barracks

Hi Sketchers!

This weekend we're heading to Gillman Barracks!

Tucked off Alexandra Road amid greenery, Gillman Barracks was built in 1936 as a British military camp, named after Sir Webb Gillman. Today its conserved colonial buildings house a cluster of contemporary art galleries and cafes.

Landmark to look out for:
Gillman Barracks Gateway Arch - A Balinese styled gateway
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XKjQX4QTFrWYPxw19
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𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘀:
Date: 26 Sep 2026
Time: 9.30am - 12.30pm
Nearest MRT station: Labrador Park Station

Meeting point: Gillman Barracks Gateway Arch
Show and tell location: TBC on the day itself

Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XKjQX4QTFrWYPxw19

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𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆:
9.30am: Short brief at meeting point.
9.40am: Free and easy sketch
12pm: Start packing your things and make your way for Show & Tell
12.15pm: Show and Tell
12.30pm: End

*Please note that location of Briefing and Show and Tell may subject to change if weather changes. Admin will edit location on this post if any changes.

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𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲:
By participating this Event, you agree 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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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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𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝘀:
Event photo from Stephanie Ng

A Drink before Exhibition

Young people like to sit outdoor and drink and smoke outside Hopscotch at Gillman Barracks. I was waiting to visit an exhibition at the NTU's Center for Contemporary Art.

Masons at Gillman Barracks

Second piece at Gillman Barracks on a Saturday morning. People from Masons were very nice that they came out with free scorns with jams for us and invited us to have lunch at the restaurant at a special price. Before lunch, a group photo at the huge carpark shaded by the banyan trees near Masons.

Gillman Barracks

We explored Gillman Barracks for our Sketchwalk on last Saturday of March. The complex was first built in 1936 as an military camp but it went through a few changes. I remember one my my engineer friends invested in this entire place and converted it into a eating and entertainment enclaves in the late 80s. We tried to support by having parties and visited the famous "Kar Soh Fish Head Soup" a few times. However, the location was too remote for people like us staying in the east. I heard it was really tough for the operators then. Now, this place has transformed yet again into a latest contemporary art destination in Singapore.

We were there at 9:30am in the morning and the place was totally deserted although it hailed to create a vibrant arts scene made up of museums, galleries. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the vast space, the lush greenery and the great company sketching together. I did two pieces on my newly acquired sketchbook bought in Bangkok for only 300bht or S$4.00. One sketch was done at block 22 overlooking block 9 and the other piece was done near the big banyan trees outside Masons, block 8.

Size : 160mm x 300mm
Media : ink and watercolour