SUTD 2026 Edition

For the record - four instructors and about 80 students at Singapore University of Technology and Design. We just concluded the SUTD 2026 Edition, what a talented group, again. Keep sketching!

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Saturday 18 April 2026

Process

I was teaching at NAFA on Monday and SUTD on Friday and it just happened both locations were the same at Waterloo Street for that week. I did not plan it that way and only realised it later. So I was able to use the same piece started as a demo to NAFA adult students on Monday then completed the demo piece to SUTD students on Friday that same week.

It just happened and it worked out so well.

Joo Chiat

I was conducting a make-up class for SUTD students on a Saturday morning outside Joo Chiat Community Centre. It coincided with the sketchwalk orgainised by I Jio You Sketching. I showed the students what and how to do quick thumbnail sketches before I settled down and did a long sketch on a accordion sketchbook gifted by 朱啟助繪旅行, a Taiwanese sketcher.

Demo piece at Marina Bay

I may be sketching this scene at Marina Bay for many times but this time I did the demo for a video on using Etchr Accordion Sketchbook. It was also the outdoor lesson for students from SUTD.

Etchr Accodion Sketchbook
Size: 560 x 210mm

Teaching at SUTD

First video is the latest showcase display at SUTD on 19 April 2024.

Very impressive work by the students since many of them do not have art background. I have been teaching Urban Sketching in SUTD since 2012.

Second video was taken on 23 April 2018 by SUTD

Marina Bay with SUTD students

Marina Bay sketchwalk with students under scorching hot sun. Accourding to weather man, it felt like 39degC.
Instructors include Erwin Lian, Jeffrey Ang, Andrew Tan and yours truly.

Result of March Sketchwalk

Did a small one today in between two old sketches to complete the Saunders Waterford Concertina Sketchbook. This building is Wisma Geylang Serai. The building was the winning entry by Design-Environment Group Architectsof through a building competition held in 2013 and it was completed in 2018 and officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in January 2019.

For me, this is the site for the demolished Malay village that I frequented during my younger days. I have very fond memories of the kampong style complex and I can only get the information at https://remembersingapore.org/geylang-serai-malay-village/

Under this brutal weather, I also needed to teach and guide my students from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) so had to be quick and done with early. I also needed to get ready to apply for a ALSW Penang ticket which was not successful due to delayed and unresponsive payment system. I tried. So game over for any future ticket snatching events for this retiree as I truly hated to make to go through the process as a senior and founder.

Size : 390 x 210mm

Another Outing with SUTD

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Tuesday 26 March 2024

We went to Eco Lake of Botanic Garden to sketch yesterday with students from SUTD. I have been teaching Urban Sketching course at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) since 2012 even when I was teaching full time at Temasek Polytechnic. I was grateful for the Poly to allowing me to teach at SUTD every Friday afternoon for a semester. It started in Sep 2012 for the first run and now it is conducted from Jan to Apr for the students in term2. It has been 12 years since and the students are getting younger while we instructors are getting older!

Size : 650 x 210mm

Buildings under redevelopment

Last four pages of moleskine in 45 mins during a class with SUTD students last Saturday.
Singapore Land Tower's façade is upgraded from plaster to new claddings.
Clifford Centre's sound barrier hoarding is also up, next could be the adjacent building, The Arcade.
HSBC changed to WeWork Building owned by CapitaLand.
All the heritage buildings such as Fullerton Hotel, Clifford Centre, Custom House at the bayfront still owned by Fullerton Heritage, a sister company of Far East Organisation.

So much changes after the Pandemic.

Teaching a class this morning

Weather said “feel like 36degC” and the SUTD students braved the scorching sun sketching at Marina Bay this morning.

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Saturday, 8 April 2023

Singapore Land Tower's facade is upgraded from plaster to new claddings.
Clifford Centre's sound barrier hoarding is also up, next could be the adjacent building, The Arcade.
HSBC changed to WeWork Building owned by CapitaLand at 21 Collyer Quay. So much changes after the Pandemic.

Sketching at Tiong Bahru with SUTD students

The attendance was very bad for the sketchwalk this afternoon, students were all late and claimed they did not know how to walk from MRT station to the location. A big group turned up at 3:30pm after their meeting on campus. Then came the heavy downpour that we had to change the show and tell location to the market. But students said they were stuck at the Seng Poh Garden hiding under the shelter. What a day! The visit to Pin Pin Piau Kay; the 84-year-old provision shop finally made our day. They are closing down permanently and today is their LAST DAY.

Our sketcher-friends, Tony and Jeffery did a sketch each. Three of us, the instructors were so tired after giving instructions and demos to students so many times since they all came late at different times. I was not in a good mood, so should we blame the location or the weather?

I went back to my car, took out the sketch tool and did a sketch of block 71 where Pin Pin Piau Kay was located. It was still work in progress but I did feel much better after sketching.

Sketching in Little India

Together with students from Singapore University of Technology and Design, we explored Robert Lane in Little India for the unique shophouses there with bay windows. It rained suddenly so I had to stop and changed strategy to just add colour washes without adding details.

Final sketch at Singapore River

For the very first time, no inkwork for me.

We conducted a urban sketching class at Singapore River last Saturday for students from Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). The exercise was to do washes first then add pencil lines.

4 pages of Moleskine size: 520 x 210mm

Sketching at Singapore River

Sketching Locations for SUTD classes

Final Sketch at Mapletree Business City

This is the sculpture called "The Conch" at Mapletree Business City, located right at the entrance covered the entire facade across a few blocks. Very majestic and I like it very much. I was told it was designed by Torrance Goh and Hong Weiming from FARM, a multi-disciplinary design company. Find out more at https://www.farm.sg/projects/details/the_conch

Sketching at Mapletree Business City

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Urban Sketching Module

Waiting for students to come in on a Saturday morning. So happy to have another chance to work with the young adults and make Urban Sketching sustainable. New Urban Sketching module at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). We have to do 4 sessions on campus this weekend and next weekend then we will be out for sketching trips!

First SUTD Sketchwalk

The tutors and students held our first SUTD sketchwalk at Substation before their semester break. Students are not familiar with the history of Substation and it was great for some of them to explore and view the exhibition via SeptFest 2021: Projek Orang Asli by Zai Kuning.
If you not already known, The Substation’s Board of Directors has decided to permanently close down the Substation. Press release here

Sketching with SUTD students at SCAPE