Marina Barrage

Today sketchwalk at Marina Barrage. It was a very hot day but still there were people flying big and small kites on the roof top and families having picnics on the mats with kids holding small kites coloured by the them under the shades.

We were lucky to be on the roof top and not have security guards chasing us away but we were told sketchers on other floors were not so lucky.

I did the entire 7 pages on location except the people having picnic and splashes in the sky were added later. The view is so nice but don't think we want to go back to sketch again. HA!

Moleskine Japanese Album Large
Size: 910 x 210mm

National Library Board

I sketched from the lift lobby of 8th storey of National Library Board at around 9:45am as Lee Kong Chian Refrence Libaray only opened at 10am. The female security came to tell me politely not to sit on my stool but I could stand and sketch though. Such a nice view with morning sun and I had a video in there to show how I started the sketch with pen.

The sketch was done in conjunction with an event organised by Urban Sketchers Singapore called "Dare to Sketch" featuring Felix Scheinberger from Germany and sponsored by Art Friend, Hahnemuhle and National Library Board.

Moleskine Japanese Album Large
Size: 650 x 210mm

Joo Chiat

Last Saturday, together with Urban Sketchers Singapore, we went to Koon Seng Park in the Joo Chiat neighbourhood. This area is famous for its rows of colourful shophouses often featured in tour books for tourists. Instead of sketching Koon Seng Road shophouses, I chose to sketch from Mrs Morgan's popular Roti Prata stall which I waited 45 mins for my breakfast. By the time I finished my breakfast and Kopi-O, I only had around an hour to sketch the corner of Joo Chiat Road and Koon Seng Road. I finished 7 pages of pen and ink work in a new Moleskine.

So today, I Went back to do the colouring on location with a good meehoon breakfast and kopi-o dilo. (coffee without adding water). I didn't know Mrs Morgan's Roti Prata was closed on every Wednesday.

I did a sketch of the same view in 2010 here. The corner was a coffee shop, then a retail store selling storage boxes, then it was converted into a hostel, a co-working space and now, Grafunkt, an upmarket lifestyle shop.

Moleskine Japanese Album Large.
Size: 910 x 210mm

Result of February Sketchwalk

I sketched Mohamed Sultan Road outside Robertson Walk. I was bitten by mosquitoes and found out there was not enough water in my waterbrushes. Only enough to colour the sky and some shades and shadows. The rest of the colours added at home.

Moleskine Japanese Album Large
Size: 780 x 210 mm

Back to sketch the vessel again

I completed the sketch on Amerigo Vespucci today and did another new one today outside the restricted area. Nice lawn, good shade, windy and good company!

Moleskine Japanese Album Large
Size: 650 x210mm

Madly Good Japanese Cafe

I was sketching Clarke Quay opposite from the aircon comfort at Madly Good Japanese Cafe on 2nd storey of Clarke Quay Central. Not suitable for watercolours unless you are steady and quick. One of the last sketches in Moleskine Japanese Album. I will be using mostly Etchr Accordion in the future.

Moleskine Japanese Album Large
Size: 650 x 210mm

Result of September Sketchwalk at Marine Parade

Moleskine Japanese Album Large
Size: 520 x 210mm

Coffee Splashes again

It was raining outside and we needed to shop for a kids' party tonight to celebrate mid-autumn festival, so we headed to Food Republic at the basement of Parkway Parade for breakfast before shopping.

Did a quick line sketch with coffee splashes while hubby queuing for food. These two foreign kids had beautiful curly hairs that attracted me. The elder boy was playing a very small and old hand-held game while his sister was disturbing him. It reminded me of my two granddaughters when they were fighting most of the time at the dinner table.

As usual, people forming a line to buy coffee and food at Toast Box next to our tables are also phubbers, phub = phone + snub, people who are swiping their handphones according to Oxford Dictionaries.

I am using my old trusted Moleskine Concertina Sketchbook again and gel pen, yes not fountain pen. Back to basic sketching gear.

Molekine Japanes Album Large
Size: 390 x 210mm

Beautiful Shophouses at Blair Road

This morning we sketched at Blair Road. This neighbourhood is like Koon Seng Road, filled with heavily ornamented shophouses. There are also so many beautiful pintu pagar and wrought iron canopy over gate posts that cannot find in Koon Seng Road neighbourhood. The landscaping here especially the frangipani plants are so well-maintained. The floor even the public pavements are adorned with majolica tiles.

The only disadvantage is that there are cars parked on both sides of the road unlike Koon Seng Road.

I wanted to go back to the basic, so only brought one Moleskine Concertina Sketchbook, a fountain pen, a waterbrush and watercolour set.

You can see my reel on Facebook here.

Moleskine Japanese Album Large
Size: 520 x 210mm

Another sketchbook done!

It has been raining last few days but today the weather is bright and sunny!

I joined my friends for a ad-hoc sketchwalk at Joo Chiat and since it was free and easy, I arrived really late at 11:00am and spent about 45 mins to do this sketch just on time for the show and tell at 12:15pm. It was also the last three pages on my Moleskine Japanese Album Large concertina sketchbook. It is also my second sketch of the new year 2024. The first was done at Lau Pat Sat last Sunday. Many artists and sketchers had sketched this view for its iconic sprial staircases behind the shophouses. You can sit at the coffee shop comfortably and enjoy the process.

Video on Lau Pa Sat Sketch

First sketch of the year 2024

Long Sketch

Probably the last long sketch of the year from Marina Bay Sands. Merlion is having a face-lift!

Size: 910 x 210mm

Sketching from Marina Bay Sands

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This sketch is to record Merlion hiding in the house! It is under renovation.

Sketching with USKIncheon

Result of Novemeber sketchwalk with overseas friends. USKSG x USKIncheon at Bras Basah Complex.

It was hot so I went up to National Library Building to sketch under aircon and quiet environment. First sketch 4 pages in the new Moleskine Japanese Album.

Size: 520 x 210mm

Day 10 - Gwangjang Market in Seoul

We returned to Seoul from Suwon on Day 8 and arrived at our hotel in Insadong in the late afternoon. On Day 9, we took a subway train from Insadong to COEX. On Day 10, I was back to sketching with my usual Moleskine Japanese Album. A sketch on Gwangjang Market, another iconic traditional market in the busy city of Seoul.

A cafe with a big Aquarium

After the registration at 1pm, we went to the food court at Gallerie just next to Suwon Convention Centre for lunch. Sangmi brought us to this very cool cafe with a huge aquarium for coffee.

Day 4 - 4 Oct 2023 Day 1 - ALSWSuwon Arrive in Suwon on 3 Oct afternoon. Went to pick up my goodie bag on 4 Oct noon...

Posted by Tia Boon Sim on Tuesday, 3 October 2023

Last Page of Sketchbook

Sam Leong Road

Sketching at Sam Leong Road with sketcher friends. Hope this row of beautiful shophouses will be preserved. the surrounding has since changed a lot. Hightrise buildings are sprouting up in this neigbourhood very quickly.