Outdoor and Nature Series

My landscape scenery drawings are, by far, still quite limited, due firstly to the fact that I prefer to draw things that move - more challenging, I suppose. Secondly, as I am quite an introvert by nature, drawing in public can be quite an embarrassing experience for me... So usually I would stand, squat or hide at some small, unnoticeable corner to capture the scenery I want.
I remember drawing the rows of old houses in Little india with a few seniors from NAFA during my school years. The second work below - "Narrow Path, 2002" in linocut, done many years later, brings in some flavour of nostalgia...

Rabbit Series

This grey rabbit was actually my nephew's, but later given to me by his mum. It became my subject 'model' in my pastime then. To draw the rabbit was not an easy task at all, because it would often move around, turning left and right... So I had to do quick observations and rely on impression and memory to get the drawings done. As for the rabbit, it soon grew too big for the cage - in my sister-in-law Alice's description - "can only take one hop"! Ha, how pitiful! So I found a school in the neighbourhood eventually, willing to keep it in their ecological garden. I think it was a great new home for the rabbit!







Based on the drawings above, I further developed them into 1-colour and 3-colour linocut printing.

People Series

In figure drawing, it is of course easier to make observations on the body structure and tonal values if the model keeps still. However, at certain point of drawing, if the model does make occasional shifts, that can be interesting to capture too. I will then have to make gestural sketches based on quick observations and impression memory. Occasionally, with one hand holding the pen on the drawing paper, I will trace and record wherever my eyes are moving around the form, trying not looking at the paper. When I later get to see what I have drawn on paper, very often unusual, pleasant surprises await me. This is the great joy and thrill of drawing life models - with a glimpse of the fleeting moment.






This drawing below shows my niece after crying. I have forgotten why she was sobbing, leaning against the table. It happened within such a short time that I was only just in time to pick up an A4 paper beside me and do a quick capture of the moment. If I had used a better quality paper then, perhaps the effects would have been better.

The True and The True

It is very essential to make drawings and sketches wherever and whenever you can, as they are always very useful source materials as painting references, enriching the content of the work as well.
One example is this drawing of my niece taking a nap on the sofa, which later developed into an oil painting - "The True and The True" (now collected by Singapore Art Museum,praises be to God!)


The True and The True, 2000. (courtesy of Singapore Art Museum)

Use of Mediums

I remember using charcoal and pencil for sketching and drawing during my years in NAFA. However after graduation, I began to switch to using ink pen (especially Pilot Hi-Tecpoint V5) instead, as a challenge of my skills.
It is easy to erase any mistakes if one uses pencil or charcoal, but not so with an ink pen; you just have to re-draw. By this way, I trained and sharpened my absolute observational skills. Some years later, I came across another interesting medium - the Dermatograph wax pencil (with a string attached for peeling new lead) which my students used it for outlining their artworks. Upon trying out its rendering effects, I realized this wax pencil really complemented well with my ink pen in drawing!
Thereafter, my personal drawing mediums and techniques evolved. From the collection of artworks above, you can see that I first used the ink pen to draw lines, followed by using the wax pencil to address the various tonal values.

Introduction to Sealed Man

Hi, everyone! Welcome to my blog! I consider myself a "Sealed Man" - redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ, sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, and belonging to my beloved Heavenly Father. Hope you have enjoyed viewing my artworks and journals which I am more than happy to share with you. Thank you! :)