ArtistsNetwork.com 41“Experiencing diff erent landscapes helps to sharpen my
observation skills,” Tan says, “and I complete plein air
paintings on the spot. I fi nd that my mood and creativity
are altered in diff erent atmospheric surroundings. Each
country has its own history and culture, and I fi nd great
inspiration in them.”
During his extensive travels, Tan makes use of that
time to study other artists’ work so that he can continue
to learn and grow. Th at travel also feeds his commitment
to international competitions. “I believe in entering
international competitions so my work can be widely
seen and critiqued,” the artist says. “My creative growth
doesn’t happen overnight, but through extremely hard
work and a heavy investment of both time and money to
participate in various exhibitions abroad.”
As for his home country, Tan sees a great future for
Malaysian watercolor and has just opened a new studio in
Johor to accommodate the 300-plus students, ages 4 and
up, who come to study watercolor. He’s thrilled to see
that more fellow artists are doing well both at home and
abroad, and he encourages beginning artists to enter
watercolor competitions, exchange ideas and travel
whenever possible. “Malaysians are brought up with
a multidisciplinary focus on race, culture and tongues,”
he says. “We possess a special skill to bring out the best
in ourselves and, by extension, our artwork.”Toolkit
SURFACE- “I paint on cold-
pressed or 140-lb.
rough paper and
tape it directly to
the board. Painting
wet-into-wet gives
me greater freedom
to exaggerate my
strokes. I think
watercolor produces
its best results when
the paint is left to
dry naturally.”
PAINT - “Mijello watercolor is
currenly my favorite
brand, especially the
ultramarine, burnt
sienna and cerulean
blue. I often mix it
with other brands to
achieve my desired
color palette.”
BRUSHES - “I don’t use masking
fluid; instead, I paint
around the reserved
white area of the
paper using flat
brushes. The effects
produced with these
flat brushes are
similar to a palette
knife loaded with oil
paints and placed on
a canvas.”
— Suzchiang Tan
Memory Land No. 5
(watercolor on paper, 30x22)