LEFT
Wat Ratchanadda
(Metal Temple),
Bangkok, Thailand,
by James Lim (Malaysia)
Ink and watercolour, 2016FACING PAGE
Chet Singh Ghat,
Varanasi, India, by
Sanjeev Joshi (India)
Watercolour, 2015drawing was done on-location or drawn from
a photo or memory back at the studio – even
if the artist does not provide the information.
It’s got to do with our understanding of what
the human eye is able to see, in contrast to
what a camera lens can capture.”
“Other than this main rule, we are very
welcoming of individual styles and skill levels,
and we encourage the sharing of artwork
online,” Wong concludes. “Anyone with a pen
can join us – young or old, professionals or
homemakers, absolute beginners or veteran
artists – and all mediums are accepted, even
drawings done on digital tablets!”
Why Plein Air?
Going on a “sketchwalk” is a regular feature
of urban sketching. he artists meet at a pre-
planned location, or follow an itinerary, to
sketch buildings, streets and people.
Sanjeev Joshi, 60, an architect and founder
of USk Pune in India, quips cheerfully, “On-
location sketching connects me to the people
around me, and being an architect also helps
me observe the details beter. I actually sketch
more than I take photos!”
“Plein air is recording the experience at
that moment in time: it allows me to immerse
in my surroundings,” says James Lim, a
3 2-year-old Malaysian creative designer. “If I
am travelling – to Bangkok, for example –
I also enjoy talking to the locals and
understanding more about the history and
culture of the place.”
Singapore IT director Tay hain Lin, 48,
adds, “I like to capture the spontaneity of the
moment. I use the hot and humid weather in
Asia as a personal challenge: I’m compelled
to complete a piece of drawing quickly, so
I produce line works that are very luid and
loose. Sometimes I sketch in ink with a
fountain pen on location, then complete the
painting indoors, like I did in Ho Chi Minh
City. Each ink sketch on a typical 35 x 25 cm
watercolour paper takes 30 to 45 minutes and
an additional 30 minutes to paint.”
Artists oten use a variety of mediums and
tools for producing their art pieces. Many
use a bound sketchbook and a pencil or pen,
complemented by watercolour or acrylic for
the colours. Kumi Matsukawa, founder of USk
Japan, usually has with her an A5 watercolour
sketchbook, water brushes and a small pallet
with eight to ten pigments. “My favourite
medium is watercolour,” she says, “because
you can draw lines, paint mass volume and
express light and shadow quickly, compared
to the more time-consuming hatching method
produced by pens or pencils.”
Other artists, like Zhu Hong, an acrylic
artist from Dalian, China, also enjoys drawing
on his Samsung Note 10.1 (S Pen). “he mobile