Sketchpacker Diaries: 2014

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Last Major Trip for 2014

Twenty-fourteen is probably the year I travelled most. I've gone for 3 trips so far (Siem Reap, church camp, and Sketching George Town 2), and the last one is coming up in just a few days' time. Several of these trips were not originally planned for, such the last one to Penang and the coming one. They just happened to come up and I couldn't miss the opportunity. Where am I going next? I'm headed to England.

I've been to England - 13 years ago. The last time I went, I brought my sketchbook, but it wasn't used for sketch-journaling (actually I did go to the UK another time within those 13 years, but it wasn't for holiday). In fact, though I had been drawing all my life, and had the habit of carrying a sketchbook everywhere, it was used as a travelogue where I wrote down my experiences along the way and later added printouts of photos I took. I resisted drawing in the book during the trip because I didn't want to interrupt the flow of the travelogue. Back then I had not taken up urban sketching.

I wasn't planning to go to the UK this year. In fact I was planning to go to Australia and visit my friends in Melbourne and Sydney. But as circumstances would have it, my aunt from Cambridge came to visit earlier this year and invited me over.

So here I am, preparing for my trip, and right after finishing the layout and formatting for my book of the last trip (it took me more than a month to complete!).

I just might bring this old sketchbook along for my trip to show my friends and relatives who I met up with in England some 13 years ago. I am much older now, and wiser (I certainly hope so!); and my writing style has changed much. My love for writing, taking photos, and drawing, however, remain the same. The only thing is now I don't have to ration my film (thank God for digital photography!).

The photographs are full of memories - some filled with fondness and nostalgia, others full of heartache. Much has happened in those last 13 years - people have moved on, fallen ill, or even passed on. Little did I imagine then that today I would be working for a British company that was just 3 years-old when I first set foot in England.

My itinerary is packed. I will not be retracing my steps - only some. There are many people to meet, and perhaps, tears to be shed. Thirteen years ago I went in spring. This time I will go in early autumn. The exchange rate has moved in my favour, but England is still an expensive place to visit.

As usual, I will post about my trip, but only upon my return. I am restricting myself to 1 sketchbook this time round and one spare. The tools I've packed are somewhat different from previous trips (I will be using a thinner fountain pen primarily, if I stick to my plan). Of course, that doesn't mean I won't be buying more art materials in England (how could I go all the way there and not buy stuff I can't find here?). I'd like to think I've trimmed my kit down a bit, though. Maybe I'll do a separate post on my toolkit if I have time.

All the photos in my sketchbook above were taken with my trusty Canon EOS 300. It still works! I think I spent some 12 rolls of film or so on that trip. As I read through the entries, I realised I used to be a much more leisurely traveler. I seem to be much more compulsive now (I want to see everything!). After all, I'm spending all that money to travel so far, and who knows when I will get to go again, if at all? Added to that, I want to sketch-journal. It is a very hard balance to strike. If only I had all the time in the world...

This trip has been on my mind for the most part of this year. In fact I'm already tired after all the planning and thinking. I'm sure things will change after a 14-hour flight which hopefully will be restful (or maybe not, since I'm planning to catch up on some neglected projects and readings) and after I touch down in good old England. We will see how it goes. I am thankful for the opportunity to travel, and more so when I realise there are so many who cannot in their entire lives leave their countries - even to flee.

Each trip is an education: from the dark and shady past of Down Under, to the rapid urbanization of the Middle Kingdom, to the poverty and desperation of Cambodia, and now to the rich history and culture of England, to whom my country owes its present prosperity in no small part. My ties to England are not few, and I look forward to seeing the country again.

Our itinerary from 2011

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Sketching George Town II: A Sketchpacker's Diary

It's been more than a month since I returned from Penang and Sketching George Town 2. I've finally finished my sketchpacker diary, scanned the pages, cleaned them up, put them together, and put it up for print at Lulu.com. I'm also uploading a copy of the drawings in the sketchbook here with a watermark. They are pretty raw, but there is some colour in the tags/tickets/etc. pasted in the book. The actual book is fully in greyscale, since the drawings are in greyscale. Besides, it doesn't make sense to incur higher costs if only a few pages have a little bit of colour.

You may order the book here. It's print-on-demand, so they only print when you order. I would suggest consolidating orders with your friends so you can save on shipping and enjoy bulk discounts. The price of the book is $5.62 USD (excluding shipping, which is $8.99 USD to Singapore). Why such an odd number? Because 562 = SG2. It's just a little memento. I'm pricing it (very) low so people who want a copy can afford one, and because even a few dollars more can be a lot of difference depending on what country you are from. I'm not putting this up for profit, otherwise I would've priced it higher. It's mainly for those who attended Sketching George Town 2 and would like to own a hard copy as a memento or souvenir. As such, I am not expecting a huge circulation, since only about 200 sketchers attended the event.

One may ask what's the benefit of ordering the book if the sketches are here on the blog. Well, it's entirely up to you. It's mainly so you can have a hard copy. I've cleaned up the scans for the book somewhat (not entirely, since I wanted it to still have a little bit of sketchbook feel) and excluded the watermarks on each page. There are also a few extra bits including photos of 3 other pieces I did during the event, which I didn't put up here. There are also a couple other photos and a short write-up, and acknowledgements to those whose photos I sketched. Those are just some of the extra bits in the book for those who are spending the $5.62 to get it. Otherwise, all of the sketches done in this sketchbook have been scanned and posted here.

So without further ado, I present to you Sketching George Town II: A Sketchpacker's Diary.

All pictures here are Copyright © Favian Ee, 2014.

Hope you enjoyed this post! You can order the book at:
https://www.lulu.com/shop/favian-ee/sketching-george-town-2-a-sketchpackers-diary/paperback/product-21787410.html.

Disclaimer: I haven't ordered a proof copy for myself, so I don't know what the actual physical copy looks like. If you are ordering, please be aware of this.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Artist Feature: Erwin Lian

For this artist feature, I want to introduce another of my Urban Sketcher friends, Erwin Lian Cherngzhi. He studied art and media overseas and has experience in both natural and digital media. Recently he traveled to Bhutan for a sketching trip under the auspices of Drukair, and upon his return has undertaken the herculean task of starting a Kickstarter project to produce what he calls The Perfect Sketchbook for travel artists and art enthusiasts. But before we go into that, let's find out more about Erwin and his inspiration.

Erwin in Bhutan
Copyright © Lian Cherngzhi

SD: Hi Erwin! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your artistic journey?
EL: I am an Artist from Singapore and a part-time lecture at the DVFX program in Ngee Ann polytechnic.

When I started off, I wanted to be a computer animator. Knowing that foundational art skills were important, I enrolled into a school (Columbus College of Art) that strongly emphasized on that. After graduation, I dabbled a little in motion graphics and visual effects. It was only when I started working that did I realize how much I missed using traditional media, so I made the transition, moved back to Singapore and went into teaching instead. Teaching allowed me to escape the mundane of clicking buttons and memorizing workflows. It also gave me time to paint on the side.

SD: I heard you studied art overseas. Where did you go for your art training? What were some of the most valuable lessons you learned?
EL: I went to the Columbus College of Art in Ohio and also did an exchange program at Otis College of Art in Los Angles. Art schools are expensive and it’s a miracle that I even graduated from College. I think the most valuable lesson I learned from college is that you do not need school to learn something. When I was in both colleges, the top talents were usually those who already “had it” or had already acquired their skills elsewhere. In a way, these talents were merely in schools to claim their “titles”. At the same time, the schools were always there to gain merit for “producing” these artists. It is funny but people who made it to Stanford University don’t really need to be in Stanford. They already had what it takes.

SD: What advice would you give to someone who may be considering studying art abroad?
EL: Budget well and do your research on the industry you want to get into. If you want to be an animator, find out where the big companies are located. A community college near Pixar will most likely have teachers from Pixar than a big college located elsewhere. Don’t be fooled into choosing branded schools. Often people don’t realize that they can get the same quality of education for way less.

SD: What is your preferred medium and why?
EL: I prefer the traditional media such as oils, pencils, pen, watercolor, acrylic, and gouache. I love them all! I do paint digitally, but not often. I like how ink and paint respond to paper and canvas much more than the feel of a plastic stylus against another piece of hard plastic.

SD: What is your inspiration?
EL: Anything and everything. It could be music, lyrics, a conversation with a friend or a stranger, or it could be that nice cheek on a beautiful face. There’s beauty everywhere if you know where to look.

SD: You seem to have a lot of drive and passion. Do you have goals for yourself as an artist? What are some of them?

EL: Not really. I don’t really have a goal except to be happy and to stay that way. It’s easy to be consumed with unhappiness if you keep wanting to be a celebrity artist, or to be famous, or to be a “kick-ass”.

SD: You recently went to Bhutan. What inspired you to travel there, and what do you like about the country?
EL: I been traveling around for a while and after I clocked America, Europe and Asia, I thought it was high time to visit the "highest" land. Bhutan, which is in the Himalayas, stood out. Since there has been so much talk about it being the happiest place on earth, I decided to check it out. I was blown away when I arrived there. Its pristine landscape and the people's symbiotic approach to the environment inspires me.

SD: How many sketches did you do there? Can you share some of your sketches with us?
EL: I didn’t count. I just went at it. Here are some sketches from my second trip to Bhutan.

SD: What art materials did you use on your trip?
EL: I brought a small watercolor sketchbook, my Lamy 2000, some water-brushes, dried up watercolours in a palette, a spray, one "Good Morning" towel and a mechanical pencil just in case I want softer lines.

SD: What are some of the essentials you would recommend packing for a trip to a place like Bhutan (art materials and otherwise)? Do you have any advice for people planning to travel there?
EL:I would recommend some insect repellent. During my first trip, I was attacked by sand flies. Other than that, I don’t usually carry anything fancy. On my second trip, I did bring along my easel and stool and worked on larger pieces of work.

SD: Where else have you traveled to sketch? What's your favourite place and why (if it's other than Bhutan)?
EL: I have sketched Berlin, Paris, New York, Ohio, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Cambodia, Beijing, Nanjing, Amsterdam, Barcelona, and Bhutan. I may have missed some places but I really like Bhutan and Barcelona. I love Bhutan for its pristine landscape, friendly people and culture. I love Barcelona for its beautiful structure, under-rated art, friendly people and amazing FOOD!! But you know what? My favorite place to sketch is actually in the SMRT train in Singapore. It's home after all and I know it best.

SD: You recently launched your Kickstarter project titled The Perfect Sketchbook. What inspired you to do it? Why not just use one of the sketchbooks available in the market?
EL: Every time I buy a new sketchbook, I thought to myself: “Why didn’t they consider this and that?” Eventually, I wrote in to a sketchbook company (Grandluxe) to suggest that they start a Kickstarter project. It was that simple and they actually responded.

"The Perfect Sketchbook" was something that I arrived at after trying out many watercolor sketchbooks. In order to improve on my watercolor sketches, I considered the three basic variables that would affect my work: water, pigment and paper. Since most watercolor sketchbooks contain only with student grade watercolor paper (20% cotton), I knew paper would be something I could improve on. Hence, "The Perfect Sketchbook" will be made with artist-grade 100% cotton paper. Two other features unique to the Perfect Sketchbook are:

18% photography grey tone on the backing of the sketchbook
Integrated value charts on the front and back pages of the sketchbook.

These two features didn’t incur extra costs since they are integrated into existing parts of the sketchbook. A value chart can be handy for an artist to assess value (i.e. darkness and lightness) or for an educator to explain color theory. An 18% photography grey may also come in handy when an artist needs to meter for exposure.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theperfectsketchbook/the-perfect-sketchbook-for-travel-artists-and-art

SD: What hurdles did you have to cross in order to get it started?
EL: There are so many... For a start, I didn’t know that only 5 nationalities were eligible to use Kickstarter, and Singaporeans weren't one of them. I have lived in the States for a decade and thought that I could pull this off easily. Unfortunately when it comes down to money, the project will be subjected to U.S income tax, which made things a little complicated. It was a challenge to get friends to support the project. I also heavily underestimated the time and work needed to pull this off.

The big hurdle from the beginning was the costs involved. Since I wanted to use paper and cover materials that aren’t available at the existing manufacturer, it became clear that I didn't have the advantage of economies of scale. Then there was the design process, the many iterations of changes, photography, and promotional video that I needed to produce.

Last but not least, calculating the right pricing after considering the production costs, commissions from Kickstarter, Amazon and reward fulfillments was challenging too.

SD: Tell us a little about your sketchbook project. What are the design considerations and what makes it different from other sketchbooks in the market?
EL:

100% artist grade cotton paper is the biggest different. Any professional watercolorist will tell that rag paper (100 % cotton paper) makes it strong and pliable. If you care about permanence or plan on using lots of scrubbing, scraping, taping, and masking techniques you should use 100% cotton paper, which can take a lot of abuse.
Value charts with consideration to left and right holder’s access to them
Photography grey card (these features can be viewed at the Kickstarter page)

SD: How long has it been since you launched the project? What has the response been like so far?
EL: I launched it 29 days ago. I have 16 more days to raise a total of $50,000. I managed to gather about $22,500 in 29 days and have more than 400 backers. Out of all the 32 Kickstarter projects that have originated from Singapore, The Perfect Sketchbook has the most backers.

SD: What are your hopes for this sketchbook project? Do you plan to have another production run or pitch it to an art material producer to continue production?
EL: Firstly, I hope this project will succeed so that a Singapore manufacturer would consider looking into producing quality sketchbooks. If the demand is recognized, the quality of sketchbooks available in Singapore will rise while its cost can fall.

Secondly, Singaporean artists have always been stigmatized as an unworthy lot. This perception needs to change. I have exhibited in this Kickstarter project how a Singaporean artist can work hand-in-hand with a company to forge a highly viable symbiotic relationship. If a Singaporean company can create global interest through producing a high-quality product, Singaporean artists can also be endorsed in the same breath. Art does not need to be isolated from commerce. In fact, artists and art need sales in order to survive and thrive. I hope that Singapore can one day be the home of companies that sell artistically created high-value products. Imagine a Louis Vuitton, just one not made by the French but by a Singaporean.

I have no further plans for this project unless this Kickstarter makes the cut.

SD: Do you have plans for another sketchpacking trip? If so, where (and why there)?
EL: I just bought air tickets to Italy at the end of this month. No particular reason. Just a spontaneous decision.

SD: Is there anything else you'd like to share with other sketchpackers out there?
EL: Go and back the Perfect Sketchbook now !! Travel safely and sketch a-plenty!

More of Erwin's works can be viewed at his webpage at www.cherngzhi.com.

If you are an artist or would like to buy a present for your artist friend, do consider Erwin's project The Perfect Sketchbook (Facebook page here has more interesting posts including artists who have supported the project). And please don't just buy any sketchbook off the shelf at a shop thinking it's a good gift for an artist friend. Artists can be very fussy with paper, because good paper makes all the difference, and the sketchbook you thoughtfully selected might sadly never get used. There is wisdom in the advice of seasoned artists to get the best paper you can afford (especially for serious work), even if your other materials are of lower grade. If you want to get your friend a sketchbook, it's best to ask your friend, or another artist. Here's a sketchbook made by an artist for artists, and recommended by artists. You can't go wrong with this one, so PLEASE SUPPORT!!

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Sketching George Town II

From 4-7 July, 2014, sketchers from Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Australia, Vietnam, New Zealand, and the UK, headed to Penang for Sketching George Town II. I had the privilege to attend the first one in 2012, the year I first joined the Urban Sketchers Singapore. This year the Penang group decided to organize another, and an even bigger and more ambitious one.

Following the opening on 4 July, sketchers from around the region and the globe gathered for a treat of drawing the UNESCO-listed town for 3 full days (some stayed for more!) with other like-minded artists. Many of us were already Facebook friends, admiring one another's works of art. Meeting one another in person was a moving experience.

Hin Bus Depot, an old bus depot converted into an art space.
We had our daily gatherings, workshops, etc. here.

Me and my roomie, Patrick

After a hearty welcome dinner, some of us stayed up for supper and fellowship. It's Penang, and Penang is all about food! In Malaysia and Singapore, Penang is known as a food paradise, and if you're not sketching, you're eating (or you ought to be!).

The next morning we had our first sketchwalk at Lebuh McNair. I took cover at Cecil Street Market for a dose of caffeine, having slept pretty badly the previous night. I ordered cham, also known as yuanyang in Singapore, which is a mix of coffee and tea. Sad to say, this particular cup I got wasn't very nice (I've tasted better in Penang). I did 3 sketches in that morning - a sketch of a durian seller, another of Pramote from Thailand, and one more of the market. I had plans to focus on pencil sketches for this trip, but as it turned out, this was the only pencil sketch I did. Most of my sketches ended up as pen and marker works in my sketchbook.

Cecil Street Market

Durian Seller

Pramote

After a delicious lunch of local food nearby, we came back to Hin Bus Depot for our first round of workshops. There were workshops lined up for all 3 afternoons with 3 running at the same time. I signed up for only 1 - Story-telling in Sketch by Hong Kong cartoonist Stella So. Stella is a stellar cartoonist (see what I did there? huh? huh?) of international fame. It was a privilege to learn from her.

Workshop with Stella So

Stella's sketch of Chris

My sketch of myself and Stella

In the evenings, we had sharing sessions. The first evening was the welcome dinner, and the last evening was the closing dinner, so we had 2 evenings of sharing by 2 speakers each. The first was a Taiwanese-turned-Penangite, Luisa Hung. Luisa is trained in both architecture and anthropology. It's fascinating to me, since I'm quite curious about anthropology myself. She uses sketching as a means of recording her observations for her work. It doesn't hurt to be able to publish those sketches at a later point in time either!

Luisa (right) with Katherine translating

Luisa's slides

Mor Thiwawat from Thailand sharing his works.
Mor is a political cartoonist and versatile artist.
He is also hilarious! The Thais, I found, are super funny people.

The second morning's sketchwalk was at Jalan Penang. There's this "octopus bridge" spanning the cross junction of 2 major roads there where most of us started sketching. I didn't find anything interesting to sketch, so I went walking about and ended up at Lebuh Keng Kwee where we ran into Mdm Tia, the fearless leader and founder of USK-Singapore. Incidentally, Lebuh Keng Kwee is also the place where the famous Teochew Chendul stall is. The stall hadn't opened when we arrived, so the rest started sketching first. Me? I waited. And I was the first in line for the first bowl of chendul of the day.

Sketchers on the "octopus bridge"

Mdm Tia at work

First in line!

YUMZ!

One lucky girl got drawn!

I didn't draw much that morning aside from the lucky gal above, and the chendul stall. I did draw a couple more pictures in the afternoon though. I didn't sign up for any workshops, so I went to a nearby cafe with some friends. While they sketched, I decided to listen to my body and crash, so crash I did. I became a celebrity of sorts that afternoon, cos while I was napping, I got snapped, sketched, selfied, all at one go. When I woke up, the lady I was napping next to showed me a photo she took. I took a glance and I just had to sketch it.

Photo of a sketch of a photo.
INCEPTION!!!

After my nap, I stepped outside the cafe
to sketch KOMTAR. How can one come to this part
of George Town for a sketching trip and not do at
least 1 sketch of this iconic building?

We had a hearty dimsum breakfast the next morning at the coffeeshop downstairs (actually we had hearty dimsum breakfasts all 5 mornings we were there!). After that, we headed down to Hin Bus Depot before going to Jalan MacAlister for our third and final sketchwalk. We walked to the Penang State Museum and sketched around that area.

Penang State Museum at Jalan MacAlister

Drawing by Don Low

Luisa Hung's sketch

Luisa and I with my sketch of her and Katherine

Again, I had the afternoon free, so I took the chance to do a couple more sketches that I needed to - one for a souvenir for myself, and one for a souvenir for someone else. We were going to have a sketch exchange that night, and each of us was given a card to draw on.

My souvenir. I sat outside to draw Hin Bus Depot.
As the sun moved, my toes started to roast.

After a bit of a rest, I decided to go back to the hotel room to shower before dinner. It would be a 15 minute walk and the weather was pretty warm over those few days. Little did I know that dinner included satay! So much for getting clean and then getting BBQ smell all over my fresh clothes again!

Besides the closing dinner and ceremony, it was time to exhibit our works. Each registered sketcher could submit 1 A4 sketch, which would be displayed at Hin Bus Depot, and later at other locations and coffeeshops during the upcoming George Town Heritage Festival. I only managed 2 A4 pieces for the entire trip, and the watercolour piece turned out awful, so I submitted my pencil sketch.

After the awards, sketch exchange, dinner, and what-nots, we hung around, reluctant to leave. For the first time in a long while, I actually went and got some autographs from people - I asked them to draw themselves in my sketch journal! We've come a long way, made new friends, sketched together, enjoyed Penang food together, and it was sad that the event had finally come to an end, and we were going to make our way home soon.

My sketch and I

KK and Cheang Jin, 2 of the leaders of USK-Penang

Someone shouted, "Look!" And this is what we saw. An awesome
sunset fit for our final evening at Hin Bus Depot

Old-school snacks!!

Sketch Exchange!

Look who got my sketch!

I got this sketch by Theerawut Dermlim from Phuket

I need a wider angle lens!

Stephanie and me

Bo Juan, another leader of the USK Penang

The hardworking Urban Sketchers Penang group, who organized
this amazing event!

Supper/dessert with the guys (and gal) near our hotel.

Patrick and I were due to leave the next evening, so we took the opportunity to do some shopping and sketching in the morning and afternoon. While the others went sketching and eating after our dimsum breakfast, I needed to get some famous tau sar piah from Him Heang, an approximately 2 km walk from our hotel, and some dried nutmegs.

It was a beautiful morning with blue skies!

Octopus bridge

After about half-an-hour of walking and wondering
if I had missed the building, I finally arrived

I was originally planning to buy more, but it
would've been hell to carry all that and walk back

Shopping before catching our taxi to airport

Patrick, my roomie, found out he "owned a motor
shop" in Penang!

At the airport! We went early. Or so we thought....

Our flight was supposed to be at 9:50 pm. We went to the airport at around 6+. We didn't see our flight listed on the screen, so we found a seat at KFC. Maybe we were too early.

While Patrick took care of our bags at KFC, I went to make some enquiries. Slowly it dawned on me that something had gone horribly wrong. We had missed our flight.

Tiger Air had rescheduled our flight earlier and we didn't realise that it was a morning flight. There were no more flights by Tiger to Singapore that night. They kindly put us on the next flight at 11 a.m. the next morning at no extra charge. In the meantime, we needed a place to stay. I immediately contacted Bo Juan, who kindly opened his place for us to crash for the night. We were very grateful, even if we were still in shock. After dinner, we booked a cab back up north to Bo Juan's apartment. In the meantime, we needed to make arrangements back home for the next morning. Patrick had to get his wife to fetch the kids from school, and I had to email my office and apply for emergency leave the next morning.

The face says it all...

Bo Juan's kid's room

Anamorphic art! How cool is that!

The kids gave up their room for us. We were so blessed!

By the time we reached Bo Juan's place, it was late and he had gone to bed with the kids. Ashley greeted us and ushered us into the kids' room. The 2 young ones gave up their beds for us! I had to borrow one of Patrick's shirts because I had used up mine, including the spare shirt that I brought. In turn, he had to borrow my towel because he didn't expect to need one since the hotel supplied towels. Good thing I had a spare small travel towel.

The next morning, we realised that the apartment was just next to the coast! We were treated to a beautiful sunrise, and Bo Juan and Ashley took us to breakfast at Gurney Drive, a famous eating spot along the north coast, for some dimsum. After breakfast, they kindly drove us to the airport and made sure we checked in before saying goodbye just in case we got stranded again, in which case it would mean more time with our friends in Penang. Thankfully we managed to get on our plane and had a safe flight back. Since I needed to get to work immediately after getting home, I put aside my sketchbook and slept all the way back.

Breakfast at Gurney

On the way home. Finally!

Here's the video I put together of the trip:

Check out my post on Sketching George Town 1 from 2 years ago and our exhibition back in Singapore!

P.S.:
Coming up, my Sketching George Town II sketch journal! 40 pages or so of sketches, and I'm hoping to make it available on an online Print-on-Demand publisher so anyone who would like to order a copy can do so. Stay tuned!

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