Joy of sketching

         Was feeling quite demotivated with the last few paintings of my sabah sketches because except a few, the others did not turn out as well as I'd hope for. Today I was extremely happy at some encouraging words and comments  on my sketches on Facebook. It reignited my desire to take up watercolour classes when I graduate. And then I found this incredibly cute and inspiring FREE ebook by a Michael Nobbs who's diagnosed with myalgic encephalopathy. He draws to cope and now finds such joy in it that he's actively encouraging people to draw. I just had to click on add to cart,then 'checkout', fill in my name and email and click download. Absolutely no fee required.

      

I wanna share the joy of sketching our everyday life. I bring my sketchbook out a lot( even to wards!)and draw interesting things, mundane things, adults, children, flowers, animals, roads, buildings, food etc.EVERYONE can draw! It's the first thing we could do with a pen( other than putting it into our mouth) as a child. 

So here's the link to the ebook.

Another joy of sketching comes from how it brings strangers closer. A few weeks ago, I sketched in front of a handicraft market in kota kinabalu and it attracted a small crowd around me and I got to interact with the locals who otherwise wouldn't talk to me like they did. 

At first I was sketching on my own.

Then there was one local who came near me.

And another.

Then there're three.

Lastly, a small crowd!

.

I felt very flattered such and ordinary sketching could attract people to stop and watch. 

Most probably they're there anyway and bored enough to watch a tourist sketch,

 but I still feel very happy cuz this has never happened before. 

The sketch? It didn't turn out very well but who cares? It's just one bad drawing.

 I can strive to make better ones =)

Mindfulness, happiness and the stethoscope

Sketching portraits

Looked at many sketches from various sketchers' blogs around the world, linked from Urban Sketchers (www.urbansketchers.com) and am really amazed by their ability to sketch. My personal favourite is this singaporean, Don Low(http://www.donlowillustration.com/blog/) with his unique style. My goal is to be able to sketch portraits smoothly. As much as i want to blame the people for moving too frequently or having faces not distinct enough for sketching, it really is my lack of skill that is the cause. Hope that one day i can sketch people like i sketch buildings and still life.

KL and Krabi sketchings

Lanterns and bamboo roofs have become my favourite subjects to sketch. The man closest to me sold Papa the bad food which caused stomach discomfort and diarrhea.

Petaling street.Sketched this sitting outside a kopitiam. I'd inhaled in gallons of noxious

 fumes and felt sick after that. But exhilarated at the same time cuz this is my first time 

doing a live sketch =) 

This turned out quite nice. Was hesitant at the beginning to sketch a tokong cuz of the 

intricate details but brought it on anyway and am happy with the result!

My attempt at back portraits. This is a lovely pair of couple waiting to board a plane in the departure hall. They were sitting right in front of me. Wonder how they'd react if they turned around and saw me sketching them.

                    As seen from the balcony of my room. Nice panoramic view. Will colour it later. Im not well versed with painting nature. Hope that it'll turn out well 

A comparison between Petaling street before and after painting.. I prefer the uncoloured one though. Quite disappointed at how it turned out.