HAPPY NEW YEAR MY SKETCHING FRIENDS!
Greetings from Singapore and I hope you had a wonderful new year celebration to usher in 2026. I am finally up to speed and out of the lazy holiday mood. Final week of teaching preparation for my upcoming art food culture retreat in Hoi An Vietnam. Always a challenge to decide which art material/tools to bring along so that I can cover all grounds and answer students’ technical questions during the workshops. I will be offering 8 workshops, all scaffolded like Lego blocks to create opportunities for play and experimentations.
This year I will continue to offer exclusive contents to all my Substack subscribers and extra grateful for those who have offered to support my creative work through your generous donations.
Now back to my sketch of a small food stall at North Bridge road food centre. It was a productive morning sketching with my fellow sketchers and I managed to do 2 other warm-up sketches before making a line drawing of this Muslim food stall with a cocktail stirrer and Chinese ink. Watercolour was added at home.
As a new year thank you gift, I have recorded another short instructional video showing you key watercolour techniques I employed for this small sketch. These techniques that you see are developed for on-location sketching and painting sessions where speed, weather, light and humidity are key considerations. You will also find a few important tips below.
Use moist paints. Spray and rewet if you use pan colours. Dry paints don’t sing.
Get a good brush with a nice point, capable of high liquid retention and good balance of brush tip and handle.
Understand your paper through practice and mistakes, rather than adhering to strict given formulas. Deep intimate knowledge through practice is key.
I hope this post with all the tips have been inspiring and helpful for you. Do let me know what else you would like me to share. Happy to hear your thoughts, feedback and suggestions. Stay tuned for the next post where I will share about my adventures in Vietnam. Do check out my upcoming workshops and retreats below too.
1. NATURE’S TEXTURES: ONLINE WORKSHOP HOSTED BY ART TOOL KIT
DATE: Saturday 7th Feb 2026
Time : 4-6.30pm (Pacific Time)
With nature as inspiration, come and explore how to create a set of emotive textures with watercolour and a few simple tools. In this workshop, you will learn how to transform flat surfaces into atmospheric, immersive environments. I will begin by leading you through experimental exercises that transform and elevate textures through the watercolour principles of density and direction. We hope you can join us!
2. Art, Food & Culture Retreat (Hanoi, Bac Ha & Sapa, North Vietnam)
Date: 8-17th December 2026
Open to everyone, regardless of background, this program offers slow, responsible travel with like-minded individuals. We emphasize immersive cultural experiences by providing a comprehensive exploration of Vietnamese culinary history and food culture. This meticulously curated journey delves into the Art, Food, and Culture of North Vietnam. I will be teaching 8 specially crafted art workshops during our retreat.
Click here for more information.
3. Art, Food & Culture Retreat (Hoi An, Central Vietnam)
Date: 8-16th February 2027
For all who would like to experience slow, responsible travel with like-minded people. The emphasis is on immersive cultural experiences while enjoying a deep exploration of Vietnamese Culinary History and Food Culture. 10 days filled with 8 exciting art workshops to help you capture the beauty of Hoi An. Last few spots left!
Click here for more information.
4. Demo at URBANSKETCHERS’ SYMPOSIUM (TOULOUSE)
Date: 15-18th JULY 2026
Excited to attend this year’s Urban Sketchers’ symposium as a demo presenter. Hope to see you all in Toulouse. I will also be teaching and painting in Munich and Bordeaux!
https://urbansketchers.org/usk-symposium-toulouse-2026/
