Blue Planet by watercolourist Yeap Tho Seng

The underwater heritage series II, 2003, watercolour, 76x114cm. Yeap Tho Seng is having a solo show entitled the Blue Planet at the NN Gallery till Jan 24. This self-taught watercolour artist is featuring a collection of works focussing on the rich marine life. The works also reflected his understanding of marine biology, culled from his 34 years of working as the resident artist at the Penang Fisheries Research Institute.

Drawing Landscape in Pencil

This book's title is self explanatory. But the fact that it was a reprint of the original by Frank Rines made it special. I don;t know why anyone would want to reprint a book published twenty over years ago is quite mind boggling unless it is a very good book. And I found out that it indeed is. Landscape Drawing in Pencil by Frank Rines is a must read if you want to find out how the old masters do it. The book starts off with the types of pencils to use and how you should handle each. Rines even teaches you how to sharpen the pencils and what strokes to use (see below) to create what texture that possibly best represents your subject matter. From there on, there are pages and pages of drawings the artist did and you will learn from keen observation how he handle landscape - from trees to water, and quite a number of marine drawings as well. If you are a beginning artist, I think you will need to draw well before you can even paint well. Well, this is the book you should check out. Landscape Drawing in Pencil (Dover Books on Art Instruction) is available from Amazon.

Derwent Charcoal Pencils

These are interesting tools for sketchers. I said yesterday that the Bruynzeel sketch pencils are a boon to have and they indeed are. But for those who solely concentrate on sketching, particularly portraits and other mono-works, these are interesting too. They have been here for a long time, Derwent's. I bought three for outdoor charcoal sketching - light, medium and dark. These three tones are suited for distant, middle ground and forground sketching. They are fat and quite easy to hold. Only problem is to shave them once the charcoal runs blunt. I prefer to use pen-knives and shave them into a wedge, gives the tips some consistency. I will also sketch using these and will show you the work soon.

Lijiang Painting Exhibition

If you like to view some interesting watercolour works by Chinese artists, check out the Wisma Soka Gakkai Malaysia at Jalan Bukit Bintang by Thursday. It is holding the Malaysia Guangxi Cultural Vessel — Lijiang Painting Style Fine Arts Exhibition 2007, featuring 128 paintings done in various medium including some very interesting watercolour pieces. The commemorative exhibition will be held for five days till Thursday and is open daily from 11am to 6pm. Admission is free.

Please bring back Laman Seni

It has been sometime (close to a year or more?) that the Laman Seni has been discontinued, you know, the monthly event at the National Art Gallery car park?. I remember getting quite excited about it when it was first launched. Artists who have been trying hard to make a living finally had a place to showcase and sell their work. It was also an opportunity for artlovers to meet them and talk art in a less formal atmosphere. But the thing that excited me most was that the event would bring some life to the National Art Gallery - whose sparse crowd, I believe was confined to school tour groups and handful of tourists. In fact, I think the days when the Laman Seni was held, the gallery had seen more visitors that it ever did after it shifted from opposite the KL Railway Station to now at Lake Titiwangsa. In those days, when it occupied the building opposite the Railway Station, the gallery was in the tourist belt and within walking distance of the main transport hub. But when it shifted to Jalan Tun Razak, it was well out of the way - until in recent years when a bus service plied the area. So, when Laman Seni at National Art Gallery was stopped (according to rumours, it was to allow renovation work on the gallery premises), I was keeping my fingers crossed that it would be brought back - fast. Little announcement was made at that time, and regulars who had gone to the monthly event were caught by surprise the first few months. So did a number of tourists who had gone there to check it out. Now, I think the renovations to the gallery are almost completed. Will the Laman Seni be brought back? I really don't want to speculate. But I did wonder why the organisers decided to pull it out because of renovation work to the gallery. Couldn't it be moved to the Istana Budaya grounds next door just to sustain the crowd interest? To my mind, Laman Seni was something that the National Art Gallery had done right in many, many years in the promotion of art. Thr crowd were coming to the National Art Gallery too because of it. Perhaps the organisers thought the monthly art mart had turned into somewhat of a rojak. Who can blame them, especially at the last few installments? Amidst the cacophony of loud music, you see everything under the sun - from trinkets to secondhand books - being offered. It had the trimmings of a successful flea mart, but certainly not the making of a good arts market. But then, what can be expected if all and sundry were allowed to set up stalls? But the lack of foresight could have led to the wisdom of hindsight by reorganising the event - by restricting participation to true artists and craftspersons. Keep out the traders plying anything that masquerades as works of art such as trinkets, Barbie doll wardrobes, fake eyelashes, and such. Send them to the flea marts, the pasar malam or the midnight bazaars. Of course, you need not restrict the art mart to painters alone. Get the traditional craftsmen in too, such as the makers of capal, songkok, labu sayong, or even lion heads and charpoi, if you wish. Don't just allow them to sell their goods but also get them to show how each is made. These are dying crafts few of us know about. Seeing these craftsmen at work, along with painters and other artisans is an experience of much value and what better place there is to showcase their work than at a regular, easily accessible arts mart? In Laman Seni we have something that is gaining popularity. It can help to promote Malaysian art, artists and craftsmen. I hope someone will bring it back. CAPAL - Traditional sandals being sold at the last Laman Seni. A craftsman making it would be more interesting, don't you think? Works of art these trinkets, but please leave them to the pasar malam or flea market-lah.

Philosophy Behind This Site

I abandoned my love for watercolour painting and art in general when I was asked to choose between my love for art and the practicality of pursuing art as a career more than two and a half decade ago. At that time, professional artists were unheard of and the few who survived thrived on various jobs to keep their passion sufficiently ignited for them to pursue the uncertain career as an artist. It was a tough life then, and as a youth fresh out of school, I had to decide between passion and practicality. I chose the latter and landed a job in the mainstream career. The day I decided to part ways with art, I folded my entire watercolour set and floated them downriver. I remembered having said that should our paths cross again, I will take it up again. Three years ago, the destined happened when I met Tang Tuck Kan who taught art at the Petronas Art Gallery during one of its class-art sessions. Here I got to know watercolour again, this time from a professional artist who had a wealth of experience as a teacher of artists and a prominent artist himself. He was my first art master. Thereon, as my pursuit of this wonderful medium progressed, I met quite a number of prominent watercolourists as well. As I got to know some of them, I also realised that their life had not been as different as those who came before them. I would have been one of them had I chose the harder career path as they did. It then dawned on me that having chosen the current profession, I am now in a better position to assist them. What little computer knowledge that I have, I have decided to put to good use to help also promote the aqua medium. This site started as a blog many years ago. Today, it has assumed its position as a website. I decided to use a blogging software as a web content management system for its archiving and posting engine would come handy for a site like this. And with these, I hope to lend a helping hand where I can to Malaysian watercolourists. I hope you will enjoy reaidng through this site. It will be an online magazine of sorts - if I may be ambitious enough to call it such. Primarily, it is set up to document my progress as a watercolourist, promote works of other watercolourists, and maybe, serve to document the progress of Malaysian watercolour works. If you like the things that have been written here, let me know. If not, also let me know so that this site can be improved. If you are a watercolour artist, welcome, too. Let me know if I can write about you. If you are a watercolour lover, let me know, too. We can certainly exchange notes on this wonderful medium. If you are a gallery owner, let me know as well if I can be of any assistance so that you can in return assist our local watercolourists. If you are just a blogger, and watercolour is one of your interests, share it with us. Thank you.

New Look For Malaysian Watercolours

We are expanding! How do you like this new look? To cater to increasing content and higher traffic, I have decided to change the look based on a new template. If time and financial means permits, I will be hosting this on a new server - hopefully when I get enough ca$h to do it. In the weeks to come, you will se many improvements made to this site. I won't let the fun out of the bag yet but I promise that the days to come will revolutionise Malaysian watercolours. All these craziness would not have been possible without your support and to those who have sent words of encouragement, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You are the candles that light up my life and this crazy pursuit as an amateur artist. Check back again, these few days. You will like what I am going to have here.

Malaysian Watercolours Organisation 2007 Show

I almost missed this exhibition had I not been trawling art gallery sites and came across NN Gallery's which is holding this exhibition till next week. It was quite easy finding the location of the gallery which is just beside the MRR2. I only need to rely on the very well drawn out map on their website. The Friday morning was perfect as there were no visitors at the gallery and the works featured at this exhibition are a feast to the senses, especially if you love watercolour works - just as most of MWO's shows in you recall. Remember its landmark watercolour competition entitled "Enchanted Land, Colourful Life", held last year at the National Art Gallery? The works at this show are highly interesting. Several pieces stood up and one I must mention is Sharifah Zuriah's piece on a hillscape which looks an interesting blend of Chinese brush and watercolour mix. It features a granite outcrop with a blue sky as background. This artist never fails to amaze me. Rafiee Abdul Rahman's piece, A Street in Nepal, was also another interesting one although I liked his seaside scenes (with the characteristic coconut trees with its palm fronds flaying in the wind) better. (Although I had my camera with me, I did not take any shots to show you people here. Otherwise it would have been wonderful. The picture above: After the Storm by Ooi Aik Ceong was from NN's website) Other works included those by Dr Wong Seng Tong (he did a Balinese piece), Cheah Yew Saik (with his clouds scene, well executed on this particular art paper), Calvin Chua (with two large pieces of morning glories vines on old bicycles) and of course, the bicycle expert himself, Chow Chin Chuan. You have until April 4 to enjoy the exhibition and I suggest you go take a look. I was a little disappointed because MWO did not produce a catalogue for this one. It would have been an interesting souvenir to purchase!

Chang Fee Ming - the Terengganu boy who made it big

YEAR 2000, SO WHAT? 1998-99 (56 x 76 cm) - One of Fee Ming's more famous works. I met Chang Fee Ming several times in my quest for artistic knowledge and one of these was his show at the Petronas Gallery - of the Mekong series. Another was during one of the Class Art sessions at the same gallery back in 2002. Not many artists have gone the distance Fee Ming has, whether in Malaysia or around the world. In fact, a lot can be attributed to him when we talk of Malaysian watercolours. His works have elevated that of Malaysian watercolours and the recognitions he received out there have inspired many to follow his path. This self-taught artist in watercolour has shown how much determination and pure hard work can make a whole world of difference. His works, some of which are displayed at his site www.changfeeming.net, gives an insight into the artist's perception of life itself, particularly the fabric of Malaysian society in his earlier works. What makes Fee Ming special is his technique and often my friends who are non-artists mistaken his work for oil or even acrylic until I pointed out Fee Ming's works are purely in watercolours. If you like Fee Ming's works, he has a gallery shop in Kuala Terengganu named Teratai, along Kampung China, the main thoroughfare of this coastal town. His prints in the form of postcards are available at the Petronas Gallery's art shoppe. So are some of Fee Ming's catalogue of his previous exhibitions.

How do you like the new masthead?

I finally got this one up. Look at the new masthead? What do you think? I think it is more dynamic but your feedback is vital too. Give me your two cents worth...

Marine Subjects By A Fine Seafarer

I knew John through a watercolour forum and I must say I am amazed by his marine subjects, particularly boats and ships and seascapes. Not many artists know how to execute this well and I will tell you why. Unlike most subjects are usually still or nearly still, as in landscapes, save for the moving sunlight and shadows, the sea is one of the most difficult to depict simply because waves are in constant motion. If there is a boat or a ship, even if it is nicely docked, it is never easy to paint - more so in watercolour, given other factors affecting the composition such as sunlight etc. Here you can see how John excel in his art, particularly the atmospherics. Take for instance the piece Calm Before The Storm - Worried Fishing Smacks. Look at how the artist leave some parts of the last lights peering from the storming trooping clouds. John's exposure to the sea during his career at the Royal Navy certainly helps a lot in his artictic journey. And there are many of his works at his online gallery. You cannot paint something which you don't know like the back of your palm, and this is very true here. I bet John knew which swell was coming by the sound of the lapping waves. If you love marine subjects, I suggest you look up John's gallery here

Leisure Painter January Issue

This month's Leisure Painter has a very interesting Watercolour Masterclass by Ray Campbell Smith. It marks the start of a series of 'occasional' articles by this prominent artist and you should take a look. Smith starts off on how to paint atmosphere in watercolour; I won't tell you more so you will have to check it out. There is also an interesting piece on how to start a leisure diary - how sketching can help you improve your strokes. Check it out.

Paint with Maamor

It was an enlightening Boxing Day, Dec 26. Former classmates of Mr Maamor Jantan's (picture) course at National Art Gallery (which is now closed for renovation) met up to have an outdoor painting session at the Jalan Conlay Craft Centre's Artists' Colony. I won't show you what we drew but I will show you what the master drew. One of them is a picture I took of the scenery. The other, Maamor's characteristic piece - a sketch of course. This painting was done under a pergola, looking out from the north side of the centre. It is a good place to paint and of many efforts the Government has done towards promoting arts, this is one of the best areas - quiet and inspiring. It's the least the government could do to help struggling artists. Perhaps the Laman Seni which was stopped because the National Art Gallery is undergoing repairs can be held here. This is one perfect place and centrally easily accessible. Hopefully our Minister takes note of this aspect. There are not many good places left for the arts, especially fine art. Just look at the photo and tell me you dont agree with me that this is one great place to paint to your heart's content.

Underwater Magic

This is the work of Ajis Mohamad, Malaysia's foremost underwater scenery artist. Ajis's work has a magical quality about it and if you have not dived before, you will not be able to fathom the realistic aspscts of his intricate pieces. This is one of his unfinished underwater scenes which I came across at Artists Colony at Conlay Craft Centre in Kuala Lumpur. Look at the turtle which appears to be gliding through the crystal clear water with sunlight streaming through from above. On the sandy bottom, reflections of light created by the undulating surface of the crystal clear water is caught in this intricate oil piece. Ajis can be found at the Artists Colony on most days when he doesn't go diving. You can learn more about this artist here..

A Very Functional Brush Bag Indeed

It started when I discovered how difficult it is to carry a load of brushes while painting outdoors. First I tried the traditional bamboo mat brush holders but soon found out that it was not practical. Wet watercolour brushes and bamboo is a bad combination. Moulds grow and destroy expensive brush hairs. Then I tried using plastic tube brush holders. They were functional - until I started misplacing the cap and losing them. Of course, when I dump wet brushes into them and locked the cap (and forgot to take them out again to dry first before storage), water percolates within the tube. And the brush hair again gets damaged. So, out of frustration and having tried so many brush holders, not to mention the money spent, I decided to make this from a special waterproof canvas. The outer side is canvas and the inside waterproof rubber-plastic kind of material. I made it with pockets for individual brushes and depending on the number of brushes I need. It can be folded or rolled, at your convenience with a nice velcro strap to boot. Because the brushes are not locked within, there is always a constant flow of air through the bag, reducing the risk of fungal/mould growth. The waterproof material, tough as well, has allowed me more than five years of punishing use. And it has been a great invention - one which I have made for friends and they have introduced it to their artist friends all over. This has been a very functional brush bag indeed! But the nice thing about this invention is that it is handy and you can keep quite a lot of brushes within - more than you will ever need when painting outdoors.

Laman Seni - Postponed Until Further Notice

I heard about it a month ago - that the monthly Art Mart, Laman Seni, at the National Art Gallery will be postponed indefinitely. Attempts to get answers have not been successful. However, the first Saturday of October proved the rumours right - the event is no longer held at the compound of the National Art Gallery. The closure of this art event is a sad thing - especially for artists who had participated in the year-old monthly mart. From my observation, it was also a gathering for artists and for intending collectors to browse for new talents. But the greatest benefit must have gone to the National Art Gallery for I am sure, the total traffic garnered through all the past Laman Senis, would have been more that what the centre would have attracted since it moved to Persiaran Titiwangsa from its earlier abode opposite the KL Railway Station. But this must also be said: That the organisation of Laman Seni, unsupervised, would have become yet another pasar malam or a flea market at best. In the last few installments, one could see that the number of knick-knack traders (those selling anything from sandals to shawls) have overtaken that of artists. Although the definition of art is subjective, I think the organisers should have limited the common, flea-mart traders' participation. They would have drawn crowd, no doubt, but allowing the proliferation of such trading trend would have reduced the status of an art mart to that of a flea market. Another aspect is the promotion of the monthly event. Except for banners lining the roads to the venue, the monthly mart is not much known about. Publicity came by word of mouth and the fact that the venue is 'out-of-the-way' also did little to help promote it. Perhaps the organisers have shelved it for a post-mortem, to see how this event can be improved. If this is the case, then it is all well and good for art and the artists colony. Then the monthly art mart can be brought back and made successful this time. The city is not without arts lovers, otherwise the Laman seni would not have survived so long. Images: Top - Oil paintings being offered at Laman seni. Bottom - Need sandals? Check them out at Laman Seni.

Book Review: Painting from Photographs

Cameras have become a necessary equipment in an artist's bag and photos have become quite an indispensible tool especially when climatic conditions do not allow one to complete one's paintings outdoors. Although I know many artists do not like to use photographs for their paintings, I think this "evil" should be accepted as part of technology and the evolution of art form. In this book Patrick Seslar has shown how one can paint from photographs. Quite interesting are how he captures the lights and shade, including several pieces of good advice on flowers as well. This is one of the few books which I think can help you understand the nuances of watercolour medium, especially if you paint quite a bit from photographs. Whether the photos serve as your references from stard till finish or as a complement to complete your outdoor sessions.

Meet Rafie Abdul Rahman - The Smiling Artist

I got to know En Rafie a year ago when I assisted him in putting up his stall at the monthly art bazaar - Laman Seni - at the National Art Gallery. I was attracted to his 'theoretically-correct' watercolours and we spent sometime discussing art, particularly watercolours. His children having grown up, he now has more time on his hands to paint. He retired from his profession as a building supervisor several years ago, I was told. Today, he paints, exhibits and gives classes to children and adult. En Rafie is a self-trained artist with lots of experience. From the old school, his works have been collected by renowned galleries. Apart from watercolours, he also does Chinese brush and oils. However, I find that his watercolour pieces are his best and remarkably vibrant. As you can see from this piece which he called 'Jungle Scene' which he painted while manning his stall at Putrajaya's Laman Seni recently. The painting, according to him, was almost spoilt but despite it being a watercolour medium, his vast experience has managed to salvage it and turn it into an enviable work of art. En Rafie also gives watercolour classes and if you like to be under his tutelage, let me know.

What do you do when inspirations dry up?

As a painter, this is one of the most dreaded moments. For some reason or the other, there will come a time when you simply cannot put your thoughts on paper and turn that observation into a piece of art that you used to. It can follow a personal crisis or during a particularly stressful period that concerns your working life. This is especially true when you are working full time and painting part-time. So what do you do? In my personal experience, when you are faced with such a time, the best thing is to lay off your painting sets a while, maybe for a day or two. It will be a good thing not to force youself to paint because if you do, and the work comes out bad, you will be more disappointed with it than if you had not drawn or painted anything. And it just might be the trigger that you could abandon your work, for good. On the extreme side of it, if you did not paint during a lull period, you might become too lazy to pick up the brush again, and end up abandoning your greatest love of all. Which is sad. So, as a watercolourist, what do you do? Or rather, as an artist, when is your next logical step? For me, I don't know about you and your methods may differ greatly, I normally change to sketchings and doodles. Sometimes, I even get hold of some pastel colours and start doing doodles as I would with watercolour of the things I see. I would never pay much attention to the work, just sketching and doodling as I go, capturing only the shapes and colours, paying no special attention to getting everything right. This way, I found out, keeps my drawing instincts intact. It may come out as a work or art, or it may turn out to be rubbish. Either way, you exercise your thoughts and keep them in good shape despite having a lull period. And when you have gained proper perspective to your woes, you will easily pick up your brush and paint that masterpiece again. Believe me, it works. Have a good day - painting or otherwise! Technorati Tags: art, watercolour,instruction,lessons

Book Review: Painting Weathered Buildings in Pen Ink & Watercolour

This is one great book for beginning artists to painting pen and wash techniques. When you are not painting, and one rainy days, get hold of this book and read it cover to cover. Claudia Nice shows you the various means of painting watercolour using the pen and wash techniques, from old barns to light houses; from old barn doors to moss-filled masonry. The author covers her subject well, teaching the simple techniques like scratching the paper to show highlights to mixing dark washes to depict the building storm by the sea. Nice also mentions quite a bit on brushes as well as the colours used. Best of all, she covers the subject of wooden subjects, from broken barn doors to timber fencing and aged wooden shakes. She teaches you how to paint the grey undercoat (and how to mix the colours) to inking the lines to depict wood grains. I especially like the stonework part - a subject many of us painters would find difficult to paint. Here the author shows how easy it can be by obeying some simple rules. This book can be obtained from local bookstores but is rare. However, there are two versions. Mine is the hardcover one which costs quite a bit. If you can't afford it, go for the softcover one.

Watercolouring - Painting What You See

One of the greatest challenge facing a new painter is finding a suitable subject to paint. I have been asked, often, what is the best subject to paint: still life or scenery. To me, it doesn't really matter. If you like it, anything can be a subject. The important thing is you must have a passion in wangting to paint just about anything and I am sure anything is interesting enough if you set your eyes on it to capture your subject, be it people at the market, a lone fisherman in his moment of soliquy as he wait for the first bite or even a tray of fruits on the altar. My approach is usually to take observe anything and imagine how I would paint it. If I were to have a pencil (or pen) with me, a piece of paper or my notepad, I will immediately sketch out the forms and the colour values. I think this is how painters, beginners especially, should start. By improving one's drawing skills, sharpening one's observation powers, can one ever hope to paint well. Painting is but putting what is before you in paper, at least that is what I think is for me. The tough part is drawing. Many paintings have been a casualty of poor drawing techniques. Take a look at some of the greatest artists and I would like to quote John Singer Sargeant whose watercolour works are exquisitely simple but masterpieces. Sargeant was very detailed in his sketches as you can see in some of his works. Pictures: Sargeant's Study for Apollo and the Muses (top right) and Game of Chess (top left) available at the Adelson Galleries. Nearer to home, we have Yong Mun Sen, (1896 - 1962) who has sometimes been referred to as the “father of Malaysian art”, a title I think he truly deserves. Yong, whose life's works were depicted in his tribute exhibition catalogue by the Penang Art gallery in the late 90s, was also a meticulous painter who has a knack of recording his subjects in detailed drawings. Be it rubber tappers at work or a tin dredge, Yong has successfully documented various aspects of Malaysian life in his art. One of his exquisite works, the Dredge, is now in the collection of the Petronas Art Gallery. The piece, entitled Sungai Melaka (1953) (above) , depicts the artist's fascination with life - in this case the daily routine of traders along the Malacca River after the war. As a beginning painter, I think it is good to start by cultivating this drawing habit. Only when you can draw well, can you paint well.

Is it the craftsman, his tool or his skill?

I have just seen some of the greatest works of John Singer Sargeant (American Painter, 1856-1925). His watercolours were exquisite. I wonder what type of paper and paint he used. Couple of years ago, when I picked up watercolour again, I came into contact with a group of enthusiastic watercolourists at a forum. The topic was techniques and materials. Subjects came into play centered around paint to use and what paper to buy, etc. Of course, there were questions on brushes, too. The elderly artist who was the sole panelist surprised everyone when he said you could use practically anything to paint as long as it gives you the pleasure since art, particularly watercolour, is not about using the priciest paper nor paint nor brushes to craft your works. "It is about your skill and your understanding of the medium, both the colour, paper, brushes, etc," said the artist. "And as you gain understanding of all the materials, you will develop your skill in your craft. And when you do that, you will turn rubbish into gold." It was an enlightening advice but was met by laughters all round. Some of the sceptical ones even went to the extent to whisper that perhaps the old artist did not want to share his secrets - hence the excuse. The came the bombshell. The old artist diverted from the talk and took out his painting set - a compartmentalised dinner tray (his palette), some Japanese poster colours, a beat up brush and some newspapers.He poured some water into a small plastic container and proceeded to paint. Then he returned his brush into his bag, rolled a piece of newspaper, dipped one end into water and plucked it off to make an uneven end. Then he started dipping that wet end of a newspaper into paint and started painting. It was an impressionic painting of a swamp taken from a photograph. What started as a mess turned into a piece of art, a watercolour piece, to the amazement of the forum attendants. The painting was purchased by one of the attendants who apparently attracted to the piece. He paid USD 300 for it. Did he see something all of us missed? Everytime I find myself in a bind over what paper or paint to use, I fall back on the thought of the incident. Is it skill or material that contributes to art? You tell me.

Where can you get good watercolour materials?

IF you have been browsing the local art supplies market, I am sure you have narrowed down to two cities where you can get good watercolours stuff. One is Penang and another, Kuala Lumpur. However, Kuala Lumpur, unlike Penang, has been traditionally disadvantaged by the limited by the number of good art suppliers. Recently, however, I was pleasantly surprised by the emergence of another art shop in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Art Friend, located at the UE3 complex along Jalan Loke Yew, towards Cheras side, is the latest addition to the local art supply scene. I have been to this place and checked out some of the prices of material, from paper to watercolours. And I think they are reasonably priced here. If you are a fan of Daler-Rowney, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the range available here, especially where watercolours are concerned. Apart from the wide range of pan-colours, it also sells tubes - and the price is pretty competitive at below RM7.00 for the student colours. Despite the rise in other prices, I am glad to say, this shop has decided to keep prices low for artists who are already hard hit by the price hikes in their lives. Art Friend too has other items like special water buckets (from RM5.00 to RM15.00), box-easels from RM60 above, papers of various poundage and prices, and other watercolour implements. And what makes it unique, Art Friend also sells other art stuff, from painting to, well, wall painting. Crafts implements are also sold here. There are other art-related materials sold here, from wall stencils to fashion beads. You will be amazed. And the good thing is, the prices are kept low. And if there is one artist's friend, then it is Art Friend - and hopefully it stays that way.

Refreshing Watercolours by Calvin Chua

In his preface to the catalogue of artist Calvin Chua Cheng Koon’s solo, currently being at the Balai Berita (NST) in Jalan Riong, the chairman of the Malaysian Watercolour Organisation Dr Wong Seng Tong described the artist as “the most talented, takes art seriously, works deligently and participates actively in the art scene.” And it is not difficult to see why at Chua’s exhibition. One marvels at the almost realistic images of buffaloes, logs, old structures, statues and nature Chua has managed to capture in both oil and watercolour. While both his oil works and watercolour pieces are equally striking, one cannot help being drawn to the latter. Chua is truly a master (he taught at his alma-mater the Kuala Lumpur College of Art before going professional) when it comes to rendering the subjects he sees around him – from old vases to morning glories. His strokes are confident and bold, and his subjects are captured to the finest detail, almost to perfection. Note: Calvin Chua was born in 1961 in Kedah and received training at the KLCA, graduating with a Dip. in Fine Art. He is now a full-time artist and member of various watercolour organisations including the Singapore Watercolour Society. Since 1982, he has participated in various exhibitions in Malaysia and abroad, for practically almost every year. He collections have been collected within the country and abroad.

Can you learn watercolours via CD?

Can you learn watercolour via CDs? Well I think you can. Not in the old days when lessons take ages to arrive and the pictures come static, ie from photos and drawings. Today you can. With the advancement of technology spurred by Internet growth, softwares allow tutors to record "live instructions" in CDs or live-streaming via various computer-friendly softwares. You may be a thousand mile away and it makes no difference as you can learn almost anything - as if you are right there beside the teacher as the art class unflod before your eyes, in full motion picture format. And on the Internet, you get plenty of CDs offering to teach you about painting, but where watercolours are concerned, I can recommend one which is really unique and offers great value for money. If you are a beginner to watercolour (or someone who wants to go back to it), check out Peter Saw's Interactive Watercolour website. Veteran watercolourist Peter Saw's Interactive Watercolour CD offers various levels of learning experience - from beginners to medium-advanced learners who seek to master this fluid medium. The trees in the picture are among the lessons - doodles and actually painting - in Peter's Interactive Watercolour. I have seen this CD, used it and recommend it to anyone seeking to learn the finer strokes of British watercolour. For beginners, especially, I think it is a good value for money. Peter takes you through a whole series of painting several objects in various styles. What is interesting is that Peter uses movie files to get his lessons across. And in watercolour, this is priceless. Being shown how a painting is done, or errors corrected, helps a lot in the learning process and progressing from that. One thing that makes Peter's CD offering unique is the lively forum which he has set up for his "students" - you learn from the CD and you meet other users . You get to ask questions - including directing them to the master himself. And he answers them! Perhaps the most fantastic thing about this arrangement is that you can show your works to your peers who are your critiques. And here in lies the uniqueness of this programme - with each stroke you learn from Peter's instruction, you gain self-confidence by analysing your work and allowing others to analys

Make your own water container

Don't we all wish we have a compartmentalised water container that we can keep our brushes (in water) in one place and the dipping water free of them? Well, I have come up with this piece which I find pretty useful. And I am going to teach you how to make it. It does not require extensive knowledge nor cost a lot. I think where ever you are, chances are that you can find the materials - a used detergent container (pictured left) and the finished product at left. Get a plastic container as shown. Cut the tops off in two areas. First cut the 'handle' area at the back which will serve as a brush holding area. The cut out the bigger front section for you to dip your brushes, and you will have an organiser-water container. See the picture at right. Note that the brushes will be dipped in the same pool of water and some of you may not like it. I feel that brushes kept in water helps to keep the hairs soft and supple. This simple contraption is not only cheap but hardy and functional as well. Hope you will find it as useful as I have.

Water Containers - to hold water for your colours!

If you painting in the studio, you can have anything as your water container if you wish. From old jam bottles to expensive water troughs. As for me, I use an old honey bucket which is made of plastic. It is hardy and has a nice little handle to carry when filled with water. For outdoor, however, I used a foldable bucket (picture at left). It is about 5 inches in diameter and can be folded like an accordion. This makes it easy for me to fold into my painting case - in which I also store my papers, paint, brushes and other stationery - including a towel. However, I think you can make some real handy water containers and you dont have to spend money on expensive troughs if you want to paint in watercolours. I have made some for friends using old PET bottles (those that are used to store cordials). Just cut the top third off the main body and handle and you will have two usesful areas. The smaller aperture of the handle can be used to prop up your brushes in between brush changes while the bigger aperture (the body of the bottle) affords you with the ease of dipping and cleaning your brushes.

Outdoor Painting - What do you take along?

One of the biggest problems - if you can see it as such - facing outdoor watercolourists is the use of water containers. Unlike painting in the comforts of a studio, you have to equip yourself with more things and carrying them can be quite a task. When the bug bites me and I itch to go outdoors to paint, I usually bring along as few things as I can. The journey is made light and easy. My pack includes one paintaing case, a foldable chair and a mini beach umbrella. The painting case, as you can see in the picture (Top: showing the inside of the case; Bottom: the cover which is an easel itself). Within its small confines, I stuff my towel, a foldable water container, my brush, clotch pencil (fatter version of the mechanical pencil), putty eraser and painting palette containing paint, and small sized papers that I can squeeze into the case. And if I need to do bigger paintings, I will capture the scenery of the moment using my digital camera which I can easily download and use it as reference material later. What is your outdoor arsenal?

One Brush does it all

When I started painting again, I met one veteran artist who graduated from St Martin's back in the 60s. He was then giving painting workshops at the National Art Gallery. I enrolled in that workshop just to rekindle my interest in watercolour after such a long break. I could never forget the first day I met my mentor in the class. I had brought a whole bagful of expensive brushes and painting papers. During the first lesson, we were asked to draw still life. As we struggled with our expensive brushes, the mentor also did his piece. As we flitted back and forth changing brushes, he quietly put the strokes onto paper - a piece from a cheap art block. I noticed that he was using a brush as thick as an adult's thumb - a Chinese calligraphy wolf-hair brush. And using that one brush, my mentor showed full control of his strokes, from painting washes to fine hairline streaks. When I asked him why did he use only one brush? He replied: "Too lazy to change brushes." How did he master the one brush technique? He said: "Make a habit out of it and you can." Since then, I have used not more than one brush whenever I paint each piece. And the same advice I have given to my children and have painted and won prizes at school levels. Here is the brush I use. It has been with me for over three years and cost less than USD10. The head holds lots of water for good and even washes and there is a small hanging thread for me to hang up the brush for drying when not in use. It measures slightly over 9 inches (see picture) and has a head of about 1.5 inches long. It is about half an inch in diameter and the hair is very resilient, almost sable-like, but only at a fraction of the cost. How do you paint? How many brushes do you use? Maybe you can share with me.

Why watercolours?

I think of all, the most difficult to control is watercolours. It is a very unforgiving medium. Each stroke needs to be carefully thought of, each piece meticulously planned. One mistake means the end (usually) and the artist will have to start all over again. That means recapturing the inspiring moment, put it on paper and correctly this time. I do watercolour because it is a fast drying medium. I don't have the patience to wait for the work to dry and prefer to complete each piece as time permits me to. Even with this speed, painting outdoors can be quite a challenge because in our tropical weather, the light changes quite fast and capturing the moment's mood and colours can be extremely challenging. I have listed some of the interesting places on the web - sites of friends with whom I share my interest and who are artists in their own right. Check them out and join us. It is the only way to learn. And don't be fearful of making mistakes. In life, nothing comes easy. And when you make mistakes, chances are that it would have embarrassed you enough that you remember not to make it again. That is how I see my learning curve grow each day - in life or in art. And that is the same advice I tell my children each time they face disappointment in the face of failure. Hope the same can inspire you daily.

About This Blog

What is this? Welcome to my watercolour blog. This is my online journal to document my progress as a watercolourist. I did not undergo any formal education in watercolour so I think I can consider myself largely self-taught. And yes, I am an amateur, having a fulltime job elsewhere and doing watercolour as a serious escapade. It is more of a hobby and for the love of this medium. Why I paint? I took up watercolour painting three years ago after having abandoned it for over 25 years. Within this site are all my watercolour paintings since 2003. Where do I begin? I loved painting and drawing from as young as I can recall. And I have painted quite seriously since I was a teen but back then, art is not exactly something you can earn a living from. I suppose it is the same all over the world; life as an artists in the 70s is not exactly an enviable career choice. And when I came to the crossroad of my life back then, of having to decide on what career I would eventually want, I decided to keep art out of the way for practical reasons. One evening, on a bridge over a swift flowing river, I took my painting set (palette, colours and brushes) and set them on a journey down river. I said back then, I remember vividly, that should our paths cross again, then I would pick up my brush again. And in 2003, our paths did meet again. A chance meeting with master artist Tang Tuck Kan at the Petronas Art Gallery sparked my interest watercolour again, and a year long tutorship under this wonderful man in one of the many Petronas ClassArt programmes brought me back to watercolours again. As I painted, I have the good fortune of meeting personally wonderful watercolourists of Malaysia, such as the famous Chang Fee Ming, Chow Chin Chuan, Calvin Chua, Dr Wong Seng Tong, Maamor Jantan (whom I have also had the good fortune to receive a three-month instruction), Rafiee Abdul Rahman and many others. The fact that some of them are self-taught inspired me to continue, albeit my skills are at the disadvantage of the time past but still something that can be acquired with the quantum leap technology that the artistic medium has undertaken. Painting Technique/Equipment: I only use one brush to paint - a large Chinese wolf hair brush, a method imparted by my first mentor. I use a wide range of watercolours, with no fondness for any particular brand. I have also started using thicker acid-free paper because of the ease with which I can exploit the water medium. Painting Subjects: I usually paint boats and fishing villages in Malaysia. These are the subjects that are near and dear to me, for I have grown up with them and which I know pretty well. My other subject is water, which I feel is most difficult to depict, especially in watercolour. Recently, I have begun experimenting painting man-made structures such as buildings which I find to be quite a challenge because unlike boats, they come in many forms. Aspirations: I hope to be able to meet more Malaysian watercolourists, especially the amateur ones since we are in the same boat (no pun intended), to learn from each other and share our knowldge in this very fluid medium. (updated Oct 2006)