Reaching Out Teahouse, Hoi An, Vietnam

Beautiful Hoi An, Vietnam

Two weeks ago, I took my 1st trip to Hoi An in Vietnam. I have long heard of this beautiful seaside UNESCO town and very excited to see for myself. The buildings of this ancient town has strong Chinese and Japanese influences. They love to paint their buildings a unique muted yellow. When night falls, the town comes alive with glowing lanterns everywhere. It is a small highly walk-able old town. Bicycles are useful mode of transport if you want visit the nearby beaches. I must not mention the delicious Vietnamese food and friendly people I have met during the trip. I will definitely be back again!

Lanterns, Yellow buildings, Tailors & Bicycles.

Banh Mi Queen is a must try!

NU Eatery & ORIVY are must wonderful restaurants. 

Try Vietnamese drip coffee & watch The Water Puppet show.

Taiwan Holiday

Last month I decided to do something different for my birthday and booked a solo trip to visit Taiwan. It was a wonderful 8 days in this very friendly and picturesque country. I landed in Taipei and took the high-speed train down to visit Tainan which used to be the old capital. Sleepy town but full of ancient temples and tasty Taiwanese street food. Heaps of very interesting cafes to visit too. The last remaining 3 days of my trip was spent back in Taipei. I decided to do a day trip to ShiFen old town to experience the more rural side of Taiwan. Many travel to this small town to see the old train line that is still running through the town. The highlight for many is to write wishes on sky lanterns, light it and let it ascend into the sky. There is still so much that I have not seen. I will definitely be back again.

We Sketched Singapore Together - 6th USK Symposium

By Paul Wang, Singapore


Last two weeks were just simply wonderful to reunite with many international sketching friends here in Singapore. So glad that they all came to support the 6th USk Symposium held here in Singapore. Together we spent many hours sketching, feasting on local food and sharing our lives. I also had the privilege to conduct the 'Wet & Wild Texture' activity for the symposium participants. Looking forward to the next symposium in Manchester.
 

Thian Hock Keng Temple, Singapore

My messy approach to sketching on-location

Sharing with you my messy and playful approach to sketching when I go on-location. Yesterday I found a nice angle of the famous Thian Hock Keng temple at Telok Ayer street here in Singapore and I was immediately captivated. I always try to find interesting coloured shapes, textures and strong flowing lines within a scene to create an interesting mess. Starting with a strong focal point helps to keep me on track too. What is your approach to sketching on-location?