My First Post - Local Religious Buildings

Hi folks!

I'm Edric and this is my very first post on this blog, so I hope it goes through successfully! :)

I have been following many of the local Urban Sketchers in a few sketch walks, and enjoying every moment of it all. And having drawn together as a group gave me confidence to go out on my own and do my own solo sketch walks. It's become a private meditation of sorts, and very very therapeutic!

I'm always fascinated by local religious structures like temples, churches and mosques etc. So here are some of my recent sketches of these buildings that I would like to share here with everyone.

Tang Gah Beo Temple
Kampong Bahru Road
Ink and Watercolour
01 Nov 2010

Church of St. Teresa
Kampong Bahru Road
Ink and Aquarelle Pencils
01 Nov 2010

Masjid Jamae (Chulia)
South Bridge Road
Ink and Watercolour
09 Nov 2010

If you like these, do check out my other sketches at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mermantravels/
or
http://edricism.tumblr.com/

Cheers!
Edric Hsu

The Blue House @ Wanchai Part#2, Hong Kong

I went back to the Blue house for more sketching today. Glad to also had a guided tour conducted by the Wanchai livelihood museum which was next to this deserted old unit. Apparently the government could not locate the original owner of his house so it has been locked up and left empty before the major renovation next year. A single unit like this could house many families during the 1920s when it was first built.

This building has no flushing toilet so strange numbers were written on the risers of the staircase in order for the night-soil man to remember how many potties each house has. He comes at midnight to every household to remove their potties. Not a job for the faint hearted.

Sketching people at cafes

Pigment ink, pencils, watercolours, Copic markers. Various locations this year. These were drawn over a period of a few months. Wendy's at Liat Towers, Starbucks at Bugis Junction, Spinelli's at the Heeren, Han's Café at Wilkie's Edge, Dr Café at ION Orchard. Sizes of each is about 150mm x 150mm.

The curse of our age, people tinkering with their mobile devices in most instances and bored people waiting. Only in one instance was a person eating and in another conversing.

*Dr Café, the Arabian coffee chain, has since left ION Orchard.

Joo Chiat

Corner of Joo Chiat Road and Koon Seng Road. The building typology of this 4 storey hostel shares the same language as the flats at Tiong Bahru Estate. The two storey shop houses at Koon Seng Road are well known for their ornate facades.

You can see another watercolour piece not far from this area here.


200 x 400mm, 300gsm Daler-Rowney Aquarelle paper. Hero M86 fountain pen with Noodler's ink and watercolours, about two hours.

carpark at jelita cold storage

Penang sketches

Did these 2 sketches in July 10 when I visited Bukit Mertajam and GeorgeTown, Penang. They were done with chinese brush and watercolour on some brown paper from Bali given to me by my chinese painting teacher.

A Chinese Temple in Bukit Mertajam

St Francis Xavier Church in GeorgeTown

Esplanade Theatre Lobby

The new architecture of Singapore rarely interests me as drawing subjects – I much prefer to sketch the weathered boards & chipped paint of old structures, and the classic lines of a KTM Station.
But Singapore’s Esplanade Theatre fascinates me, especially the main interior lobby, where beams, roof lines and the dome's windows seem to go every which way. I bring my drawing classes here to observe and draw the “planes and masses” of one of Singapore’s most unique structures.

I did these two sketches on a Sunday morning, when the lobby was relatively quiet. And yes, I used my “Urban Sketchers Viewfinder” to crop & frame the views!

Junction of Middle Road and Victoria Street

150mm x 150mm. Pigment ink, pencils, white colour pencil, watercolours, Copic markers.

My new Sailor calligraphy fountain pen

Bought a Sailor calligraphy pen some months back to replace one that I lost in Penang in July. I think this one which I bought online from a shop in KL is a 55 degree model. The one I lost was a 40 degree model. 55 degree seems like a bit too inclined for me to handle. Anyhow, decided to try it today with these two quick sketches and washed with Chinese ink.
The ink I am using now is Platinum Carbon Ink which is waterproof and dries very fast.

A Chinese Temple along Keong Siak Street

Sri Thendayuthapani Temple along Tank Road

Marina Bay Waterfront 2

Pigment ink sketch, watercolours, Copic markers. 150mm x 210mm. Initial pencil sketch 2006. Inks and watercolours 2010.