Shiho Nakaza Illustration and Sketch Blog

Testing out Viviva Colorsheets

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Tue, 30 May 2017 04:46:00 +0000

I kindly received review samples of Viviva Colorsheets that is being funded through IndieGoGo right now, so I took it out on the field to test it out.

This is a little booklet that is very lightweight and fits in my hand, so it definitely is portable.

I made color swatches because there are no mixing area to see how the colors look on white paper. They are painted on Stillman & Birn Beta paper which is what I usually use for daily sketching. As you can see, names don't quite match up actual colors, so I kept referring to this "cheat sheet" on my test. There are wide range of yellows, but lacking in blues.

The pigments themselves are intensely bright and very staining, like a watercolor dye. I used a spare page of my sketchbook to dab the colors to see them, and also used a corner of my metal palette to mix the colors. (Magenta color stained the metal palette, so I had to use a cleanser to get it off. This is powerful stuff!)

This is the resulting sketch of my neighborhood. This was an overcast afternoon day, so the scene wasn't this bright or golden...the colors remained bright, but it was extremely hard to mix a neutral, dark, or earth tones. The colors do not granulate like some watercolors do.

I will stick with my regular paints, but Viviva Colorsheet is small enough to carry around in addition to my usual kit if I want to add an accent color for sketching brightly-colored subject. If you like to use bright marker colors or watercolor dyes (which usually comes in a bottle like Dr. Ph. Marten's, etc.) this is a portable way to carry those colors around.

Winter in Los Angeles

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 07:32:00 +0000

This winter, I'm happy that my city received much-needed rain, which means sky was spectacular with clouds after the rain stopped. Following are my quick lunchtime sketches, looking out over the same two palm trees... the last one was done after work, when the sun was setting.

Solo exhibition of Los Angeles-inspired artwork

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 07:46:00 +0000

Solo exhibition of Los Angeles-inspired artwork currently on view at:

Ginger Corner Market
217 South Michigan Ave.

Pasadena, CA 91106

Opening reception: February 12, 2017 3-5pm

Email Sector Seven Contemporary Art Gallery for questions about purchasing artwork.

Framed originals shown below are available for sale for under $250.

Los Angeles Plein Air Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 05:00:00 +0000

I enjoyed painting some scenes at Los Angeles Plein Air Festival this past weekend. Unlike last year, when I roamed all around Downtown LA from the City Hall to The Broad, I concentrated on 3-block area around 5th-7th Streets and Broadway to Main. There were still a wealth of things to draw, and the weather was a tad cooler than last year, too, so that helped.

The first stop was Spring Street Arcade. Its filtered skylight reminds me of buildings I saw Manchester this summer (as it turns out, it was modeled after Burlington Arcade in London). I ate at Crepes Sans Frontieres inside the Arcade, and I ordered a honey lavender crepe to complete the French feel. This is a rare sketch of mine that includes food since I'm usually eager to eat first!

As the afternoon wore on, the light started to shift. I went to sketch in front of the Regent Theatre and Prufrock Pizzeria next door. Their pizza was tasty.

I came back the next day to watch my fellow urban sketcher Virginia's demo at Historic Downtown Farmer's Market. I was able to get this view because the street was closed off to car traffic and I could sit in the middle of the road.

I also spotted a Halloween decoration of giant spider and its web covering the pediment of Crocker Club, which is somehow appropriate for ornate façade. I would say it's very "goth" though I know the building isn't in a true Gothic style.

Afterwards, a group of sketchers and I went to Clifton's Cafeteria for lunch. It was my first time visiting this venerable L.A. institution filled with visual feast of kitschy elements. More autumn decorations are set up here: pumpkins are everywhere.

I sketched a lot and ate well among my fellow artists - a great weekend, indeed!

One more collection of sketches from Manchester

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Thu, 08 Sep 2016 06:26:00 +0000

Here are some more sketches I made in Manchester outside of Urban Sketchers Symposium. (And what I've learned in the sketching workshops here.)

What struck me the most when I first landed in Britain this summer are the clouds, which are ever-present and dramatically shifting by the minute. They are so fun to paint (when it is not downright pouring rain) and are a refreshing change from flat blue sky back home. Thanks to Ketta and Mario for letting me know about this view from the eighth floor of Manchester School of Art.

I had one day to free after the Symposium, and I relished the chance to sketch and catch up with other like-minded folks while exploring the city. A group of us went to Manchester Cathedral. This city is full of intricate Gothic buildings, and while I enjoyed looking at and sketching this building, it was quite overwhelming to get the details in...

...so I indulged in sketching the gorgeous details of windows, gargoyles, and ornaments. I loved looking at them and figuring them out with my pen. The square ornaments by the windows all had different designs on them!

After lunch, our group went to John Rylands Library, which is another beautiful Gothic building and easily the most ornate public library I've ever visited. I sketched the outside of it at Liz Steel's workshop; I now went inside to do a small portion of the interior. I only had time to do a sketch below, but I enjoyed being in this space.

After a quick sketch in the library, I just couldn't resist English afternoon tea with homemade scone at the Café inside Manchester Town Hall. The afternoon light filtered through the arches.

I rode the train out of Piccadilly Station the next morning to head out to part 2 of my UK trip, this time to London....

What I learned from the workshops at Urban Sketchers Symposium in Manchester

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Wed, 07 Sep 2016 05:32:00 +0000

And the symposium begins in Manchester....

Besides specific subject matters at each workshop, I learned how to be a better urban sketcher by responding to my environment better through my drawing.

Be ready for the changing elements: for sun (hat, sunglasses), wind (binder clips to hold down paper, windproof jacket, and especially rain (umbrella, parka/hoodie).
Experiment with different materials: while I mainly use watercolor, at some point I switched from my usual Uni-Ball Signo gel pen with sepia ink to 4-color Bic ballpoint pen because the gel pen ink was not flowing over the watercolor washes that never seem to dry.
Try different approaches: line, value, color. Mixing them up helped describe many types of buildings in Manchester: red bricks, Gothic details, and modern glass buildings towering between them.

First morning of the workshops was rainy and gloomy. I'm learning that the weather changes quickly. At LK Bing's workshop, our group sheltered under the arches of Manchester Town Hall corridors. It is challenging to sketch in the rain, but it is a refreshing change for someone like me who live in a dry climate. I had fun combining pastels, water-soluble marker, waterproof pen, colored pencils and watercolors. I did small thumbnails on mat board, and a slightly larger piece in my trusty Stallman & Birn Beta sketchbook. I think the sketches convey the appropriate moodiness.

As luck would have it, my afternoon workshop on color mixing with Jane Blundell was indoors in Manchester School of Art. The soft, even light from overcast sky filtering through the window was ideal for doing color work. A few days later, when the sun came up and people were gathered for drinks at jazz festival happening in Albert Square, I try one of the triads I learned (warm yellow/warm red/cool blue) using using only quinacridone gold, pyrrol scarlet, and pthalo blue green shade watercolors from Daniel Smith. But the air is so damp that color wheel I painted a few days before on the opposite page transferred to the facing page, creating the yellow circle on the upper right. I like the happy accident, though: it looks like the sun :-)

The next day I take another workshop on drawing soaring spaces from Stephanie Bower. I was back at Manchester Town Hall, and was looking at grand hallways inside the neo-Gothic building. In my effort to get better at drawing buildings, I try to understand how arches are constructed by drawing a bunch of lines.

That afternoon was drizzly, but I still enjoyed sitting under the bridge to watch Daniel Green's demo on painting reflections. This was in Castlefield, which is a fascinating area of Manchester full of bridge underpasses, arches and canals. I only got to do a note-taking sketch here but would love to explore it more next time.

I continue to take more workshop on architecture the following day at John Rylands Library, this time from Liz Steel. She really explained how buildings have volumes and edges, and her passion about architecture makes me appreciate them and be fascinated by interesting buildings all around me.

I am learning a lot about sketching buildings on this trip. I continue sketching....

Sketches from Manchester: before the symposium

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 05:42:00 +0000

I am collecting the sketches I made at annual Urban Sketchers Symposium, and recalling fond memories of drawing together with like-minded folks from around the world. This year, the Symposium took place in Manchester, UK. It is a walkable city full of canals, brick buildings, Gothic details, and modern glass architecture to explore with my drawings. I had about a day-and-a half in Manchester before the official events started, and I already love this city.

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My first sketch in Manchester: I have arrived at the Palace Hotel, which is built in 1895 during the height of Victorian era. This is the bar area showing original columns and tiles. I note that the courtyard behind the bar is covered in glass skylight to keep the elements away.

This is a sweeping view of the Palace Hotel from Whitworth Street, with Oxford Street train station to the right.

Canals run below the busy Oxford Street, where the Palace Hotel is located. This is a view of Chepstow House as seen from Rochdale Canal path. It was peaceful aside from geese fighting among themselves.

On the next day, I scribbled some sketches of what I noted at Manchester architecture tour: cityscape next to River Irwell, Imperial War Museum, Etihad Stadium (home of Manchester United), Ancoats (birthplace of Industrial Revolution), and Stevenson Square in Northern Quarter. It was an informative and fascinating introduction to Manchester.

In the meantime, this pub, Peveril of the Peak, has a green tiled front, which makes it stands out from typical red brick buildings common in Manchester. Many of us were gathering here to drink and draw each night. Check out this post to see other sketcher's take on the same pub!

And the symposium begins...I'll be posting more sketches in another post.

That summer morning when I saw a fuel tank through the thicket of trees

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 06:27:00 +0000

That summer morning when I saw a fuel tank through the thicket of trees...there was a story waiting to be told, so I sketched the little girl when she walked by. This scene reminds me of something that can appear in Studio Ghibli animation....

I caught a glimpse of ET-94 Space Shuttle fuel tank once again (after sketching it when it arrived in town about a month ago). It is now resting at California Science Center, and I discovered this view when I was invited to paint at Los Angeles Nature Fest event at in Los Angeles County Natural History Museum (other sketches from that day is here.)

Los Angeles Urban Nature Festival

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 05:28:00 +0000

I am honored to be invited by Los Angeles County Natural History Museum with a group of fellow sketchers to attend their L.A. Nature Fest event last weekend. I loved seeing many colors and shapes of plants in bloom at the Nature Garden, and it made me appreciate the biodiversity of this area, even in the middle of the city.

I was introduced to a shadow garden by a docent while I was hunting for a place to sketch. This is a small habitat inside the NatureGarden on the grounds of the museum that allows the birds to feed freely. The birds are well-camouflaged but I saw more than three or four different types of birds in the short time I did this sketch.

The event was well-attended by families with kids. A stilt-walking butterfly performer delighted kids, and it made me smile, too.

While I was painting outside, the contrast of oak leaves in the foreground and the graphic shapes of whale skeleton in the glassed interior caught my eye.

It was not too hot, but as the afternoon wore on, I decided to step inside to cool off and chill with the dinosaurs. While I like to do a "classic" museum sketch, I enjoyed painting outdoors, too!

Reunion with the Shuttle

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Mon, 23 May 2016 05:20:00 +0000

I feel fortunate to have sketched the Space Shuttle both before and after its move California Science Center. When I learned that ET-94, the only remaining Space Shuttle fuel tank, is coming to Los Angels to be displayed together with the Shuttle, I had to sketch it. On my bike ride home one day, I rode by the ET-94 docked in Fisherman's Village in Marina del Rey. While it is narrower than the Shuttle, the tank was still very massive. A truck that will haul it on its final journey looks tiny in comparison.

I hope to sketch both the Shuttle and the tank when a new exhibit is constructed to show them together in a few years' time.

51st Worldwide Sketchcrawl at Renaissance Pleasure Faire

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Tue, 03 May 2016 03:44:00 +0000

A small band of Los Angeles sketchers decided to go to Renaissance Pleasure Faire for this Sketchcrawl last month. I meandered around the grounds full of participants and performers in broad interpretations of "Renaissance" costumes mixed with whimsy and fantasy.

Some of the musical bands were rocking to acoustic metal like it's 1499.

Other musicians were accompanying belly dancers, while some dancers moved around the May Pole, with San Gabriel mountains in the background.

And a joust completes the Renaissance Faire!

Characters at WonderCon

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 06:07:00 +0000

I enjoy sketching people dressed up in costumes, like at WonderCon convention that took place last weekend in Los Angeles Convention Center. These people sketches were drawn very quickly as people walked by or stood there for a few minutes at most - this is an ultimate exercise in quick sketching. I scribbled down my lines so fast that one woman who I thought had a very interesting prop turned out to be eating a real cotton candy.

On the other hand, I was able to take more time to draw these two women when I was sitting at a nearby table to charge my phone. This scene is exactly how I imagined it would be if Disney princesses existed as plump Americans in the 21st century.

Early Springtime in Los Angeles

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 08:16:00 +0000

It rained more than years past this winter in Southern California, which means landscape is greener and flowers more abundant this spring. I also discovered two new places to see some flowers in bloom this year.
First up is my favorite place to see the plants, at Los Angeles Arboretum. The view from above the waterfall within the garden is filled with varying shades of greens, golds, and occasional pinks.

I was chatting with my fellow L.A. correspondent at Peacock Cafe in the Arboretum before we set out to sketch, and I captured the namesake bird posing in front of blooming pink tabebuia tree.

I also had a good fortune to see world's largest blooming plant, which is a Chinese wisteria that has been growing in a private garden in Sierra Madre since 1894. It is recorded on Guinness Book of World Records, and named one of the Seven Horticultural Wonders of the World. There is Sierra Madre Wisteria Festival centered around the once-a-year public viewing of this plant, and an accordion player was entertaining the crowd that gathered to see the lavender-colored flowers. I could only capture just a small part of the entire canopy of vines that spans more than one acre in size - the vine next to the musician is only one of many that roots to the ground. A kind passerby "caught me in the wild" sketching.

And springtime means tax time...on the way back from my accountant, I saw curious rock formations, so I did a little search and stopped by; I'm glad I discovered Stoney Point Park in Chatsworth. The huge boulders are straight out of Wild West movies, and it's incredible to learn that a piece of natural formation that is so massive exists within city limits of Los Angeles. There were patches of yellow mustard flowers in the foreground, and I saw a few people trying to climb on the rock face as the moon started to rise while daylight lingered on longer than just a week or two ago...spring is indeed here. Happy Spring Equinox!

Caliifornia Love

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Sat, 27 Feb 2016 08:18:00 +0000

"Eureka", watercolor, pencil and gold ink, 14" x 18" framed

I am excited to reveal a new artwork! This illustration is my homage to the state of California that I call home. It will be debuting at California Love Art Show at Leanna Lin's Wonderland (5024 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90041) on Saturday, March 5. The opening reception is from 4-8pm, so feel free to stop by and say hello if you're in the area! The work will be available for purchase and on view throughout the show run until April 24. More information about the exhibit is here.

Sketching in the Crowd: Lunar New Year Celebration in Chinatown

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 07:49:00 +0000

The archway with two dragons marks the entry to Chinatown in Los Angeles, and on this day there was Golden Dragon parade to celebrate Lunar New Year. It's a very sketch-able event that attracted hundreds of people.

Drawing in a massive crowd is always a challenge - the road was blocked by the parade so I couldn't cross the street to meet the rest of the sketching group a mere block away. I had to think on my feet and use what I learned from my past sketching experience:

- Scout the place for a location with something interesting to see which is not blocked by the crowd - in this case, the two dragon sculptures are above eye level and easily visible above the crowd. They don't move, so even if everything else go haywire, I was confident that I can still record them in my sketch.

- Have a lightweight setup: my homemade 8-color watercolor kit in a tin box, pen, and water brush are my go-to sketching tools for fast sketching. I also had a small folding stool and started sketching while sitting but ended up sketching and coloring while standing.

- Above all, be flexible: after I put down a few strokes, the police ordered the crowd to move elsewhere behind the barricades to allow the parade to pass. I packed up and started sketching again from another angle, making sure to keep sketching the two dragons above (remember: they're great models who stay still!)

The rest of my time was spent drawing one thing after another as they passed by - all the beauty pageants, floats, dragons, lion dancers, various people in costumes (and, this being L.A., classic cars) are series of quick sketches overlaid on top of one another as they passed me by within minutes. I hope my sketch helps to convey the sense of the frenetic energy. There were a bunch of confetti strewn about and I didn't have clean yellow paint to work with, so I added them at home.

Sketching the Space Shuttle Endeavor for Worldwide Sketchcrawl

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Mon, 01 Feb 2016 02:18:00 +0000

Los Angeles group of sketchers went to California Science Center for 50th Worldwide Sketchcrawl. The star attraction of this museum is the Space Shuttle Endeavor.

The more I studied it, the more it felt like a "living" creature, snub nose and all. I liked seeing the dirt and scratches, joints and seams - it's incredible to see something that went to space 25 times and back again. It is now resting comfortably here on earth.

I sketched here in 2014 when the Shuttle first arrived, so I looked for more dramatic angle and focused on painting rather than drawing this time. My fellow Urban Sketchers correspondent and sketching buddy Virginia Hein learned that this exhibit is going to close this year for remodeling, so I feel lucky to see this view!

Looking back at my sketches

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 05:18:00 +0000

I found an old sketchbook while cleaning out my place. It is Handbook panorama sketchbook with watercolor paper, and I had a few sketches in it and the rest was blank. Remembering that I didn't like the way watercolor behaved on this sketchbook, I still decided to use it again. This time around, I really enjoyed how watercolor flows on the page. By coincidence, the first watercolor I did and the last watercolor I did in this sketchbook were of the same place (The Getty Center), around the same time (sunset in autumn), and done with the same waterbrush (Sakura Koi waterbrush).

Here is the first sketch, done in 2011....

...and here is the sketch done this year in 2015....

I remember facing the same limitations with using a waterbrush: I scraped the sky with plastic body of the brush in the first sketch in my effort get a large wash in the blue sky area, and I still had a hard time getting a large wash in the second sketch. Even with these restrictions, I think I made improvements in getting the value and got better at letting watercolor work its magic. It's amazing what four years of daily sketching can do, even when I am not aware of how I am progressing when I look at my sketches from day to day. Here's to more sketching in 2016, and my your new year filled with art!

West Coast Urban Sketchers Sketchcrawl in San Diego

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 05:45:00 +0000

Here is a belated post about West Coast Urban Sketchers Sketchcrawl that happened this summer. The Sketchcrawl took place in San Diego, which is a pleasant train ride away from Los Angeles. I sketched on the way to get ready, of course - I was passing by Oceanside, which lives up to its name.

As soon as I arrived in San Diego, I headed to Balboa Park to meet the group for some sketching. Balboa Park is very large, and has a lot of museums and gardens within its boundaries. I met my sketching friend Alice to do a quick watercolor study by the reflecting pond by the Botanical Building.

After a group photo and lunch, I sketched the dancers at international dance group. I'm not too happy about this one - sitting under one of those colorful umbrellas made the color shift on this sketch - but I still enjoy sketching to record my experiences.

Alice put her local knowledge of the city to good use and lead a small group of us to Alcazar Garden. I found a spot in the shade with a great view of Museum of Man. A small wedding was happening, so I included the couple in this sketch.

On the next day, the group went to Old Town. This is the "birthplace of California", where the Europeans first settled in 1850's. There is still a flavor of Old West along with strong Mexican influence in the buildings. After a bit of scouting, I settled on sketching the colorful scenery at Fiesta de Reyes plaza. I attempted to sketch the dancer in traditional Mexican costume as well.

Sketching as a group in a beautiful setting like San Diego is a great change of pace from my daily solo sketching at home. It was an ideal weekend getaway!

Ten Hours in Korea

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 04:59:00 +0000

On the way home from Urban Sketching Symposium in Singapore, I had a 10-hour layover in Inchon, Korea. I did some research beforehand and found that the airport offers free city tours specifically catering to people who are on long layovers!

After my arrival, I signed up for a Heungryunsa Temple tour of Inchon. The stop itself was very brief - maybe 15-20 minutes at the most - so I made the best of it by sketching as fast as I can. I ran out of time for painting, so this was colored at home.

For the rest of the tour time, I scribbled what I saw out of the bus window. The town on Inchon looked clean and quiet. I hardly saw anyone walking (this was on a Thursday afternoon) - maybe it was due to the humid summer heat.

I passed through modern highways, spanning bridges, leafy trees, and a glimpse of the Yellow Sea. It made me contemplate that a city like this on the peninsula has a different landscape from an island (like my childhood in Japan), or an edge of a continent (like my current home in Los Angeles).

I had a pleasant experience back at the airport. I browsed some pottery and scrolls and got some stamps for my sketchbook at Korean cultural museum. I also visited a Korean spa with showers, communal bath, and a lounge to relax. After a good meal, I found the indoor observation deck area upstairs with Korean-style structure and benches for people to sit and watch the planes.

This was the most enjoyable layover I had. It made me want to visit Korea for a longer stay: it is another item on my growing list of places to visit!

Sketches from Cambodia

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Tue, 08 Sep 2015 04:36:00 +0000

After the Urban Sketchers Symposium in Singapore, I spent a few days with fellow Urban Sketchers artists to explore and sketch Cambodia. This was my second visit in Cambodia and it was more memorable than the first time I went in 2006 because I did not sketch then, and while I took a lot of photos, the experience truly sinks in only when I actively observe and record what I see. Being with other artists to share the experience this time also made for a fun trip.

Our first stop was ruins of Ta Prohm temple. It is where the movie Tomb Raider was filmed. Lush green jungle took over the stone structures and a giant tree was growing on top of one of the ruins.

I had a hard time conveying the color and scale of this place, so I did several small studies. I also wanted to include the workers who are restoring parts of the temple - it seems that restoration is an ongoing work.

In the afternoon we went to Bayon temple in Angkor Thom. Bayon is known for giant carvings of faces on the surface of the buildings. I did a quick line sketch of the north gate as we rode in.

When I was inside Bayon complex, a monk with bright orange robe walked by, so I placed him in the sketch for scale and color.

I also like to capture everyday moments, like this tuk-tuk driver taking a nap in the parking lot outside of the temple complex. It gets very hot in the afternoon, so I am learning to pace myself and sketch at a leisurely pace to beat the heat.

This one is an entrance to Royal Palace in Angkor Thom complex. It makes me contemplate how the building might have looked when they were being used.

The next day we went to Angkor Wat, which is the most popular temple in Cambodia. The entire area and the temple itself is very grand. This sketch is a part of the back side of the temple - I couldn't fit the entire terrace in.

One I walked inside, the scale and complexity of the structure is very awe-inspiring.

It was a rainy afternoon when we went to Baphuon the next day. This temple was restored in 2011 so it was truly my first time visiting this site. I sat under the eaves and sketched the view of the building across from me, and included the carvings on the column. Listening and sketching to the cooling summer rain made me feel peaceful.

Besides the temples, I also enjoyed exploring the town of Siem Reap where we were staying. This is a quick sketch at night market on Pub Street of young guys doing leather work for shadow puppets. It was amusing to see the guy on the right pounding leather with a mallet while his friend is casually leaning against him and checking his phone.

I also went to Artisan D'Angkor, where young people are working on traditional Khmer arts like lacquering and carving. It is fascinating to me to see people working on their craft.

When I went to Psar Chas (Old Market), the smell and the heat were overwhelming, and the sound of vendors talking, birds flapping, andl tuk-tuks wheeling by added to the atmosphere. In the meantime, red plastic chairs caught my eye in front of the meat market (where I couldn't even identify the animals). I have seen similar stackable plastic chairs everywhere I have traveled, yet these had a decoration in the back so that became the focal point of this sketch.

More travel sketches are coming soon....

More Sketches from Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Sun, 30 Aug 2015 20:19:00 +0000

While I really enjoyed attending Urban Sketchers Symposium in Singapore, I had very little time outside of the workshops to sketch on my own, so I woke up early before the first workshops to sketch the nearby scenes. Singapore has a fascinating mix of modern and old buildings and multi-ethnic history, and I wanted to capture as much of it as I could. All the watercolors were done directly in my sketchbook without any preliminary pencil or pen lines - a lot of times that's the fastest way to jot down an impression!

On the very first day, my flight was delayed so it was around 7am by the time I arrived at the hotel. I dropped my bags and headed off to Sultan Mosque in Kampong Glam section of the city.

This mosque is at the end of Arab Street, which is lined with shophouses with various stores and restaurants below. From this view I could see the tip of the minaret of the mosque.

I joined a group sketchwalk in the afternoon at Purvis Street. I like the contrast of gray modern highrise in the background and colorful shophouses in the foreground.

On next day I went inside the courtyard of Raffles Hotel, which is a white colonial-style building. This sketch came out too busy with lots of elements, but it still reminds me of the peacefulness of that morning.

I went to Waterloo Street on following day on recommendations from several sketchers. It was fascinating to see a Jewish synagogue, a Christian church, a Hindu temple and a Buddhist temple near each other on the same street. This one is a very quick impression of Sri Krishnan Temple from afar.

I had more time to sketch this Kuan Im Temple the next day, which happens to be right next to Sri Krishnan Temple (coincidentally represented by a stamp from the Symposium on the left - big thanks to the organizers for providing a fun souvenir!)

Another must-have element in Singapore is food. Everything I ate tasted great, and there are a wide array of cuisines that blend Malay, Chinese, Indian, Eurasian and Peranakan influences. I usually don't sketch food because I'd rather be eating though it helped to get some pointers I learned from food sketching activity led by Anita Ryanto: use warm colors, and you can add texture to watercolor washes by sprinkling salt (which should be pretty easy to find if you are eating!) The dish below is Nasi Lamak sketched during the activity.

I do take my trusty Uniball Signo gel pen out to do small, quick "reference notes for later" type of sketches. This is a collage of odd and ends relating to food. The empty brown eggshell and teh (tea with condensed milk) on bottom right are remnants of kaya toast breakfast - the toast is not in the sketch because I ate it before I remembered to draw it :-)

I also made sure I didn't miss Gardens by the Bay. One of the attractions there are 16-story structures covered with a vertical garden called Supertrees. They are similar scale and shape to naturally tall trees, and they are lit up at night. The sketch below doesn't do justice, even after I added blue wash for night sky at home (It's a struggle to do watercolor painting in the dark), but it was a magical sight.

I also visited Cloud Forest at the Gardens, which is a plant conservatory with tallest indoor waterfall in the world. Interior is kept misted and cool while glass windows let in the sunlight. Backlighting on the plants as I peered and painted through the grotto added to the their beauty. Here are a few photos and some small sketches. The purple background on the second sketch was painted at home - I'm still learning to get dark colors really quickly on location!

People take elevators up to start their visit at the the top, and walk down spiral walkway. Fortunately I am not afraid of heights, but I made sure I held onto my pen and sketchbook while I was sketching so I don't drop them! The space was tight and I tried to squeeze against the railing to let a continuous stream of visitors pass through, so I did the linework on location, and painted this sketch at home.

After a whirlwind of sketching in Singapore, I went to Cambodia with a group of fellow urban sketchers - more sketches will be posted soon!

Sketching at Urban Sketching Workshops in Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Sat, 22 Aug 2015 19:06:00 +0000

I really enjoyed attending Urban Sketchers Symposium in Singapore - the energy of people gathering to draw on location is contagious! I appreciate the hospitality shown by local sketchers, and it was fun to meet new sketching friends in addition to meeting familiar sketching friends I met over the last few symposiums.

I've taken some workshops at the Symposium to concentrate on learning to paint as opposed to "drawing with color". In the meantime, I also took workshop taught by Lapin on 180 Degree Sketching to capture the scene as if with a fisheye lens - and it was a lot of fun to think of perspective in an organic way.

Workshop taught by Nina Johansson was about observing and expressing how the light tend to fade from the sky to the ground. This Selegie Arts Centre was part of many shophouses on Prinsep Street. The wedge shape and different colors on the building made it challenging and fun to paint at the same time.

Workshop taught by Shari Blaukopf was about using a big brush to paint in broad strokes. This helps to cover the paper with paint quickly to better capture the moment. This is a view of the National Museum, which is at the same place where Worldwide Sketchcrawl took place. Painting in hot, humid conditions meant that my washes (and paints in my palette) almost never dries completely, so it was hard to add darker colors without it running. I finished adding some dark values at home for this piece.

Workshop taught by Matthew Brehm was about learning to study the color values and making clean watercolor washes. I did many thumbnail sketches at Singapore Management University - this is one of them. Singapore has a bright light that is ideal for seeing the contrast on the buildings very clearly.

While sketches I do at workshops are typically not my personal best, I know what I learned at the workshops will sink in and help me advance my sketching skills - so I did as much sketches as I could in the short amount of free time I had in Singapore. More of those sketches will be posted later as I finish scanning them....

Illustration Friday: Heart

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 05:07:00 +0000

An oldie but a goodie - this is an illustration I did a long time ago, and happened to fit this week's Illustration Friday topic, "Heart".

I've been busy scanning my artwork - more to be posted soon!

An Afternoon Outing, Sketching by the Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 05:52:00 +0000

I spent a bit of afternoon sketching with Pete Scully, who was visiting Santa Monica - his account of the weekend is here.

While I've sketched at Santa Monica Pier numerous times, sketching together and chatting with a fellow sketcher made me look at the familiar scene with fresh eyes. Using a panoramic format (a Handbook panoramic sketchbook that I found in my stack of sketchbooks) made me notice the expanse of the ocean and the sky. I don't like the crease in the middle of the spread, but this sketch is a fun reminder of escaping my daily routine in my own town.

47th Worldwide Sketchcrawl at Venice Canals

noreply@blogger.com (Shiho Nakaza) — Wed, 29 Apr 2015 03:20:00 +0000

For Worldwide Sketchcrawl, the Los Angeles group went to Venice, which is a section of the city modeled after the Italian city with the canals. (This Wikipedia article shows the photo taken from the same section of the canal I happened to be sketching, if you're curious.)

It was an overcast but still a beautiful day to sketch, and it was convenient to not have to wear sunglasses to shield my eyes from typically glaring sun. I had to leave early, so here is only sketch of the day, done in about 30-45 minutes, standing up with my sketchbook propped on a trash can. (The last time I sketched at the canals was also overcast - I took more time with this sketch.)

Big thanks goes out to Stephanie Lowe for bringing her Ánimo High School students to sketchcrawl! It was good to see young urban sketchers at work.