Art Media Training for Primary School Teachers

Teacher at elementary level are expected to teach everything and one of the subject they hate teaching is art. This is because most schools and parents have a nonchalant attitude towards art as an academic subject. So the typical art lesson becomes a waste of time or is stolen for other subjects. This is because teachers often feel that they are inadequately trained to teach art and they dwell on the negative attitude that ‘I cannot draw’ and art proficiency requires an inborn talent. I am not privy to what goes into the training of a teacher for our national schools today, but if this is the attitude, they should stop to ask why art is part of the general subjects in schools. Is it not unfair of the education system for the masses to place a congenital condition known as ‘talent’ as a pre-requisite? I am of the opinion that everybody can draw and it takes practice to draw well.

Like doctors make the worst patient, teachers sometime make the worst students or is it that some people just have a bad attititude for learning. Art training is very much like sports training. Using the analogy of jogging, its not really about going anywhere, its the exercise that matters. So if an instructor gives for an example a still life exercise and the student resisted because they have done that before, it obviously demonstrate that the student has not realised the value of improving through practice and that perfection in is not absolute.

Teachers at Mee Toh Primary engaged me to conduct a five session workshop which covers fundamentals of drawings and how to effectively handle the different art materials.

Explaining the difference between watercolour, poster colour, acrylic, gouche, tempera, ink, etc and how to use them effectively was covered in the wet medium module.

Golfers joke: A birdie for birthday gift

This caricature was commissioned as a gift for a 21 year old golfer. His dear friends wanted to surprise him with a humorous gift and they explainded to me how the term ‘birdie‘ in golfing was derived. I did some research and got a clearer picture of the term for this gag. I hope my humour is not too cruel by having the bird hit with a golf ball in between the legs. Oouuch!

Graffiti workshop for school principals

The North Zone Arts Cafe for Principals 2008 was held at St. James Power Station, a hip night entertainment venue. It is an assembly of all school pricipals and superintendents from the northern sector of Singapore. There were numerous activities and including a graffiti workshop by yours truly.

I gave the participants a briefing on what is graffiti, traced its origin, up to current trends and showed the positive side within the context of art education that can benefit their students. The debate between art and crime was of special interest to these experts. I was initially concerned that I may be faced with a sceptical audience. Turned out they are keen to understand current trends and the likings of young people. It was an enjoyable and educational hands-on session though they did not have time to produce a great piece.

Caricature for back-to-school party concept

A team of insurance agents from Prudential comissioned this set of 21 caricatures for their upcoming dinner and dance with a back-to-school concept. I reminisced about my schooling days while doing this and thus managed to come out with 21 different poses to elaborate on the given theme. Too bad is was not done in colour.

I reminisced the days when I had hair and always playing truant.

Caricature of rider on BMW R1550 motorcycle

This is a farewell gift for a boss who rides a BMW bike. I hope I got the technicalities of the BMW R1550 right as I did not see the real thing and only worked from several photo references. Besides the usual challenge in caricature for achieving likeness of the face, this is also a caricature of an inanimate object. Through simplifying and exaggerating certain features of a motorcycle I was able to achieve an impression of the specific model. I bet he’d be riding away smiling, into the sunset with this gift in his leather jacket.

Valentine day gift for loving couple

Beginning to get orders to draw caricatures for Valentine day. It is good to plan ahead if you already have a ‘Steady’, so that the rest of your energy can be focused at being super extra romantic on the special day.

This couple specifically requested for an Audi R8 car and a host of other items around their caricatures.

Illustrations for BP Singapore Work Seminar

 

I was called upon to do a series of illustrations for BP (British Petroleum) Singapore. It was for a training seminar. They had a military theme and the training sessions would simulate a platoon briefings in a war zone. Hence they need someone to prepare field graphics which means urgent job and the finishing need not be very polished. There were several topics covered by numerous department heads which I interviewed individually and put their ideas into illustrations. Due to the confidentiality of this ‘military operation’, I can only show a few cropped samples here. I also did a spot illustration for an article in their newsletters. Its been ages since I last did an editorial spot illustration. I started out in 1993 as a freelance illustrator for several key magazines in Singapore. But I gave that up within a year to start and manage a graphic design company.

Chinese Lunar New Year Greetings.

Chinese lunar new year will be celebrated on the 7th of February 2008 to usher in the year of the mouse. We’ve had some orders for caricature illustration by corporations for their festive greetings. These days, that includes e-greetings sent out via email and SMSes. I penciled the concept and Ruoshi watercoloured this illustration for a department of AIG - a multinational financial institution.

A caricature greeting card is always a winner for any festive occasion. Caricatured greeting cards are highly personalised, it is light hearted and gives the receiver a good laugh as they try to recall the likeness.

Wishing one and all “Gong Xi Fa Cai”

Retirement gift for General Manager of TCS

Touch Community Services wanted a gift for their GM that is retiring. They wanted me to portray him as a great motivator and inspiring speaker.

Singapore: Delicious and Delirious

Mr. Tan Ping Chiang – my mentor at Nafa (he was dean at one time) called me. He was exhilerated that his book is published. So I went out looking for it and found myself a jewel of Singapore illustration.

It is a hard cover, full coloured book filled with Mr Tan’s ink and wash sketches of Singapore life. His candid observations peeked into pockets of our vibrant multi-ethnic society through its colourful festivals, fabulous food and the odd Singaporean antics. His true mastery of the watercolour medium is obviously visible through his free flowing lines, expressive strokes and bold splashes that fill up pages upon pages that make up this exciting journal. I am most honoured that he even captured the experience of attending my wedding ten years ago which must has left a lasting impression on him because ‘the rendang was really shiok‘. This book captures the essence of Singaporean culture and an artistic inspiration. Go buy it!

Travel Sketches - A Journal
Singapore: Delicious and Delirious
Published by Page One Publishing Pte Ltd ©2007
Retail at SGD21.29 at Page One and other leading book stores

Mr Tan Ping Chiang dropped by my mural project site in May last year.