Kampung Sungai Kechil, Penang. Dry twigs and ink on 300gsm watercolour paper.
Since few years ago, i've ventured a lot of different sketching tools from pencil, charcoal, to expensive fountain pens, markers, etc. but for me, these twigs and ink produced the best finish to my drawings.
Ive came across the famous works from an urban sketcher from Penang by the name Ch'ng Kiah Kiean, the master of dry twigs sketching who gave workshops and classes all around the world, sparked the idea for me to give it a try.
Kiah Kean (far left) when we met in Manchester for the International Urban Sketching Symposium.
For me, it started out about 4 years back where i was at my mom's hometown in Penang where ive got an idea to try making a drawing using a fallen wooded twigs from my grandmother's Rambutan tree with a bottle of chinese ink that cost me about RM 1.20 per bottle.
Heres some of my previous works using the same technique;
(2013) Kampung Sungai Kechil, Penang. #2, dry twigs and ink on 300gsm watercolour paper.
(2013) Feringghi, Penang. dry twigs and ink on 300gsm watercolour paper.
(2014) Art Row, Publika, Kuala Lumpur. Dry twigs and inkwith ecoline on 300gsm watercolour paper.
(2014) Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur. Dry twigs and ink with watercolour on 300gsm watercolour paper.
As an activist that promotes sketching as a tools for communication and the means of self expression, this technique proves a point that you don't really need to spend a fortune to make a work of arts, all you need is the passion and willingness to explore. :)
