Mediums

"Ta ta!!!" the mystery woman unveiled! Many have asked me about the mediums I use and how did I learn to use them. In this section you will see my comrades in my adventures of CREATION. I wrote a short summary of each medium I use, will try to write more when I create the tutorials.

Quick and Dry
	These are what I call Quick Dry mediums, that do not need preparation, wait for it to dry, and no cleaning up after work. Perfect for speedy works and Concept drawing. Of course I do use them for final renderings and artworks too. Markers Colour Pencils Pastels Pens Pencils Blue lead tech pens etc...

Markers: I took up markers due to my studies in Product design. We often used it for Concept drawings, and final renderings, now I am using them for illustrations too. Note: Markers dry fast, please put on the cap and Close it tight!!! I have got people complaining to me that their markers dry in three months when mine lasted for years. Markers are costly took me years to collect what I have now, not including replacements for colours which I ran out of.

Colour Pencils: All of us grew up with colours pencils, but I only learnt how to use them in my illustrations in 2001, when I was studying Ancient Oriental Hair Styles, which leads to me using them for illustrations. Maybe I do a little of explaining on colour pencils since I do not intend to create a tutorial for that soon. I too am new to this medium, I use it as I wish when I deemed fit, so my methods might not be right. Of for a start I will work on a simple sketch with pencil, after which I start shading and gently shadow areas to help me define the figure in 3D, with a shadow colour (tough to explain you got to know the principles of light to choose the right colour, but in short a darker shade of colour of the item. shade in the light colours, then slowly adding darker tone till you reach the darkest part of the shadow area.

Colour pencil unlike others are made of waxy substance, which prevents other colours to be applied onto the same area, if you filled it up completely is best if you can decide before hand what colours goes where and how to blend them. I blend colours like the way i blend my paints, (check the colour wheel concept there much to learn there too)

Pastels: Now this is a medium I seldom use, but is inevitably useful. This set you see in the photo and the Rembrant set in Green box, was a gift from my friend. They are two different type of pastels. the Creta color is powder and smooth, which I will scrap bits of powder from it and apply on my rendering with a cotton. As for Rembrant is oil base and is wonderful for portraits, thick and rich texture allows you to apply like crayon on paper and smudge like paint. (well almost)

Wet Paints
	These are my paints. All together I have 4 types of paints. The brushes with brown wooden handles are for acrylics the rest of them can be used with the Black and red brushes. Acrylics Gouache Watercolour Model Paints Other Materials Fixative Masking fluid... Brushes

Acrylics: Apart from poster paints Acrylics is my first painting tool. I was studying fine arts during my O'levels and I love painting, I totally abuse my brushes with crazy strokes of paint and colours which my teacher say it is expressive and artistic. Great for me, I love Vincent van Gogh's work ESP starry starry night, so much energy and movement in his strokes of colours, which inspires me so much. Acrylic is a waterproof paint, which dries fast and do not allow blending once it is dry. Due to it's opaque nature we can put layers and layers of paint over the paper.

Gouache: I was exposed to gouache paints due to my design studies. Gouache, is like water colour but thicker and opaque, which allows blending and layering. But, because it is water soluble, I would advise to people to seal it in water proof files or protect it well. Especially when used thickly on paper.

Watercolour: Strange enough this is the Newest of all paints I have learnt to use, but the one that I use most often now. There is one thing I must say about Watercolour, "PATIENCE" This one medium that can get me to wait and wait and wait for it. It has many techniques to use this ONE paint. Paint Wet on wet, wet on dry, dry on dry, Washes, stains, layers, all those technical terms. Very often I have to leave it aside to dry so I could work on it further. Complains aside this is a very versatile medium, that can create a great range of effects and styles. there are great joy in learning this medium and experimenting the endless techniques that we can use. When I go to a Library there are tons and tons of books for waterdolour then there are for other mediums. There are book on only techniques and special effects, there are books on how to mix the colours (man you dunno how much there are in this art) I will try to talk more about this medium when I create a tutorial section.

Chinese Paints (bonus)
	BONUS!!! No one ever knew that I do Chinese Painting too. Told one of my friend on the phone that I was busy painting Chinese Painting and HE laughed! Hey! What's the surprise I love Chinese Art and Culture. Surely you can get the hint from my site theme. I participated in a Chinese Cultural Club during Secondary school days learning Chinese Arts and Culture. I have not been practising, though occasionally I do practise on weekends, but it is never good enough, to recover for the lost time. Note: Like my brush holder? I drew those flowers when I was 14, I think...

Chinese Painting is very dependent on years of practise, some critics can tell how many years of experience the artist have just by looking at your works. Extra: they can tell the body and mental condition of the person by looking at their art.

It is a wonderful art, how you control your strength on that tip of the soft lamb fur brush. Control the ink flow, using minimal well planned brush strokes to draw and colour at the same time. A challenge I love to take.

Same as Chinese Calligraphy it teaches good posture and the concentration needed harmonies our mood, and relieve stress. Therefore people believe that it aids in good health. Those paintings on the left are my past works some old some new.

A story worth telling: a story about how I met a grape painting master from china, and learn a few tricks from him, shall not mention his name till my painting has reach a reasonably good level to say who my master was.

The lastest painting is the grapes. I learnt that from a great master, which I met at an art fair. I was atracted to his paintings of grapes, wonderful colours, great brush controls Each and every grape look so 3D to be done with a single brush stroke.

The guide introduces me to the artist, I bought a piece from the artist. After chatting for awhile, I got him to demonstrate how he does it. On spot I took up the brush and immitated his strokes. Impressed at the speed I took to learn he asked me to try painting a few at home and show it to him before he goes back to China, .

Given such opportunity, I did as I was told. Went back with pieces of paintings, he was pleased and he gave me some more pointers and corrected my colour errors. Apart from lack of knowledge of how the grape stems look like and how they grow, I have gotten the basic techniques right. Pity that he have to leave Singapore, or else he wishes to see my progress, me too wish to ask him for more advises too. Now I am left alone to explore.

But he was put off by my horrible calligraphy. +sniffles+ all my teachers can never understand how a person with terrible calligraphy can draw well (well reasonably well). Because in Chinese Painting each and every artist is first trained in calligraphy before painting, as this trains us to control our strength in using the brush and deliver the strokes well. Oh well there are always exceptions, my teacher always sighs to see my painting ruined by my horrible calligraphy.. Ha Ha ha what to do. but hey! to me I just enjoy painting, never will I think I could be good at it. But I will not give up, I will try to practise my calligraphy till I get it right.

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