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This paper investigates the development of Singapore watercolor art. Although watercolor is a western painting medium, Singapore watercolor art adopted its concepts from both the traditional British watercolor and Chinese ink painting. While it inherited its painting techniques from the British watercolor, the concept of calligraphic brushwork was adopted in two diverse directions, one from the British watercolor and the other from the Chinese calligraphy and ink painting due to the diverse backgrounds of artists. The application of various forms of calligraphic brushwork and their developments have shown connections to their origins. However, deviations were observed as compared to contemporary western watercolor brushwork. The study has also uncovered how the abstraction of Chinese character design concept and ink painting compositions were adopted by contemporary regional artists. The outcomes have created potential applications in animation and digital painting, especially in the area of visual simplification.

This paper investigates the development of Singapore watercolor art. Although watercolor is a western painting medium, Singapore watercolor art adopted its concepts from both the traditional British watercolor and Chinese ink painting. While it inherited its painting techniques from the British watercolor, the concept of calligraphic brushwork was adopted in two diverse directions, one from the British watercolor and the other from the Chinese calligraphy and ink painting due to the diverse backgrounds of artists. The application of various forms of calligraphic brushwork and their developments have shown connections to their origins. However, deviations were observed as compared to contemporary western watercolor brushwork. The study has also uncovered how the abstraction of Chinese character design concept and ink painting compositions were adopted by contemporary regional artists. The outcomes have created potential applications in animation and digital painting, especially in the area of visual simplification. National Arts Council Published version I would like to thank National Arts Council for sponsoring this research and Nanyang Technological University for support me with all the administrative process related to this research work.

The objective of this project was to experiment with the essence of Chinese calligraphical brushwork and showcase its advantages for animation. The Maya built-in functions and its programmable environment provided us the flexibility to simulate the concept of Chinese calligraphy in depicting various brush and ink movements. The write-up by our local master calligrapher, Mr. Tan Kee Ser, summarizes the fundamental concepts of Chinese ink painting and how it applies the essence and abstract design of Chinese calligraphy. Computer programming has enabled 3D animation to borrow the merits of the Chinese calligraphy language. The flexibility and sophistication of the Maya software and its programmable Python interface have opened up many new possibilities. Its near omnipotent textural functions enabled Chinese calligraphy to be presented in a 3D visual environment, allowing its simple and illusional quality to expand the scope of 3D movement presentation. It verified the idea discussed in the previous exhibition and upgraded Chinese calligraphy from a two-dimensional to a three-dimensional interface1, 2. In a 3D visual space, the programmed brushwork is reusable and different angles of the presentation can be chosen to achieve the best visual results. As a result, the charming characteristics and brushworks of Chinese calligraphy can now be combined with three-dimensional animation to showcase its strength in abstraction. This book also presents traditional two-dimensional animation clips as a comparison. The process of 3D brushwork development started with exploration of various built-in functions within the Maya environment. Since every function was not built for this purpose, additional adjustments were required to overcome the limits of each function. This was done through the flexible Python programming interface within the Maya software platform. We were lucky to have Dr. Fredy Tantri working with us. He is fluent in Python and trained 2 of our student team members in Python programming. Dr. Tantri made multiple mathematical adjustments to overcome the limitation of various Maya built-in functions, which enabled certain simulations of calligraphic brushwork in the 3D space. Finally, this E-book combines both 2D and 3D presentations of Chinese calligraphic brushwork. A series of artworks and two sets of 3D animated figures were developed for this demonstration. We wish to bring out the illusory quality of the Chinese calligraphy with animation and present to the audience. Published version

This paper explores the basic structures of Chinese calligraphy brushwork, its textures, its characteristic forms, and how its strength can be incorporated into 3D animation. It investigates how these structures could create visual simplification and suggest movement. The conceptual difference between realistic rendering and the Chinese calligraphic concept of simplification is discussed. With the help of the Python programmable environment in Maya, the concept of Chinese calligraphy in 3D space and its idea of visual simplification and abstraction were explored. The work demonstrates how the Chinese calligraphic brushwork could suggest the dynamics of motion in 3D space. Some limitations of the Maya emitting process are also discussed. Possible further explorations through additional mathematical adjustments to the selected Maya shader are also suggested to enhance the presentation. Ministry of Education (MOE) Submitted/Accepted version I would like to thank Nanyang Technological University and the Ministry of Education, Singapore for supporting this research.

To me, lines and brushworks are meant to define forms, while colors seek to emotionally enrich the image. I take them to be complementary partners in my art making process. I consider brushworks and lines as drawing, and the process of filling colors as painting. Decisive brushstrokes represent my immediate response to the image I’m trying to create, while my colors complement with consideration of chosen subject matters, to further enhance the brushstrokes. As brushwork strengthens the form, the three attributes of colors (namely tone, hue and chroma) are fine-tuned to either work with or against the results of the brushwork. In this manner, I am ready to enhance or to sacrifice any of their properties to serve the ultimate objective – a strong image composition. The clash between colorful shapes and decisive lines can be visually conflicting, but this is oftentimes overshadowed by the design of interchanging figures and ground, forming believable visual paths. This is the beauty of visual space sophistication through design. Furthermore, the contrast between color and form is subdued with an endless combination tweaking of the three color attributes, so as to achieve a variety of gradient and blending between colored shapes. While visual space is effortlessly built with these variations, the artist retains flexibility in selecting the ‘right’ colors for emotional expression. My art shares the context and history of Nanyang art. The familiar figurative elements and activities, the vibrancy and freshness of colors, and the culturally mixed architectural elements make up some of my regular subject matters. The harsh weather condition and my emotional connection with this motherland steers me towards a chromatic color palette. My calligraphic brushworks are inherited from a Chinese educated background. In the context of Chinese ink painting, high intensity colors are often regarded as an over-sweetening factor. Thus, the use of chromatic colors in my work is in conflict with my brushworks. However, because I live and work in this region, I will never forgo richness and intensity in color. The complex interaction of chromatic colors is not only the inspiration of my compositions; it is the heart of my visual philosophy. A happy painter’s life philosophy is to paint happy paintings filled with joyful colors. Just the grays and browns cannot fully express my inner voice. Therefore, I am taking the risk with colors while working broadly with brushworks to simplify and intensify my joy. In this book, I would like to share my humble recent artworks. I wish they resonate with my audience and bring them joyfulness. Thanks for enjoying my art. Published version

Munsell Color System is a framework of practical color theory commonly adopted by the industry. However, it has not been well adopted in the area of art education at tertiary institutions teaching color theory. The popular model used in current art schools is the Itten Color Wheel. A paper was published to introduce Munsell Color System for color theory training for art students. The Munsell Color System is a 3D model, therefore visualization is not as direct as a 2D Itten Color Wheel. The objective is to develop a 3D visualization software and color analytical tool to assist students’ learning of Munsell Color System as well as allowing self-driven learning through a new color analytical tool for analysis of color scheme of important and relevant artworks like masterpieces and students’ artworks. Published version

Most recently, my experimental focus for watercolor is on the vibrancy of colors and layering approach in relation to the richness of optical results. I choose to work on a small scale for the ease of travelling or working en plein air. The myth about watercolor lies in its transparency. It is a conventional notion that transparent washes should be used to bring forth freshness and immediacy. However, I believe that the overemphasis of this technique would, to a certain extent, erode its true capacity in image making. In this show, I am ambitious in using my new artworks to showcase the multifaceted world of watercolor painting. Back in the days when I was learning the classical oil painting approach in New York Academy of Fine Art, I discovered the similarity in the painting techniques between watercolor and oil painting. This similarity is a result of overcoming limitations. Before the turn of the Industrial revolution, manufacturing technology was in its infancy and classical oil painting approach was limited by the availability of pigments. Artists back then were not able to purchase tubes of paint directly from art stores ( a luxury only available much later, thanks to the Industrial Revolution ) to go en plein air painting like we do today. In addition to that, pigments used before the 1850s were generally earth materials or plant extracts, which had to be further blended with oil to form the painting paste used in studios. The colors were either earthy toned (browns) or low in chroma, and materials with greater color intensity were rare and costly to work with. In this restrictive period, old master artists discovered through practical experience, what I regard to be the most brilliant piece of knowledge in the history of color painting - the optical behaviour of colors. In applying this knowledge, artists invented painting techniques that overcame the limitations of their time. The optical result achieved was one with richer hue variation without actually having to paint more colors. Limited by available pigments, the old masters relied on two major layering approaches to create optical results on painting surfaces. The first method is transparent glazing, which is commonly used in watercolor. In oil painting, the glazing method is further classified into transparent and semi-transparent (Velatura) layers, both of which fully enriches the spectrum of tonal and hue variations. The second method involves dry brushing a layer or what is termed “scumbling”. The optical interaction between semi-covered paint layers forms hue vibrancy. American master, Andrew Wyeth employed the latter approach in many of his earthy-toned watercolor works. To present the vibrancy of this optical approach, I employed all possible combination of paint layers. The full spectrum of layers from opaque to transparent layers is evident in this body of experimental watercolor artworks. I sincerely welcome feedback from one and all. Thank you very much. Published version

I am addicted to the convenience of working with watercolor for en plein air painting. It dries immediately, requires minimum layers and all my gear can be packed into one simple travel luggage. My foldable stool, my whole box of watercolor paint, brushes, some drawing materials, a few sheets of quarter-size watercolor paper, sun-shielding cap, a few bottles of tap water and sketchbooks are all packed into my paint-stained red Eastpak travel luggage. A few times, when I met my neighbors early in the morning, they asked if I was travelling abroad for work seeing me with my travel baggage. However, the most attractive point of working with watercolor on location is I have the luxury of carrying out many experiments in a short period of time. This lovely characteristic of watercolor has found any competition. Many of my peers always think that I work fast in watercolor seeing my paintings. However, many of them might have missed seeing my complete working process. In reality, my overall working process is not as fast as what they think. Therefore, I would like share take this opportunity to share with everyone some insights of my process. Some days, I might even spend hours thinking about a new idea or a new way of forming the mood of an image the night before I am going out for morning en plein air painting. Therefore, I have chosen the word ‘Jazz’ as part of my title here. I like to feel like listening to a jazz piece when I am fighting against a difficult design problem of colors or shapes. I hope my audience could see my processes, my failures and be convinced that images do not form through just a few splashes, though they might look as if it has gone through a speedy process. I have presented my most common processes of shape, color and tonal planning. These steps form the framework of my compositional process. In addition, my publication will record my new discovery through my experiments with colors and shapes. These two major visual elements are my most favorable elements that constantly spark me with new ideas in my compositions. They fulfill my philosophy as a living artist where art making is a process of arriving at state fulfillment and therefore happiness. I would like to share the joy with my audiences. Andrew Wyeth lived and painted Maine without having to leave this small state for new subject matters or inspirations. He constantly amazed us with his new discovery around him. I admire the genius in his creation and respect his intensive attention and wholehearted design efforts in his creations. Learning from his approach, riding on his giant shoulders, I wish to peel into a further distance with a wider perspective. I chose to re-discover my familiar places and subject matters. I like to give them new meanings. I wish my courage and new findings in colors and shapes are interesting to my audience. I welcome all constructive feedbacks. Thank you in advance. I hope everyone enjoys my new artworks. Published version

The animation industry today has moved to increasingly rely on computer generated animation for its less time consuming processes and cost effectiveness. As a result, many animation productions have lost the visual freedom and aesthetics that classical 2-Dimensional (2D) hand drawn animations once possessed during the heyday of animation. Potentially, there are a couple of benefits with using Computer Graphics (CG) in the animation making process. Firstly, it involves computer technology that allows a certain level of realism to be achieved in an animated film through the use of texture rendering, CG lighting and modeling. The result is a more sophisticated visual presentation with enhanced texture, mood and lighting. Secondly, a 3D model could be re-used, whether it is a model for a character or a particular background, thus allowing the animation process to be less time consuming than traditional, repeat hand drawings executed in 2D animations. Assumably, this would be more cost effective from the business point of view. However, in reality, more often than not, many blockbuster animated films ended up involving more manpower and resources than projected in order that quality effects are achieved under tight timelines for film productions. In 2D animation making, because of its less re-usable nature, the directing artist has to work towards effective simplification of images made. The enhanced results then is produced by simplification of visual images rather than the duplication of purely realistic objects or texture surfaces. This approach of simplification in design to achieve a greater visual impact is similar to my approach in watercolor painting for many years. Therefore, I am inspired to experiment using traditional brushworks adapted from Chinese ink painting methodology within the 2D animation creating process. Over the years, while working with watercolor and oil painting, my calligraphy brushwork concept regularly serves as an important part of my development as an artist. When I started teaching in tertiary institutions, first at Temasek Polytechnic, then Nanyang Technological University, I realized that students were overly dependent on digital functions, like the ‘UNDO’ step and availability of photographic references. This working direction somehow breaches their willingness to train themselves with brush skills in painting. Hand skills become even harder when the students cannot reproduce artwork in parallel with what they perceive. It reduces their sense of aesthetics and their ability to develop themselves as artists. I hope I can use my rough experimental results and discussions here to inspire our younger generation to explore the beauty of calligraphy simplification and abstraction. Last but not least, I would like to explain that in this paper, as a practitioner in Western painting, I would be sharing my personal brush application experiences. As for Chinese ink brushworks, I am no expert and can only share my study of the concepts of a few contemporary Chinese ink masters. I sincerely invite readers and experts in this area to correct me if my point of view deviates from the actual concept of Chinese ink brushwork. Published version

Quoting from 2 ‘Letter to the amateur painters by Russian Artist Khrapkovskii’, “An artist with every bit of his/her talent wholeheartedly exerts his/her energy in the art making process through pouring of his/ her emotion, will, thoughts, experience and observation.” This is truly my most preferred approach in my creating work. If I were to just approach my research according to technical approaches used by historians or scientists, many of my creative components in visual art forms might not be presented well. Art presentation requires higher level of freedom that sometimes is against logical approaches. Therefore I made a decision to proceed with a methodology that is closer to a creative process. I hope readers could benefit from or be inspired through my documentation here. Singapore, Penang and Malacca, the historical cities of straits were selected as my 1st academic research locations because of their historical values. In additional, I am personally more familiar with their historical and cultural backgrounds. Being the 3 major trading hubs of the Malacca straits since early days of Malaya peninsular history (around AD1500), all tree cities served as the hubs for exchange of culture with external parties from the East and West. There is a good connection between the heritage assets of the 3 cities. Since Malacca and Georgetown are elected as UNESCO heritage cities, Singapore could benefit through good in-depth study of its historical sister cities to regain some of its lost assets. In addition, I hope to inspire fellow artists for more cultural exchange between these 3 cities through my research and creative work. Learning from my last exhibition ‘Live & Alive’, this time I started through participating in Penang Urban Sketchers’ drawing and sketching invitation trip. I first used photography as an initial medium searching for inspiring content. Thereafter, I travelled to both Malacca and Penang a few more times and worked in large format oil paintings and watercolors on location. Although it was a great challenge working large format artworks on location, richer content could be presented. Besides, I was taking the challenge as an opportunity for new discovery. As I have sufficient time set aside for this project, I was able to carry out more in depth visual research as well as conceptual study that in turn allowed me to resolve some long-term doubts I had had. The results and working process reassured my objective as an individual working in the creative field. Drawing, sketching and large format painting on location served as good approaches to collect rich visual information. Therefore these would serve as my presentation materials combining with some related photographic images and personal thought. With the combination, I hope readers could relate the research content through a wider perspective and hence could they be brought with more possibilities. Published version

En plein air painting is translated slightly differently in the Chinese language. It is not ‘outdoor painting’ but ‘writing from life’. As I am not a theorist but a practitioner, I will not focus on the theory of calligraphic behavior in painting. The name I used here “Live and Alive”, is to depict the life force of en plein air painting process. ‘Live’ describes the passive observation but it sublimes itself into an active visual participation, making the subject matters ‘Alive’. As a painter, one moment I could be inspired to work while another moment, I could be just using painting as an excuse for expression. To me, the essence of en plein air process surpasses mere observation of the subject matters. It should reach a higher level where viewers are able to emotionally perceive a painter’s creative signal. Brushwork constitutes a major part of my painting. It requires an ability to summarize subject matters into their most essential forms. With that requirement, the difficulty of the painting process multiplies. The observation process and selective visual behavior will decide the success of a painting journey. To partially ease the problem, I work heavily in sketches and drawing study before moving into actual painting. To be ambitious of my results, I chose to work with large format pieces though it is against the common en plein air practice. I hope to present to my audience a new meaning of en plein air paintings. The dynamics of time and space involved in en plein air painting process increases the level of difficulty for painters but allows surprises. I wish my artworks and presentation of exhibition could bring my audience a new visual experience. I hope to bridge their visual behavior with the other four senses, and thereby enhance their emotional response to paintings. Published version