Untitled

People asked me why I brought so many drawing pencils(my crayon pencil), my reasons to bring many pencils was because I like to draw very fast for caricature, I don't spent time to shave the pencil lead (crayon pencil),just "Reload the bullet" ---- take a new piece of pencil to carry on straight away without wasting any time during my working time, hence more pieces or caricature to be done, client should be happy! Heehee!


Taken my dinner at Raffles City foodcourt. Ops! The $3.50 fried rice is little, maybe the $ became smaller and smaller...And everything became more expensive....

Colorful Decoration

Saw this decorated wall at lev6 ballroom of Meritus Mandarin Hotel, was nice. The color will change every few seconds, very nice and interesting.

Christmas Party caricature

I had gone to Senior Police Officers’ Mess to do a Christmas Party caricature. It is a nice place, something like fort canning.
The interior of the building was very nice, and nicely decorated for Christmas.


Found this decorated stone outside the building, it was very special to me because found a small plant on top of this stone! Hmmm, a strong plant can grow on stone!Looks at this picture again, feel like a Chinese Painting, those trees on top of the mountain! Heehee!

Caricaure for OCS Navy Dinner & Dance

Did a caricature pre-event for OCS Navy Dinner & Dance at Hyatt Hotel, did not expect 90% of the guests were came in couples, meanwhile, I have to draw them 2 in one piece of paper. All the guests was in dress because the dress code was formal, so I saw lots pretty girls….with their handsome boyfriends, opps! No Chance! Haaahaa!

The reception table was decorated by rose, each lady guest will be given a rose when they arrived.

Bar counter was decorated with a plant, that's nice.
The decorated lighting designed with leafs. It was nice, but personnal feeling, maybe the leafs paint into green and bright yellow that will be perfect, jus my imagination only.

Birthday Cake

Went to this little girls’ birthday party, the parent bought this birthday cake which delivered from Hyatt Hotel. When this cake delivered to their house, it attracted everyone’s attention; the cake was so special, colorful in the sense of the combination of the color was perfect. The design of this cake was perfect until can’t tell if this is real!

Yup, a birthday cake for girls, see the design: high heel, hand bag, lips, lipstick, haahaa!

X-Men

I went to Henderson Industrial Park, doing a Xmas party caricature for an event company’s client. When the lift reaches the floor, there was a surprising “Logo” in front me! It was “X-Men” logo!!! The client actually is “X-Men" ? Prof Xavier? Haahaa!

Caricaure show at Oriental Hotel

Today did a caricature show for Singapore Airlines PPS Club’s Christmas Extravaganza 2007 at Oriental Hotel. The guests was very nice and lots beautiful girls, hee hee! Of course, Singapore Airlines (SIA) you know!!!

There's few nice art pieces outside the grand ballroom
It was a wooden carving art piece!


Saw a plant inside the staircase link beside Oriental Hotel while going back home, it was very nice.
I got the same type of plant at my house corridor, but looked big different. Haahaa!

A Map

I get this map done for my friend's Pub at Boaty Quay, using Macromedia Freehand 8. Yup, I still using this old version. Heehee!

Candle Gel

Met Diana, one of caricaturist and also a children art teacher, she told me that her sister doing "Candle Gel" for pre-events, I asked the photo from her to see what is that. She emailed these pictures. It was very nice and interesting!

Wire Craft Artist

Came across Madam Tang's Wire Craft art, didn't know she can do wire crafts for pre-event, that was great. I know Mdm Tang mant about 8 years ago while she doing Chinese Calligraphy and Chinese paper cutting and all kinds of chinese traditional art during the events.I got her website: http://www.talentsdata.8m.com/tangsart.htm

Roy, "Statue" Street Artist

Roy was a pioneer street artist from Singapore; I guess he had been doing busking at Orchard at least 8 years or more. I know him about 4 year ago. To night pass by Ang Mo Kio Centre, saw him doing busking in front the space of McDonald. Seems he never busk at Orchard anymore.

Palm Reading

Last Saturday, 8 Dec Saturday’s silhouette cutting for pre-event was cancelled. I thought I had lost some income, but I was very lucky! One of the event company’s staff introduced my palm reading service to her friend’s event company to do the palm reading for their client’s pre-event entertainment.

Palm reading was very interesting item for me. It was mainly tell you characters thru reading the different lines based on both of your palms.

It was a knowledge based item; to me it was an art, and such art was unable to just see and copy, it was involved in lots of books readings and read the real palms to enrich the knowledge.

Palm reading to me is just another type of “Caricature”, instead looks at the face of the guest, I look at their palm, then “draw” them (read and tell their characters).

My style of doing the palm reading was emphasized to highlight their weak point, hence the guest can find out how to improve it. Each person usually spending 5-10minutes to read it, depend how big of the crowd of course.

That was quite interesting that usually, in a company’s dinner & dance, quiet a lots of the guests’ palm having same type of palms, ha-ha! Thought everyone of them working in a same company, facing the same destiny, hmmm….. That was quite logic to me, and experiences wise, yup, after went thru many company’s event for in-charging palm reading, it happened almost the same thing.

Greedy double booked artist looking for help

Due to year-end many event companies looking for caricaturist or silhouette artist, usually I will check my schedule very carefully to confirm with them. This is to avoid any double booking, because if you made mistake which having more than 1 booking at the same timing on that day, and if you can’t find any person to cover you last minute, that will be absence on 1 of your promised show, hence the event company you mark you as an unreliable artist, by then they will reduce or stop to use your service.

As I mentioned, no matter how famous or how cheap rated you are or how strong / how best / how top level you are, as an pre-diner entertainer only can do 1 show at 1 place at 6.30pm-7.30pm (or 6.15pm-7.15pm / 7pm-8pm) for 1 event company only.

Even if the whole Singapore’s event companies request your service, like 7th December, Friday 6.30pm till 7.30pm; you still can only go 1 place to do 1 show what.

Some greedy artists still can asked me for help to seek for any replacement artist on 7th December, Friday morning! Especially those artists who highlighted to me that they are much experienced then me or longer year in this industry!

I wonder if they were really experienced, why did not know that 2 months ago there had been many event companies asking for caricaturists and silhouette artists? Up to today (7th Dec, Friday), they should know every caricaturist and silhouette artist had been booked.

Why this happen? High percentage that they are too greedy to grab whatever job as possible, believed anytime can get people to cover them, or maybe too greedy grabbing until they forget about which date they been booked by the event companies.

Hmm...you sure you are experienced entertainer or just a new comer?

Hot booking day for Caricaturists and Silhouette Cutting Artists

7 dec 07 friday

From an entertainer’s eyes, Friday and Saturday of every year’s November and December was the peak period of all Artists, performers and entertainers.

As fringe art artists, usually like Caricaturist, Silhouette Cutting artist, Henna / Airbrush tattoo, tarot card reader, fortune teller etc… will booked by the event companies’ from around 6.30pm to 7.30pm for their diner & dance in island wise.
As my experiences, every November and December will have one or two days which all the event companies looking for caricaturist or silhouette artist.

(Silhouette Cutting Artist was another type of artist the event that introduced by me to many event companies in 3 years ago, it became a popular item in demand since then.)

This year’s “Caricaturist / Silhouette Cutting Artist Hot Day” was known at 7th December (today) and 14th December. Many event companies was looking for both caricaturist and silhouette artist since 2 months ago.

Up to yesterday still have event companies calling me asking for my availability for the 2 mentioned date above.

Junior College Diner & Dance

I was doing a caricature drawing for National Junior College diner & dance, 90% of the guests was Junior College students. It was surprised that was some students presenting their strings quartet classical music; it was my first time I saw students’ performance during diner & dance for pre-diner event. How nice was that! Luckily I was sitting beside them, I enjoyed their music a lot!

Eating Steamboat with Vivien

Today afternoon Vivien of Zephydom and her boy friend had treated me lunch at Parkland, at the “Hey Hey Steamboat” Restaurant. I can’t remember when I ate steamboat last time, should be quiet long ago. This restaurant was opened by a TCS star! And the food was really nice; it was different from other type of steamboat I every came across so far.


The sauce you can mixed with by yourself in different ingredient!
Very nice sauce! Definitely will come again.

Thanks Vivien, next time must treat her and her boyfriend down here! Heehee!

Wire Crafts

Met Josie Tan, the Wire craft artist in the event, she made a keychain for me. That was very nice. As I know, other than her, artist who doing wire craft also including William Lee, Vivien of Zephydom and Mdm Tang.

Talking about keychain, there also having caricature shrink art. Below was a caricature drawn on a special piece of transparency, and then put in the micro oven, it will shrink down and became harden, the bigger size drawing will be shrinked from 2.5inch to 1inch, it was very quite and interesting.

Other than that, I also came across another type of keychain making during the event, that was writing your name into rice, then seal it in small container with chemical liquid. The person I know who do this was Zai. I know her and her friend Azziah at Orchard during we doing busking 3 years ago.

Rainny day

I was so long never go Orchard to do my busking (drawing caricature at the road side) due to busy of doing some researching stuffs. Basically Singapore had been raining often, if no wrong, last year totally having approximately 2 months was having smoke surrounding the country due to Indonesia’ s forest fire, and having 60% of the day was raining.

Usually during Christmas I may have some business while I draw at Orchard road, but this year, thought 70% (or more) of the days was rainy day (like today).
Thought this year will be a ‘Snowy Christmas’ in Singapore (I mean snowy = rainy).

Thought life was a bit tough, luckily covered by some event jobs to survive.

Big and small

A client asked me to do a group caricature for their special guest.

Then they also hired my for their event on that night, they had enlarged this group caricature at a back drop and using it for their event openning ceremony!

That was my first time saw my artwork became that BIG!!! Heehee!

Met Yunos!

I met Yunos, Zaki’s brother many years ago, at least 6 to 7 years ago. Seldom see him until last year. He said he was married and based his business at Indonesia, not bad men brother!

Now met him during an event while they hired Yunos and I as their caricaturists.

Look at our ‘fatness’, am I looks like Yunos or Yunos looks like me?
He got more hair to me! Must go Beijing 101 or Yunnan Haircare or Stevenson?

Another event with make-up

I thought I do not want to try any job with make-up any more, but last year-end had a Christmas series job, the event company hired some professional make-up artists to do it for their entire artist.

It was fun and excited! I met lots different artist like contortionists, mime, balloonists, magicians, foreign fashion models as well behind the stage! We are different from the public; at least this time my feeling was very different!

Ziv was the one who do the make-up for me; she’s the head of the make-up teams! She’s pretty and sexy!!! Please make sure to arrange such make-up artist for me for every event ok! Heehee! Thought my 'Uncle face' need professional make-up artist to handle lah.


Taken this picture while Ziv’s assistants doing make up for the contortionist.


Ziv was doing the final checking and additional make-up for her.


She’s the one! So beautiful! I should sing: “Your beautiful, your beautiful….”
Unforturnately did not get her contact. Ouch!


Met Vivien in the event! She was very beautiful as well! She had a very handsome and tall boyfriend!


Our tarot card fortune teller Kathy.

Doing event with made-up

During many years doing caricature or silhouette cutting for event, I seldom asked to do any special costume or make-up, I am a small fly, some more as guy, as long as looks neat and tidy and clean, will be ok.

If really need special costume, usually provided by the event company and no need to do any make-up.

A friend in 2005 asked me act as Chinese treasure god character in their Chinese new year event, they provide with costume and make-up, which was my first time having make-up in my whole event life.

Ouch! If was painful when the opera master do a treasure god make-up on my face. I don’t like the time he paint the eyeliner on my eyes, it was uncomfortable. Anyway, just take it as an experience lah. Heehee!

Doing events during year end

Year end is peak period for events like dinner & dance, Xmas promotions etc.
It is a peak period of entertainer as well. Usually, the dinner and dance and family day happened at Friday night and Saturday. The event companies will hire fringe artist to entertain the guest.

During year end peak period, there’s always event companies looking for fringe art artists, jobs is waiting for us, that’s was a good thing for us.

Some people said our income must be very good, that’s not true, because after the peak period, not much job for us, it became artist looking for job to survive.

Due to more and more people joining in this line, the opportunities of getting jobs became less, it became very competitive, and this is good news for event companies, because they got more choices.

Lots artist lower their lower down their price to undercut the job, some event companies try their best to looking for the lowest rate artist as well regardless the artist’s skill level, as well, hence you can see lots ‘fake artist’ (non-skilled people) doing event.

Basically, the guest was not so concern about that due to the fringe art artist was giving free services or free gift e.g. Free caricature, free silhouette cutting (shadow cutting), free henna drawing etc, that’s why the standard of the fringe artist was not important maybe.

A Caricature Drawing

This is the boss of Virgin Airline, Mr. Richard Branson.
I like to display this drawing either when I doing event or do busking at Orchard road.

There was some comment from the public:

Without asking who this is, somebody said: “You are drawing Richard Branson!”
Somebody said: “You are drawing Chuck Norris!”

When someone asking who I drawn, I told them this drawing was Richard Branson, they could be reflected: “Doesn’t look like at all!” That’s common feedback as well.

But there’s some feedback that was hard to understand, those people was feedback to me without asking me anything and said: “Hey, your Richard Brandson (or Chuck Norris) doesn’t looks like Richard Brandson(or Chuck Norris) at all!”

Hmmm, I wonder why they could recognize that I am drawing Richard Branson yet the drawing doesn’t looks alike? Interesting! Haa haa!

One of My Good friend Rama Chandran

Rama Chandran, my ex-colleague who works in a bank together, was the person who brings me in to the entertainment line in 1990.

He was a part-time emcee at that time, his ambition was a movie director or run a movie production house or became an actor if I am not wrong.

All I remember was the scene that I watching Chandran doing comedy drama in shopping on the stage, that time Eileen Wee (now became emcee/model/writer and etc) was also acting together with him.

Rama Chandran is one of the famous people in this line during that period.
He was involve in Michael Chiang's hit comedy play, drama version of ARMY DAZE, in 1987.

Of course I involved in this drama as well --------- as an Audient !!! Haahaa!

Rama Chandran taught me lots thing, he is one of my best friend. He continuous runs his production house D’Rama Production after having his movie studies from New York, that’s about at leas more than 10 years ago.

Time fly very fast. Chandran had married and having a nice family.

Hey Chandran, tell you, I still no girl!!! (still single and became uncle liao! Hee hee)

10 years later, you will see me sitting at kopitiam having beer, when I became an ‘old uncle’.

some more event caricaturist

Up to today, year 2007, the world had been changing a lot. I found that at least 10 more new caricaturists came in this industry to share this cake, hence the cake for event caricaturists became smaller and smaller.

New batch caricaturists including:

Luo Yong from china, brought in her father Luo Rui Lin doing caricature, maybe she had been arranged her mother doing caricature for event as well by setting the lowest rate in this industry; then followed by Mr Kamal who just completed his master degree in Contemporary Art, and his wife, Roushi Ye, been ranked as ‘Singapore Florist Painting Artist’ and had been interview by TV Channel named ‘Suria’, and someone called Andy ( if I not wrong), followed by few more art students and fine art artists.

That’s good news for event companies that they having more choices, but bad news for caricaturists in this industry due to crowd with competitors.

When the government engaging more foreign talents, especially when the casino is opening, that will be more event caricaturist appeared in Singapore.

Just my personal view, haahaa!

A Rough Event Caricaturist List in Singapore from my memory

In 1992-1995 (rough memories) , artist who do caricature in event as I remembers like Eienstien, Eric Ng, Saik, then follow by Poon, and Desmond, may be Pak Ah Bee from Clark Quay as well.

Eienstien was the pioneer artist who do caricature in Singapore.
Then followed by Eric Ng, had been doing caricature for events and also doing he caricature at Orchard Point.

Eienstein was running his own company and doing TV productions now. Eric Ng, was not so active in recent years and had been emphasze in his own business..

1996 onwards, numbers of caricaturist increased, included Zaki, Yunos (both of them could be already doing caricature in earlier years), then followed by Diana and Belle Kwan.

Thought one of the full-time portrait artist, Chong Jit Leong of Portrait Workshop had been doing caricature for events as well during this period, I did not know him at that time, only heard about him, then artist doing portrait and caricature drawing at Clark Quay.

Another full-time portrait artist, Pak Ah Bee from Clark Quay as well, doing caricature drawing or portrait for events.

Followed by another full time portrait artist Reggie Wan of Portrait Studio, joined the event caricaturist industry, if not wrong, should be around 1997 or 1998.

Then another guy who very aggressive that like to promote himself, Lawrence. He had went to United State for his study since 2002 (if not wrong)

Wilson Lee, the artist I met about 1998 was doing event as well, then follow by William Lee that I met about 2002.

Up to 2003, that will be about 10 caricaturist (including me) in the event industry, maybe few more people that I does not know.

A guy draw using 2 hands?

A guy draw using two hands? Yes, here I am (in Singapore).
In this insdustry, I am the only person who drawing using two hands since 1995.
They called it "Ambidexture".

I am not the best, but I always try to deliver the best to the guests and the organiser who hired my service.

Singapore Event / Party Entertainer

Before I became an Event and Party entertainer, I started as a crew that carry the event equipment such as big amplifier, wires etc, it happened that an event company asked me to do caricature for dinner & dance and family day, since then, I start as a freelance Caricaturist about 1992 until now.

Other then Caricature drawing, I start to do the Silhouette Cutting (Shadow Cutting) since 2002, and start to do Palm reading since 2003.

Entertainment line is a fun but also a very competitive business.

For more about me, you can view my website: www.geocities.com/wellessx