Sunday, October 03, 2004

Capturing good scenes: A quick press on the camera's button versus 10 minutes of quick sketching

Yesterday I went out and walk around the Esplanade and the Singapore River, and I have the pleasure to have a good friend as a company. It was nice to be out, I haven't really been to that part of Singapore for quite a while, ever since I had my wisdom teeth extracted. I was secretly thankful that my friend didn't utter a single word of complaint when I had to stand under the hot scorching sun (and she had to stand with me as there was no shelter nearby) to sketch a scene of the Fullerton Hotel.

Technology has certainly make the pace of life much faster. What could have used to take hours to complete, may take just a few seconds with the latest technology. In the long past when there was no plane, travelling from one country to another can proved to be an arduous journey, be it by foot or by marine vessels. With the advancement of science and technology, travelling across continents have become so much more easier than ages before.

I am a little envious that the camera has this power to capture a scene within a mere few seconds simply by pressing the button to trigger the camera's shutter. I was walking nearby the Esplanade and I wanted to sketch this scene of the Esplanade's famous "durian-like" dome with cladding. The process of starting a sketch will involve taking out my marker pen, flipping to a blank page on my sketch book, observe the scene, plan the composition, visualise how I would want the final product to look like, and then, start sketching.

Just when I had started sketching for less than a minute, a tourist walked near me, saw the pleasing looking scene, took out his camera, turned it on, chose a composition, made sure the lenses were focused on the right spot, press a button on his camera to release the shutter, and there he had a quick shot of the scene in less than a few seconds. Then he moved on. But I still had to stand where I was standing, to complete my sketch.

For the next five to ten minutes, I had to continue to complete my sketch of the scene. I had to constantly look up to see the Esplanade's dome, then look down onto my sketchbook to work on my sketch. What had taken the tourist a mere few seconds to capture using his camera, took me about ten minutes to do so by sketching.

Technology does do some wonder and add in some convenience. Yet again, sketching can be fun in itself despite it being a little more time-consuming. I find that by sketching an object, it forces one to observe and to concentrate. A good sketch could usually come only when the artist finds a way to connect with the scene, and then delivers the scene through his/ her sketching skills onto the sketch book. When I sketch, I find myself becoming more conscious of the lines, the curves that the scene chosen presents. I usually become more aware of the relationships between the various shapes and elements present within the chosen scene. Having to concentrate on the task of sketching and to attempt to find a way to connect with the scene, I often find myself more aware of some of the thoughts and feelings that passes through me while I am sketching. To some extent, I find that sketching can be rather therapeutic for myself. It allows me to direct my energies into something creative and constructive, and somehow urges me to find a way to connect with the environment I have chosen to sketch. I find that it is a nice experience to feel connected, and to be in touch with myself.

Do you have a similar experience to share?

At the same time, I am also tempted to try to learn photography at the advanced level. It is not that I want to stop sketching, it is just in hope to extend the range of medium that I could use to present some of my ideas through a visual manner. If you happen to have information about how to take good photographs, especially of night scenes, please keep me posted. Thank you in advance.

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