Tag: doodle

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My Hobbies

When Cats Listen to Moonlight Sonata – A Doodle

The last few doodles I drew was rather serious and they were getting complex. Last night, it was a long day at work. Exhausted by the never-ending calls from nine in the morning till evening, exhausted by the endless paperwork from early evening till ten at night (alas, performance review period), all I wanted was to unwind. Perhaps play some video games as our guild members have been beaconing us to start our Diablo 3 season 22 journey but my wife was tired; perhaps watch some TV but I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to indulge into; perhaps drink more wine but I really couldn’t as I started early. So I have decided to doodle. The theme was: something cute.

Titled as When Cats Listen to Moonlight Sonata – first orientation when the pair of cats in the center are upright.

It didn’t take too long to complete the drawing. Two hours. And it was fun, especially the endless musical notes around the cats.

What I was and still am struggling with is the drawing’s orientation and that’s why I haven’t added my name onto the drawing. I would pick the first one if I want to see the cats in the center in the upright position, which is also where the spiral starts.

The second orientation gives perspective on the scoresheet

The second orientation is also good, especially when you want to focus on the partial sheet music inspired by Moonlight Sonata. And I like the pair of cats sitting at the bottom edge of the frame, upright.

The third orientation is perhaps the most balanced

I like the third orientation for the composition gives me a balanced feel. I can still make out of the sheet music. There is a certain ‘weight’ towards the bottom half of the drawing.

My favorite perhaps is the fourth orientation below. It seems most natural. Just that, the musical notes are upside down and it reverses the Moonlight Sonata.

Fourth orientation with a pair of cats sitting at the bottom of the frame.
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Diary

Under the Watchful Eyes of Blue Giant Crab Love is in the Air – A Doodle

Last Friday, I was on leave. And it was extraordinary. I was happy. The weather shifted from cloudy in the early afternoon to rainy to sunshine back to the threat of thunderstorms ended with a partially cloudy evening. The moon was half-covered by the cloud giving me the illusion of staring at a half-moon.

I stumbled upon a printed drawing. It was a blue giant crab with very interesting web-like patterns that reminds me of a dreamcatcher. At that moment, I thought I was dreaming, caught by the blue giant crab. Maybe I was dreaming. It was just me and the drawing. I could not help but to make a mental note of the composition. I traced my fingers through the crab a few times. It helps me to memorize. My zodiac is cancer. That further captivates me.

Titled as Under the Watchful Eyes of a Blue Giant Crab Love is in the Air. It is a simple composition with three elements. This drawing can be viewed upside down as well.

These days, I think of young people in love. That was this song of mine I kept on humming as I composed this drawing. I thought of a theme park. I love theme parks. It is not that my parent did not bring me to a theme park when I was young. It is the desire to see and experience the world like kids do.

Kids from the park, I wish to be
To possess a sense of innocence
To take back all that has taken from me
All the joy take a look at their faces

Song #139 – Kids from the Park

While this drawing only has three elements – the crab, the couple, and the roses – it took me more than eight hours to complete. This is by far the longest I have spent in drawing. I like the roses that spiral from the center of the drawing. I also like the fact that I can hang this drawing upside down shifting the focus from the crab to the couple.

When viewed upside down, the focus of the drawing shifted.

While I was drawing, my wife was watching watercolor videos on YouTube. I don’t paint in watercolor. But from what I have picked up – since we share the common space, she watching TV in the living room and I drawing in the dining area – watercolor painting is somewhat similar to oil painting. You can do wet-on-wet. And there is an allowance to correct mistakes as you paint. The type of drawing I do, though is monochrome, is less forgiving. And I have to be very certain of the order of layering. My wife has this desire to add colors to my drawings. Perhaps one day, I will give in. For now, I still prefer black and white.

Towards the end of the drawing session, I said to my wife, “Why spent so much time watching watercolor videos when you could spend the time drawing instead?” I mean, she has the watercolor equipment and papers. To that, she replied, “Action faking psychology”. I Googled and it says, “Action faking is all the stuff we do that makes us feel good about our progress without actually making any meaningful progress.”

Aha.

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Diary

Wounded Heart and the Incommunicado – A Doodle

I often joked with my younger friends and said, “Had I born into this era, my dating life would have been so different.” As in, with dating apps, I don’t think I would get married so early.

It’s a joke. As in, I am not born into this era.

But what if?

That would be a topic for another day. Meanwhile, I cannot help but think, heartbreaks in this era must suck way more than my era.

Titled as Wounded Heart and the Incommunicado

With instant messaging and all, I have no idea how people these days cope with heartbreaks. Say, you are trying to reach him or her. But you just can’t. Every message you receive throughout the day – which is a lot thanks to how connected we now are – would basically be a disappointment. Why isn’t the message come from him or her? And you can’t stop this thought whereby, the next message could be from him or her.

Back to this drawing, and I must say it once again. Drawing to me is therapeutic. It calms my mind. I like this particular one a lot. It took me close to four hours to conceptualize and complete the drawing, which is way longer than the previous ones. To complete this drawing on the same day (inspiration comes and goes), I had to rush to Art Friend and buy a set of replacement pens because mine went dry. I have also derived a special technical – unfortunately, you can’t see here – to ‘hang’ the objects onto a set of pre-determined frames. It was an experiment and I like how it turns out.

In the center, is a heart. Punctured by a spear and through it, the telephone coil is cut. Incommunicado at its most straightforward interpretation is one is unable to reach another on the phone. In this drawing, there is another meaning whereby the two could be separated (think life and death) and they just can’t talk to each other.

Layered on top of the heart are roses and thorns. So yes, there is a theme of love here (again, love in many forms). There is blood gushing out from the heart but what’s up there? Raindrops? Or tears? That’s for you to decide.

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Diary

MAGO and the Wild, Wild Ukulele – A Doodle

Today is a really happy day for me, to be rekindled with my passion … and music. Y wanted to get a Ukulele so that during her quarantine in Malaysia, she has something to do. I did not know anything about Ukulele. But it is a form of guitar, with chords albeit totally different from the guitar chords, these are chords that are meant to be strummed, or plucked.

I love music. I love musical instruments. And I always challenge myself to play an instrument different from what I am accustomed to.

Ukulele is different from classical guitar. First, Ukulele has 4 strings instead of 5. Second, the open chords are GCEA instead of EADGBE (Every Angry Dog Got a Bone to Eat) and hence, tuning is different. The chords are entirely different too. Third, the size. But regardless, Ukulele is still a string instrument. You play the chords and you strum.

Titled as MAGO and the Wild, Wild Ukulele

I did not know how to play the Ukulele. So I have done some research on the Internet and have decided to test a Ukulele with Jason Mraz’s I am Yours. The chords are pretty straightforward. Just C-G-Am-F. And the Ibanez Ukulele that has finally got my recommendation at Swee Lee has this warm tone (due to dark nylon strings and Mahogany wood) and full-body sound (due to its shape) that I have fallen in love with. It is an entry-level Ukulele for Y is a beginner. If I were to get one – since I am an experienced guitar player – I may give Martin C1K Concert Ukulele a try. I may even be tempted by the 2K Concert edition.

On a totally separate topic and is related to this doodle, my favorite K-pop girl group GFRIEND has recently released a new song called MAGO. This retro-style disco-dancing song could well be my favorite of all theirs thus far. The dance is not overwhelming, yet delivered with class.

If you have watched the MAGO video, add that to the Ukulele and the four chords, that is the doodle of the day folks.

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Diary

When Happiness & Sadness Collide (Alt. Title Bitter-sweet) – A Doodle

I want to articulate a person torn between happiness and sadness, in a cycle of one side feeding onto another. I thought of fish out of water. One time, I read about this on the Internet, or it could have been from a scientific magazine. Fish feel the pain too. When they are pulled out of the sea. Even for that brief moment. That gasp for water but it is air instead. It is like submerging a human’s head into the water, that gasp for air but it is water instead.

Titled as When Happiness & Sadness collide

So fish denotes the pain while the cats feed onto the fish and stay merry. A face with two sides. On the left, the sadness; on the right, the opposite (note: try covering each side and observe, it is rather fun). The stormy weather and the flood on the left versus the sunshine and life on the right. That contrast I want to bring, the polar opposite that co-exists. The ironic symbiosis between the two different emotions. The struggle and the torn so intense.

When I shared this drawing with N who is an artist in her own right, whose birthday is tomorrow, before I even explained the concept, her immediate response was, “Bitter-sweet”.

I think she got it.

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I See I Write Uncategorized

Under the Merlion’s Watchful Eyes One Man’s Attempt to Steal a Heart – A Doodle

Saturday morning, I woke up and asked my wife, “Which are your favorite Korean drama kissing scenes?”

You see, we watch a lot of K-drama. But before you think we always watch TV together, she is into Western drama while I am onto Chinese drama. So no, we don’t always watch TV together.

“Crash Landing Onto You,” said she.

OK. I mean, that is a vastly popular K-drama series. I like both actor and actress.

“It’s Okay Not To Be Okay,” added she.

The on-screen chemistry between Seo Ye-ji and Kim Soo-Hyum is a phenomenon. Especially so, I love how Seo Ye-ji acted out Ko Moon-Young’s unique character. I agreed with my wife. Those kisses were good. Besides, Seo Ye-ji is so very sexy.

“My Shy Boss!” concluded she.

Ah. I have almost forgotten that one. That kissing scene, in the shower room, was epic. And the acting of the lead actor is top-notch.

For me though, that would be Goblin (OK, it gets better) and Bride of Habaek. I am a hopeless romantic.

Back to this doodle, which I am not into deeper explanation because the composition is not complex, it is one of the more detailed work I have done. My dual-head Copic (Japan) pen was too large for the Queen of Card. So I have borrowed my wife’s 0.5 Faber-Castell (Germany) instead. My plan for the next set of drawing may perhaps have more detailed composition. We shall see.

Meanwhile, this is the playlist I listened to while creating this doodle.

Titled ‘Under the Merlion’s Watchful Eyes One Man’s Attempt to Steal a Heart‘. The couple is modeled after the K-drama series My Shy Boss.

Categories
I See I Write

Karmic Love Affairs – A Doodle

Today, I have this sudden urge to draw. The initial concept was to display the tension between a pair of lovers not in balance. That is, one in control of the entire relationship while the other one is not. But it has become something more elaborate.

Title – Karmic Love Affairs

In control, to that I mean, have you been in a situation whereby you are at the mercy of that someone to contact you, set up the next occasion to meet, and etc. It is as though, you keep on staring at your phone – and in my era, your pager – for that one message. And when that comes, there could be thousands and one way to interpret it. The beauty and the torment of being in love.

For some relationships of yours, the other party could be the one in control. And for others, you could be the one in control.

While this is not a universal truth, I reckon those who are not in control in a relationship would likely end up getting dumped (note: the reverse doesn’t always hold true).

Hence, back to the composition of this doodle, there are three persons inside.

Three?! You may ask.

Let’s start with the rectangular frame in the middle. The hourglass inside denotes a time that is later than the two hourglasses outside (sand on top versus sand at the bottom). One way to interpret this is to think of the subjects outside the frame in the past while the subjects inside, the present. Another way is that outside is present while the inside is the past.

If you notice, while the man looks the same inside and outside the frame – i.e. the same person, we can’t say the same for the female character. The one inside has a sharper chin and short hair. Contrast to the one outside, rounder chin with long hair. Therefore, there are three persons.

Raised fist depicts control. Broken hearts are simply, broken hearts.

Going back to the three persons in the composition, the man who was in control of a relationship in the past broke a girl’s heart and at present, thanks to karma (all the loops are karma as what goes around comes around), his heart is broken by another girl at present.

Hope you enjoy reading the explanation!

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Diary

Passion Revived – A Doodle

At times, a relationship may seemingly look dead. Perhaps it is a process that happens over a long time. Or all of a sudden, he or she may say, let’s not see each other again. Other life priorities may have taken over. A variable added to the equation.

And etc.

A doodle called “Passion Revived”

All it takes is for one event to happen or a decision to be made. Like a phoenix that rises from ashes, it burns the status quo. But that also allows life to be spawned. The old turn into ashes. The new, reborn.

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Diary

Doors of Possibilities – A Doodle

This morning, I woke up. I had a strong desire to doodle. There were things on my mind I needed to articulate. That’s how I cope with things.

Doors of Possibilities

What I wanted to articulate was that there are two types of people. One who rationalizes and analyzes the past history, present situation, and future possible outcomes before opening doors of possibilities. The other type would not think too much and keep as many doors opened as possible. There is no right or wrong answer here. Just difference in approach.

Centered to this doddle is one giant door that leads to nine doors. Why nine? In Chinese culture, the number nine symbolizes eternity, or in this case, infinity. It forms the universe we are currently living in (hence the trees and hills).

On the right, are cards of infinite possibilities. The outcomes are unknown. They are blank. Only time will tell what they are.

On the left, the focal point is the person, standing on top of an hour glass. Time is running out. Quick, make decisions! Wrapped around the person and the hour glass is a dual-symbol. It is a question mark. The person is thinking. It is also a serpent. There are temptations and risks as the person is staring into opportunities.

Lastly, observing this doodle from left to right first is a car. It represents the modern world, reality, technology, and hence, logic. In the middle are doors, but they are also metaphors. On the right, the concept further breaks into abstraction.

It is a journey from reality into abstraction, from the known into the unknown.

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Diary

Moon Tower: A Builder, A Girl, And A Mysterious White Rabbit – A Doodle

Once upon a time, I loved to doodle.  That was two years ago.  Surprisingly, the pen I have bought for this very purpose still works.  It is a surprise because these sort of pens do dry out over time.  On that thought, I shall stock up more of this sort the next time I hit town.

One doodle of mine!

The title of this doodle – Moon Tower: A Builder, A Girl, And A Mysterious White Rabbit – is the same as the story I wrote one entry before this one.  If you have read the story, you should be able to interpret this doodle with little difficulty.

Drawing is therapeutic.  This evening, I needed just that.  So exhausted after a long, long day at work, I did not even have the energy for active entertainment like playing video games or socializing through Google+.  I picked up my pen, some sketch papers, and started doodling.

Like how the story was crafting, I was about to give up on the initial concept after the first attempt.  I started with the tower.  It was too structured.  Too boring.  Perhaps my drawing is a reflection of my life, which in my case, is currently dominated by work.  On my second attempt, I have refocused the drawing around the three main characters.  And then developed the rest from the main theme, with an abstract touch.  This doodle was initially drawn in landscape orientation, on a A3 paper.  As I added more contextual materials onto the painting, I feel that it is best to be viewed in portrait.  Of course, now the northern side of the island appears on the bottom and hence, looks like the south instead.  That is rather unfortunate.  But I suppose that is one way to break the structure eh?