myteeblog

i've moved

2008-12-07T15:25:00.001+08:00

wordpress here i come.
please update your links accordingly (:

why so serious?

2008-12-06T13:36:00.002+08:00

this is so funny. love this.
from dark campaign - an unofficial grassroot support "the dark knight" for the academy awards.

Matt Vincent

2008-12-06T13:10:00.003+08:00

matt vincent has got great illustrations.
spotted in december's issue of ish magazine.
love the way he sets his composition in such a dynamic photographic angles and vivid colours.
somehow his subjects always has alot of movement in them. loved a particular one (below) which was featured in the magazine. an illustration with walking ladies on street in summer with huge ice cubes frozen at the hips, titled "Fertility". lol! what punch!

President Design Awards 2008

2008-12-03T22:08:00.005+08:00

the winners of President Design Awards 2008 was revealed on 1st December in La Salle College Singapore Airlines theatre. was a little disappointed with the results of the 3 Designers of the Year and 6 (mainly architectural and interior) Designs of Year. Results as follows:

Designer of Year:
Edmund Wee of Epigram (Visual Communications Design Category)
Wong Mun Summ & Richard Hassell of WOHA (Architectural Design Category)
Nathan Yong Air Division (Product/Industrial Design Category)

Design of Year:
19 Jalan Elok
BBH Office in Warehouse
Eubiq Power Outlet System
Lasalle College of the Arts
National Museum of Singapore
Naumi, Singapore
New Majestic Front Lawn

wasnt exactly excited over the listed winners. i guess the Designs of the Year are no doubt fabulous architectural pieces (you should google them), maybe I had more affinity to VisComm nominees and was more disappointed with the Designer of the Year. I was actually hoping to see big names that I encountered during my one-month stint in DesignSingapore Council; designers like Chris Lee of Asylum (under VisComm category), Ashley Isham (under Fashion design category) are some really worthy names that make Singapore design known to the world. sadly maybe the jury panel failed to notice their efforts in this year's cut.

and here are few personal photos taken outside of the award ceremony:

the trophy award

exhibition area

100 X STRUT

2008-12-03T21:24:00.002+08:00

A local psuedo-project runway-ish (non-telecasted) show coming on..

Quoted from the 100 X STRUT website:

"The 100 X series is *scape’s annual visual feast of 100 items transformed into artworks by talented young artists - with a twist: the 100 items must be created and auctioned off for a special cause.

Last year, *scape and a team from NTU brought together 100 visual artists to paint on 100 Chairs, raising a total of S$8000 for Singapore Children's Society.

This year the 100 X series takes on the form of 100 outfits created by 50 young fashion designers. The outfits will be auctioned off in support of the Dove Self Esteem Fund and *scape. "

Fashion items ranged from amateurs to hot local designers will be showcased on 3 different shows:
6 Dec Bugis Junction
13-14 Dec Heeren
20 Dec *scape Youth Park

Check out if you have the time!

chow martin

2008-12-01T12:45:00.002+08:00

crazy surrealistic illustrations by chow martin, impressed by the pen details with great anatomical studies in almost every illustrations..

Dice Stopmotion

2008-12-01T12:28:00.000+08:00

Fujiya & Miyagi- Ankle Injuries from Insound on Vimeo.

this is pretty awesome stopmotion MV made purely out of dice..

true love tattoos

2008-11-29T23:28:00.003+08:00

true love tattoo is totally wicked..
ever heard or thought of the idea of tattooing your pumping heart as a sign for love?
this site offers this service, whereby they'll operate and tattoo on the pounding heart, take a polaroid and sew it back.. all for a fee of 7500UK Pounds.
i supposed it's a viral website for a band's new album or something but it is a really wicked idea for promotion..

Architecture of Nature

2008-11-25T19:07:00.005+08:00

my Graphic Design Final Project whereby we have to consider and implement theme of nature and urban fusing them into a single project.

As typed in my write-up on project:

"Drawing inspiration from the nature, this particular collection transforms the usual organic warmth of nature that we are familiar, into cold technical drawings against the background of grid paper, resembling that of a blueprint for architectural and engineering use. The drawings are set beside the close-up Nature photography to create the contrast.

The choice of translucent tracing paper material allows viewers to overlay the drawings against a lit background of the lightbox, which will provide them the experience of sieving through the most fundamental forms of nature (like how we examine x-rays); and breaking down the context and redefining the term ‘man-made’. By bringing the technical drawings and close-up photographs of nature together, this project aims to pull the two of extreme definitions of ‘man-made’ and ‘nature’ together and form only a blur line that separate between the two."

the layout on the grading/showcase day itself..

FreeAgent

2008-11-25T11:30:00.002+08:00

submitted my idea/design for locker to FreeAgent Locker Competition. do vote for my work at the following site if you have the time: FreeAgent Inspire (Page 8).

Although I found it crappy that the file I sent was reduced to such a small resolution and cropping on the site itself (see below). wondering that it would be unfair to those who did really intricate details that could not be shown on the site itself..

telok ayer

2008-11-23T23:24:00.004+08:00

some photos taken in telok ayer, after the trip to botanical gardens.. with some pseudo lomo-effects picked up online (yep i know they dont really look like it but watever.. )

somehow i feel that my subjects are kinda lonely.. brrrr..

360 exhibition

2008-11-22T22:33:00.003+08:00

coming to end of semester, we put up an exhibition in ADM under the environmental design module. after so much brainstorming, planning, rejections and blah, the final exhibition was finally up.

linking up 3 consecutive rooms at basement of ADM with a special viewing spot from the sunken plaza we bring you - 360o

splitting into the Red room: Brainstorming, where everything is in a whirl; participants get to write notes and stick up on fishing lines attached all over the room.
Blue room - Retrospection / Reflection. A special room where visitors can see live feed flashed onto the walls, from the actions in the two adjacent rooms left and right.
the walls have eyes...
Lastly Yellow room- where everything is in orderly fashion, when "suddenly something hits" and tada.. a room displaying all our portfolios for people to browse through what we have done over the semester.
and everything will be viewed from the sunken plaza, where the reception is held. with all booze, snacks and thumbing music, for all to sit back and chill. visitors can also write on one of the light lanterns which works as our guestbook, and float them off the waters surrounding the sunken plaza.my first time participating in exhibition. a great show indeed..!

bookmark

2008-11-10T19:00:00.004+08:00

a book mark assignment for typography, that is supposed to be modeled after a book. I based on Bee Season, a novel by Myla Goldberg, which I never completed even though it is relatively thin. Yes. I am a really slow reader. I guess too much religious context within content does not help too.

did it in format of honeycomb where the typography is made up by the blacks of the unfilled honeycombs..

the bee returns to it's hideout at the back of bookmark..bzzzz

multi-page marking

Paul Mobley

2008-10-16T22:09:00.002+08:00

Paul Mobley's portraitures are absolutely inspiring (read: breathtaking).
asked yam and he said it was just purely magic of studio lights, good camera and maybe some digital touchups (or maybe even sans touchup!).
am bowled over..

botanical gardens

2008-10-09T23:15:00.002+08:00

long time since i visited botanical gardens.
went for as a class excusion (adm brings students to botanical garden, zoological gardens and museums for excursions)...
took some photos, here are the collection:

my fave in the collection

Prints

2008-10-03T15:10:00.002+08:00

for environmental design we have to do some form of visual merchandising project where we have to choose s shop in raffles city and come up with a form of advertising display without using their products or logo.
i chose Prints - the paper product store with good selection of printed patterns and vibrant colours.
opted to put their prints and colours scheme onto speech bubble balloons to be placed around the plaza of raffles city. speech bubbles because each print or colour relates a different meaning and message to different indviduals. imagine a world speaking in patterns and colours...

anw modeling is real tedious shit. took at least one and half day to complete the second model i built for this project. now i am reminded why i decided to forsake architecture..

youth olympics

2008-10-03T14:42:00.004+08:00

assigned to do some logo and icon designs for youth olympics 2010 singapore.
all hype aside, this is my take on how to present singapore culture through the logos and icons.
trying to present a 'play' factor since it's youth, and so stikfas (made in singapore!) came to mind and toy modeling kit became a natural reaction.

presenting the final selection of icons and logo (though i still working on the logo):

rawr!

in case you cant read the icons: (from top left to right)
boxing, archery, swimming,
volleyball, basketball, table tennis,
fencing, bmx biking, gymnastics,
soccer, hockey, mountain biking.

designer geek

2008-09-25T13:00:00.002+08:00

you know you are one designer geek when you start laughing to this:

argh! designer geeks need their breaks too!

for world toilet organization

2008-09-12T17:31:00.002+08:00

an assignment where we have to buy an object that is $5 and below and using it as a muse to design something, be it a repackaging, advertising campaign, books, publications..

i bought a toilet brush.

and my campaign for world toilet organization as follows:

poster

a zocard design as part of the campaign

manifesto

2008-09-12T16:39:00.003+08:00

we finally got the the chance and time to decorate our own lockers. at least it is part of my assignment. supposed to be decorating a locker to speak of a manifesto that we believe as a designer. well, got the concept before thinking of a character to fit it. (that is not the default thinking process), so here it is..

converting the locker into a chalkboard that melts to the floor, giving me an excuse to doodle on the floor sesame street children-style (yea!), to portray a randomness and indecisiveness as a designer.

clean chalkboard before any doodlings

so elated with the response.. almost everyone likes it.. haha!

minimal

2008-09-12T16:31:00.002+08:00

a typeface i've created for an assignment that is supposed to be using only 3 geometry shapes, square, triangle and circle, to form each letter. one alphabet should try to consist only at most 6 shapes.

received comments that it is not exactly readible. oh well, how would i know that the tutor is looking out for readability in our type itself?

i had my fair share of fun in this assignment though. i guess i'm secretly liking typography homework when they are kinda experimental..

Don't Panic

2008-08-31T21:08:00.003+08:00

there is underground music, indie boutiques, now this is the first time i hear about underground art. i picked up a mysterious envelope at a stall at Heeren to find it filled with fabulous posters by undiscovered artists over the world, printed on recycled paper. just love how understated it is.

check out don't panic.

one of the posters from website

dang~

2008-08-31T21:07:00.000+08:00

i missed the Youth Olympic Logo Design competition deadline..

bull and bear

2008-08-21T21:31:00.004+08:00

BEWARE: Bear and Bull fight at NTU Canteen A.

it's designed by your truly, for OSPL Stock Challenge organised by NTU Investment Club (IIC). got roped in by Kelvin to come up with an advertising campaign for OSPL to attract more participants even though it's had always been relatively popular already.

suggested the idea of bull and bear, which got a resounding response from the marketing group, and thanks for the support of Kelvin and marketing team, the campaign of posters and standees were produced.

showed some people and received comments that it doesnt look like my type of design. hmmm.. oh wells.. hahaha.

anyway below is the initial concept and design that i showed them before changing it to the current illustrated version.

a warning sign designed along with the whole campaign but strangely it was not put up eventually. was not informed of the decision made as well..

april greiman for graphic design

2008-08-21T21:20:00.002+08:00

this is what me and hina did for a graphic design project in the first week of school. it's supposed to be souvenirs for the class and tutor that relates to your appointed graphic designer. we've got april greiman. she is one of the pioneers to embrace digitalisation in design, hence the pixellation and bitmap being made popular. hence our pencils with pixellated portrait of april.

really proud of it since the work wowed the class and the tutor..

jing quek

2008-07-26T15:50:00.006+08:00

jing quek is one local photographer to look out for.
totally love his quirky sense of humour in all his photography.
think retiree meets antm, group portraits in their weirdest staged poses, senseless topics, flood of saturated coordinated colours, all filled with great lighting right up to the corners of photographs.

great tutorial

2008-07-26T15:13:00.005+08:00

abduzeedo has got great photoshop/illustrator tutorial

from the ubiquitous baroque style texts

to converting normal photographs to lomography looking ones (just the one i was looking out for long time ago!)

Loo also introduced planetphotoshop that have their tutorials in video.. for those who learn it better with moving graphics, can give it a try..

logo designing

2008-07-22T23:33:00.004+08:00

tried logo designing for bunch of friends setting up a videography business.
now playing
will link it once their website is up.
below are some i came up with..

after so long, they are still not content with any.. grrrrrr..

local commercial touched me

2008-07-07T22:13:00.002+08:00

Somehow it touched my heart. sg commercials rarely does that to me..

do not exploit your free designers

2008-07-03T22:14:00.004+08:00

Feed Your Designers!

sidetrack: the design wont be used for tee le. rejoice WenJie (DT), u dun have to wear pink.. lol.

NBS Orientation

2008-06-27T11:52:00.003+08:00

a tee design made for NBS Freshies Orientation 08/09. a pretty last minute task so didnt spend much on conceptualising and such..
Festa Del Fumetto ( i only know it's a clash of cartoons)

well just a school based activities tee.. hopefully i did not infringe much copyrights.. lol..

sample picture above might not appear exactly on actual tee.

tamerkoseli (logo)

2008-06-25T18:45:00.003+08:00

Helvetica-borned (read: Swiss) tamerkoseli has got good logos.
i only start to appreciate logos after trying out myself.. it sure aint any easy feat to create eye-catching ones..

typography animation

2008-06-19T21:53:00.000+08:00

great typography animation. watch till the end.. love the raindrops cinematography (if u can say taht for a typo animation..lol.)

NOTCOT

2008-06-19T21:28:00.000+08:00

Holler!

"NOTCOT is a visual filtration of ideas + aesthetics + amusements. NOTCOT's two sites have become the daily sources of inspiration for creatives everywhere, fighting the good fight against "creative block" since 2005 with visually stunning imagery, the latest in international trends, and a passion for all things well designed."

check out the blog showing installations, designs , illustrations... truly awesome.

back from work

2008-06-18T12:08:00.003+08:00

good design network sites recommended by adm senior, junhao, during a focus group discussion for Noise. good thing he's there. never enjoyed socialising events with strangers..

it's nice that - site showcasing works across the globe, ranging from video ads to print designs.
culture push - local arts, design scene boasting upcoming events and introducing new designers (fashion product graphic illustrator)

been back with the AEP/Noise dept for 2nd time. at least i managed to get more involved in the planning this time round.. other than mundane tree-killing projects and uninteresting survey results tabulating..
well, there's news that Noise will not be holding its event in 2008 but will be shifted to Mar 2009. dont say i did not warn. look out for the launch..

Dutch House of Photography

2008-06-05T12:23:00.005+08:00

told you Behance Network is awesome.
browsing through the portfolios and chanced onto dutch photographer Rinze van Brug.
stunning portraits . great depth of field . captivating photoshop skills

behance

2008-06-04T17:38:00.004+08:00

a newly discovered portfolio hosting webbie: behance
lotsa artists/designers put their works up here. go check out.

and look what i learnt from the website today:
"History Of The Color Wheel
The first color wheel has been attributed to Sir Isaac Newton, who in 1706 arranged red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet into a natural progression on a rotating disk. As the disk spins, the colors blur together so rapidly that the human eye sees white. From there the organization of color has taken many forms, from tables and charts, to triangles and and wheels the history."

Hence now you know apples aren't blue.

Jason Munn

2008-06-04T09:10:00.007+08:00

i heard yam talking about wanting to adopt some photographer's style.
yx admired a particular director's works.
i realised i dont really have one such designer that truly touched my heart.
all these while they have come and go; brushing the surface of my fickle interest but not penetrative enough to make me gasping for more thereafter.

here's another designer that i'm inspired at the moment.
jason munn
poster and cd cover artist.
most of his works are done by silkscreened printing (tshirt style with no more than 4 colours per design) and the choice of vintage hues (baby blue, black, brown and hazel) usually used for tee printing is evident in all his work.

another shoutout: he's a staple designer for hottest indie band death cab for cutie's promotional posters. need me say more?

awestruck photography

2008-06-01T19:05:00.004+08:00

Stop worshipping our lecturers already.
there are such talents out there that we've missed out!
these local photographers are really stunning (read: refreshing), check them out!
thanks gy for the intro..

1. Clang - look out for collection named "Obscured" under editorials. totally loved it!
2. nd chow

Flickr-ing

2008-05-28T11:38:00.002+08:00

I didnt know Flickr has got all these interesting groups sprouting from nowhere, collecting commendable artworks and designs that were posted on Flickr itself.

Check out these groups:
1. mnmlsm
2. Logo Gumbo

now there is a new definition to "hobby collection".

Delay No More

2008-05-28T09:16:00.003+08:00

hongkong is great!

apart from good dim sum, better beef briskets, chains of Uniqlo and H&M that makes ur knees go weak and wallets go thin, they have Delay No Mall.

an initiative by their hongkong designers to come up with a mall that carries not only foreign brands such as gwen stefanie's LAMB, havianna on it's first two levels, the next few levels are dedicated to hongkong designs, fashion and products. there's even a mini gallery that showcases some artworks to promote the hongkong art/design scene.

photography is not allowed in premises. we only managed to capture the exterior and toilets.
photos by yam.

they have an even more impressive washroom in pacman theme. even when the toilet is flushed in the cubicle, the siren above the toilet bowl will flash and play one of those game midi songs so eveyone knows when you are done. you've conquered your quest!

so 2003

2008-05-20T09:16:00.002+08:00

flipping through the NOISE: Magazine: 03 Australia version on my office table, i just realised that the designs i'm currently doing, being influenced/inspired, are all so backdated to 2003..

i so need a breakthrough. period.

New Zam-buk

2008-05-06T14:16:00.003+08:00

your understated blue-black bruise ointment for gentle healing that comes in a rather old school metal tin packaging is undergoing some revamp in branding/packaging.

that is what our group did for our marketing project last semester.

pretty crazy, pretty fun, pretty hectic, pretty dumb.

but i'm glad it was all over.

now showcasing the product packaging i did for the group. (naturally they'll appoint an adm student to get the packaging done, as everyone had the mentality we are trained in this area. honestly, we dont touch alot on this in our first year of studies. maybe for 2D classes.)

no more ugly fumbling with the bulky casing. simply squeeze and use. it's that easy. now comes in tube forms, 25g and 10g respectively. you can now heal the green way.

promotional stickers along with the packaging during the launch to create brand awareness.

Zam-buk has evolved.

once again this is only for a school project. nope. do not panic. Zam-buk at your nearest medical halls is still in your favourite metal tin casing.

I'll miss figure drawing

2008-05-06T13:56:00.004+08:00

just showcasing some of the drawings i did for this particular semester. no more drawings like these unless i taking up the advanced drawing studio elective. i'll miss drawing classes.

thanks hina for the photos!

find alice

Don't cha (wish you gf was hot like her!)

my best work
last work.
joan mentioned it looked like sketches Jacques-Louis David did for The Dead Marat (below). i've got fine arts streak! woots ! lol(:

One humble pie please

2008-05-03T23:16:00.003+08:00

title is in reference to Pann's comment that "the best cruisine in the world is 'humble pie'". Cheese i know but it really makes sense. but on personal note, after attending the few seminars and discussions, most of them just sounds the same.

albeit it being repetitive, Tiger Translate Class Act is one good inspiring discussion. Could be the dark ambience of Night & Day Bar, or maybe the wittiness and dedicated advices dished out by the speakers, or even the free Tiger served.

Have to mention a particular dedicated act by Tomaz Goh. I merely went up to him, smiled, shook his hand and came up with some bad pick-up line"i like your work." and it led to us (Thomaz and the 6 of us who attended) to a post-discussion-consultation/discussion. am really impressed by his willingness to share his thoughts and advices to newbies like us; as we chatted for nearly one hour, on design career, studies, inspirations and the industry, while enduring a booze filled hungry stomach. Seriously not many designers would sit down for a good 15min to understand your problems, for designers are known for the short attention span. learning of his unlucky past experiences of companies closing down almost immediately after he joined them and the hiccups along the way only made his efforts even more admirable.

Of course a good turn deserves another, so i'll just do some tiny promotion on his behalf. not trying to be too hard-sell tho..

Visit rehybrid

seriously do check out his works.. i dont compliment another designer for nothing.. lol.

Tiger Translate Class Act

2008-04-29T11:42:00.003+08:00

Tiger Translate Class Act is holding workshops on this weekend, encouraging students to "engage in a round-table discussion with established Tiger Asian Kinetic Artist (AKAs) about Design and Illustration."

Workshop dates:
Design: Fri 2 May 6-8pm
Illustration: Sat 3 MAy 3-5pm

Location: Night & Day Bar 139 Selegie Road

Participating Tiger AKAs:
Design:-
Funkbuilders (www.funkbuilders.com)
Tomaz Goh (www.rehybrid.com)
Pann (Kinetic) (www.kinetic.com.sg)

Illustration:-
Ee Shaun (www.eeshaun.com)
Anthony Chong / Antz (www.geeksigners.com)
Andy Yang (www.andyyang.com)
Momorobo (www.momorobo.com)

Not much details on the website though, if interested, email TigerTranslate@apb.com.sg

ShearNation

2008-04-24T23:59:00.003+08:00

and i actually was impressed, thinking Xiaxue made her own blog intro.. but noooo.. it is actually a commercial project by ShearNation by local designer Alan Leong. check out his other works.

both works for Tiger Translate competition.

via Grafik

2008-04-24T23:21:00.004+08:00

check out via Grafik, German design group doing graphic, publications and advert designs
not to be confused with the Grafik magazine.

Best of ADM Show

2008-04-24T18:20:00.003+08:00

Visit the Best of ADM Show

nope, my works are not selected, as they are not the works conventionally labelled as "best", but still you should just drop by to check out the stuff the students of ADM have put up. It's afterall supposedly the best. lol.. And a supposedly "bash" for the official opening of the school. be there to join the fun (:

cocky bitch

2008-04-23T18:34:00.002+08:00

i definitely did not have the intention to sound cocky during the question and answer session at the Crowbar Seminar.. but whatever.. :P

however i must say the seminar is really an eye opener to the design, film and photo industry in Singapore. it is supposed to prepare eager participants for the competition, but there are discussions on the local industry (though not much). at least me and my friends felt that we've learnt so much through this seminar than what we did in school.

Especially for invited speakers for design category, they had lined up reknown local designers Chris Lee, Creative Director from Asylum, Roy Poh, previously Founder from Kinetic, now Creative Director of Beautiful, Shawn Loo, interactive media director at BBH Singapore , who shared their works, experiences and tips on aceing portfolio judging / interviews.

the seminar really led me to think of the future as a designer in Singapore, as quoted from Roy, from looks of past decade, thousands graduated from design/art schools per year, only around 70% manage to get a job in local market, others went on to work outside the industry, and less than 50% are content with what they are doing; as years pass, eventually only around 4 will manage to make it big in Singapore.

reality hit.

Emcees at the seminar tried to sound encouraging later by mentioning, "there are two parts of a designer's life - first portion being underpaid and next half being overpaid. look forward to the second half".

double hit.

and they kept emphasizing that aside from talent, patience and luck, young designers should also have the passion to see themself going far in the industry. someone define "passion" please. you might be passionate about the things you are doing right now but definitely scorns and rejections on the works will bring the level of passion down. reality of overwork underpaid will lower it even further. so how long will the passion last before it completely fizzles out? you must have the determination of a cockroach to survive and really make it big..

now you understand why art/design students and people in industry can get so depressed at times..

if any of you ever catch me looking dejected the next time, come slap me in the face and say "see what you've chosen.."

lol.. meantime i'm still enjoying the things i'm doing.

beat billy

2008-04-21T21:38:00.002+08:00

can you beat billy?

the annual Crowbar competition is up. open to all submission of photo, film, design and advert. submission ends early may.

even if you are not appealed to the competition, check out the website that's based on challenging participants to beat this really 'kiam pak' (owe a beating) child prodigy who is constantly laughing at potential participants and daring them through his memorised recorded speeches.

have a good laugh at the brainy promotion.

System Art

2008-04-19T16:17:00.006+08:00

Yes I finally completed my video project for 4D System Art - where we have to come up with some system and execute it.. And my system is going against established system with no written rule (resisting conformity of society in other words).

wanna thank kenny!! forgot to add u under credits. heh..

Enjoy(:

i'm scared now

2008-03-09T22:50:00.006+08:00

Venn Soh self-proclaimed foreign student studying in NTU Computer Science posted his/her works on adm forum.

totally stunned the shit outta me.

the works are absolutely remarkable, and Venn is only my age!

i'm shivering now. are you?

the clinic

2008-03-09T21:33:00.002+08:00

heard of the clinic, seen the physical clinic at clarke quay but i didnt realised that the website is just as stunning.

the whole concept is just great! from marketing point of view it is just so refreshing to have a meal seated on a wheelchair, with their cocktail served in syringes.

the intro of website is so in a way morbidly eye-catching. it doesnt even suggest anything that will whet your appetite but you are just so tempted to check the place out..

it's fun to be sick for once.

2D installation

2008-03-09T21:17:00.002+08:00

guess our adm building is much more colourful after a 2d colours assignment set by a tutor for her 2 classes. too bad my class wasnt involved but the effects were quite awesome
do take a look at adm forum

and sometimes we are just thinking why are we doing what we are doing for our subjects. my 2nd semester is such a blur...

Tim Gunn is back on TV

2008-03-07T18:32:00.004+08:00

and i thought he'd be off screen when there were news about him not appearing on the new season of Project Runway.

he's back on the small screen!

a show named specially after him - "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style". a makeover show that promised to make fashion victims be confident all over again.

~gawd. can someone offer him a better show? he's afterall a principal of school of parsons and the current Chief Creative Officer at Liz Claiborne Inc under his resume. he's worth much more than this..

the show haven reach singapore yet but if you really miss him, do catch him at the show mentioned above!

~carry on!

Uber

2008-02-19T21:49:00.003+08:00

Uber!

This really perks up my emo tuesdays!
a blog hosting service that attracts fashionistas, designers, photographers and musicians!
how exciting can that be? an online community for discussions, hosting portfolios.

Self Portrait

2008-02-17T18:06:00.003+08:00

my 4d assignment of self portrait.

i did this (again) homoeroticism portrait portraying myself sleeping with myself.. a narcisstic project.. wahahaha!

enjoy..

my photoshopped piece
the actual project

project on location (fixed on the floor)

Graniph needs you!

2008-02-05T23:11:00.002+08:00

international design competition for Japanese tee store - Graniph and stand a chance to win fabulous prizes!

Whoopes!

Uniquely Singapore

2008-02-02T20:53:00.000+08:00

we had to take photos for series of montages and subsequently do an assignment trying to sell our Uniquely Singapore. got introduced to ambient media (a form of advertising that appears on billboards, enclosed places such as public transports that are usually extremely eye-catching and maybe interactive) and here are my best selection:

join the race . race against our sceneic backdrops . experience our spirit . be a winner

transforming our MRT transport into a race event, we'd be selling them the experience of taking part in a race, be it as a participant or witness, and to experience Singapore during this Sports Hub times. just a few sample photos for showcase.

Tee Competition!

2008-01-30T22:43:00.001+08:00

TEEse Me

another tee competition to join! yea!

at same time discovered this e-mag called S.ave O.ur T.rees Magazine. interesting content. do take a look(:

me,myself&i

2008-01-15T20:31:00.000+08:00

Got back my 2D 1st semester final project weeks ago. Now showcasing my "Me, myself and I" project promoting about oneself. done in a cd album style.

cd cover

booklet cover

it starts off saying, "Come closer. I've got secret to tell you"

try to read the typeface(:

and ends off with "Can you keep the secret?"

so can you?

another interesting blog

2008-01-12T13:31:00.000+08:00

interesting blog that discusses sex in art, tshirts, street fashion.

fresh kiss

2007-12-29T20:30:00.001+08:00

an attempt at pop art illustration.

from an original photo (nope i'm not the lucky guy). the female hand is actually that huge! ~lol

foundation drawing

2007-12-26T20:27:00.001+08:00

i finally unrolled the pack of drawings done last semester to bring you the long awaited foundation drawings(read: nude figure drawings) during my first semester of studies. but apparently/ironically my better drawings are non-nude ones. lol.

my small headed drawing of our favourite model.
this one is unique as there is a male and female model and in this case some form of 'interactions' between the models. the models were instructed to look as if they both came home dead drunk one night lying against one another. the idea might sound kinky but i must say sadly, the models did not exactly bring that eroticism out. (could be the male model.. lol!)

a shadow/shading practice on a clay sculture. this is actually supposed to be an old lady but i gave her features so strong she looked more like Monkey King. so might as well gave her the jing gu bang.

our first model of african ethnicity and the girls in my class simply went gaga over him, comparing him to a cK underwear model. actually could understand the excitement, especially when he's posed next to our lacklustre-umbrella carrying-white trunks cladded local model. lol.

kiss

2007-12-11T15:41:00.000+08:00

the kiss looked infectious.

it eats you up,

starting right from the lips

- the kiss you cant resist.

Illustration from an Italian illustrator. (wow all "i"s. hahaha.)

anyway was really amazed by how he/she depicted the kiss this manner that i cant help but come up with the corny tag above. :P

visit nosurprises

i was bored (part 2)

2007-12-03T17:51:00.001+08:00

was at standard charter marathon 2007 on sunday morning to experience the hype and jive at padang, along with yam to maybe pick up some photography tips. ha. so here is the collection.

a whole lot more of standard charter but i decided to put them aside for my 2D Uniquely Singapore. finally got some good ones for the theme.

hopped over to haji lane/arab street thereafter and continue our shutterbug actions.

Drift

2007-11-29T19:50:00.000+08:00

i was so free.

did my own little drift (a psychogeographical term, exposed through 4D, whereby you just walk around without a decided destination) as i walk around CBD area of Singapore to get a taste of a Uniquely Singapore, trying to get inspiration for the 2D tourism project.

mainly taken at seah street. love the environment, ambience, the aura the place exudes.

and so took a few photos and rekindled some lost passion for photography..haha. but pixellated output due to wrong iso.. sucks.

gezfry

2007-11-28T14:12:00.000+08:00

gezfry

i like his illustration. evisu brought my attention to his talent.

Stars in Wonderland

2007-11-28T13:11:00.000+08:00

celebrating Walt Disney's World's Year of a Million Dreams, photographer Annie Leibovitz had shot a couple of the "greatest" stars this season, of whom she deemed suitable for the all-time-favourite Disney characters. In the list include Rachel Weisz as Snow White, Scarlett Johansson as Cinderella, Beyonce Knowles as Alice in Wonderland, and not forgetting British-hoping-for-an-American-Dream David Beckham as Sleeping Beauty's Prince Phillip.

Why does the collection looked so reminiscence of ANTM Cycle 6 (?) falling fairytale photoshoot, featuring winner Danielle as Snow White

Not exactly a wonderful choice i would say. Why is Beyonce as Alice? Shouldnt Alice be someone more.. er "blonde"? and Beckham should be starred as Beauty in Beauty and the Beast.

if i had the chance to cast, Johnny Depp will be Mad Hatter of Alice in Wonderland, and maybe can even replace Beckham as that indie prince of Sleeping Beauty. lol. Meryl Streep as Evil Queen of Snow White. and how about this, Felicia Chin as Disney's Mulan (remember her as a suave yet alluring Artillery Captain in that local show?). and maybe Hugh Jackman as Beast-turn-prince in Beauty and the Beast.

illustrator

2007-11-24T17:35:00.000+08:00

more of local illustrator and digital painter. yam showed me this before and i didnt update here.

pixelpastry - this female illustrator/digital painter is horrendously awesome. her works are so detailed and attractive, so inspiring. just some crazy skills that i should try to master.

more other artist at tigertranslate, some digital design competition held by, who else, tiger beer.

startdrawing

2007-11-24T16:52:00.000+08:00

can you draw?

then startdrawing!
website showcasing asia's illustrators. they make a living of digital painting and illustrations. strange enough the japan section did not feature alot of anime/manga influenced drawings. maybe those arent exactly count as illustration? ha.

designsingapore

2007-11-24T15:45:00.001+08:00

i did not know such agency exist until i worked at NAC. even so i only hear of the title but not the things they do. Do check out DesignSingapore, especially since the on going Design Festival going on.

the agency covers from product design to jewellery design, and from fashion to graphics. some of the local sites promoted are worth checking out.

Argentum - jewellery design but love their advertising and photography

Asylum - a well-recognised local company comprising of a design house, retail store and even recording firm. heard of experimental ethereal gothic and60's erotic soundtracks before? definitely sounds weird to me. lol.

Installations

2007-11-20T23:32:00.000+08:00

Installations

Wikipedia definition - Installation art uses sculptural materials and other media to modify the way we experience a particular space. Installation art is not necessarily confined to gallery spaces and can be any material intervention in everyday public or private spaces.

My definition - artworks that requires a space and sometimes play of time during the presentation, frequently having some hidden agenda behind the visuals.

this is the first time ever doing such a thing that i can never understand before coming to adm.

before this, i cant farthom why some of the things people do, especially what they call installations, are even counted as art.

so here's what i've done for a 4d final proj which i'm suppose to tell a story.

this is the story of fate... between 2 trees. (cheese!) Lol.

and another installation which is suppose to present my diary. so another installation infront of the guy's washroom mirror at Block S3.1..

I love Bimbo. Do u?

$$ notes with wings

2007-10-22T23:01:00.000+08:00

oh, i just forfeit the idea of having a yanzi currency already.
think it's too much work for the amount of proj i'm dealing with now.
sad.

another sneakers designer

2007-10-22T22:56:00.000+08:00

yet another sneakers / canvas shoe designer

http://snekrs.blogspot.com/

oil paint

2007-10-21T00:06:00.001+08:00

this is one good modern oil painting. it's oil, mind you, and you can actually see the graphics on the right making it all-so-stylised altogether..
from conceptart

i drew..

2007-10-20T14:35:00.000+08:00

thought i drew her a tat weird.. hmmm. maybe the mouth/teeth..
she looked more like my sec sch classmate. lol.

anyway gonna transform her into a currency for a 2D project. headache. watch this space soon. lol.

lock lock

2007-10-13T23:53:00.000+08:00

showcasing my locker. we adm-ers are allowed to decorate our lockers. not only a sense of pride but also to recognise the locker easily from afar. put up this korean mask which my tuitee gave me.. and to find a note attached to it last week(:

the one next to mine put up his/her mask like two weeks after i did. such copycat.

anyway here are the better decorated lockers. i guess they have to decorate for some assignments..

my favourite

against my conscience

2007-10-06T17:40:00.000+08:00

after much contemplating, i finally did this design.
yes, it's some internal conflict within myself. i am going against my conscience of telling the truth and only the truth, but at same time it's for his important day.

Happy 21st Adam!

Lol. now u have a design that you can pu on your tee liao (:

twisted fairytale

2007-10-06T17:33:00.000+08:00

she's back, not exactly on vengence, but more of wanting to be understood.

did a side blog for my 4D, to twist the plot of your fairytale.
did from the perspective of the Evil Queen in Snow White.
think the layout is even better than my current blog's one lor.

I made noise and tee

2007-09-30T14:57:00.000+08:00

hmm? what's the problem here? it's not supposed to be blue! is there something wrong with the colour adjustment for my teeblog or i'm getting colourblind?

anyway this is the competition piece i just submitted.

think it'll turn out better in red.

will upload again.

i scream

2007-09-30T14:51:00.001+08:00

nope but thanks, it's not adam chen.. lol!!
just a photo taken for conceptualise of NOISE competition (:
but i dont know why the singlet turn out blue after i uploaded it.s it's suppose to be red. (that's why people have been telling me it's the adam chen moto(red) advertisement, but i swear i did not have that advert in my mind when i was taking this picure. sianz)

after all those mental blocks i need to release..
somebody scream.

she freaked me

2007-09-24T16:15:00.000+08:00

her works are freaking good. local artist. check out...

pixelpastry

i made my adam

2007-09-17T18:59:00.000+08:00

foundation drawing is not just merely drawing. we clay-modelled our model last lesson! how interesting! ha. so showcasing my work as below:

we did not have a nude model that day (thank goodness). and yes, he is not the typical male model with toned-physique. anyway we arent suppose to be bringing cameras to lessons in respect for our models. but this time round our professor especially asked us to bring since we can bring back the wet models we have made.

upload my other works the next time, though there are not really remarkable ones.

Uniqlo Tee Competition

2007-09-17T18:57:00.001+08:00

another tee competition!

this is one japanese brand that made it as big as GAP in the States. have yet to reach singapore yet. but think some suppliers are bringing them in soon. meantime it's competition time! but the expiry date is on 20 Sep 07..

strip

2007-09-17T11:48:00.000+08:00

thanks for the Strip vouchers, 1403 peeps! ha(:
keep forgetting to put this up.

Homoerotism

2007-09-16T00:56:00.000+08:00

Disclaimer: Do Not read any further if you are senstitive to materials and pictures linked to homosexuality.

Anne picked up some extra Motorola book published for annual Street Style Awards. Named as Motorola SUPER-StyleMIX (STYLE + DESIGN+ ART+MUSIC) x LOVE Project. Long title. ha.

anyway the content was asking local artists, musicians and actors, groups and individuals, to interpret the meaning of LOVE. It somehow coincided with National Day. (So this is somewhat 'outdated') Anyway they were flipping through the magazine, and..

Me: (noticing the photo below) Hey that's interesting! I liked it!

Anne : (query look) Serious ar?

Me: Yar, i tend to like homoerotic stuff nowadays!

Anne: erm....

one of the photographs in the book. by brian gothong tan.

I mean seriously i do enjoy watching and appreciate these homoerotism if they are done in good taste. they somehow gives an edge over the other genre of photographs and advertisements. maybe because of it being controversial, or maybe it being 'un-mainstream'. they somehow exudes a great sense of love, loneliness, sadness, blissful, desire, lust all at the same time. all these which you cant really find in normal heterosexual photographs/illustrations.

illustration from the magazine

saw this on someone else's display picture before

more sadness

2007-09-03T10:52:00.000+08:00

next time when u cant finish those food on your plates and start playing with them, think of these children..

once again it just proves how inspiring and reflexive photojournalism is. it just force you to do some soul-searching and repent on the things you have taken for granted. was surfing flickr for photos for my assignment and came across a ton of these photos on poverty.

reminds me of the photo that Casey Goh of AJC told us during a photosharing session on one photographer who shot a photo that won him some great prestigeous award, and to commit suicide there after. The photo depicts a skeletal-frail African girl lying on the drought ground, half-dead, with a vulture stationed just a few feet away. talking about being graphic, this one speaks the loudest. will post the pic if i manage to chance upon it again.

meantime do check out the pool photos on poverty.

think deep

2007-08-26T11:16:00.000+08:00

so overwhelmed by the amount of work given by adm! urgh! haha.. it's not like totally turn-off 'cause i enjoy doing art, but the number of assignments per week is just horrendous. imagine having 4-5 drawings for foundation drawing, differing numbers of samples, ranging from 6 to 20, depending on the theme of the week, to be done for 2d. a few study models and one final model for 3d, plus a writeup and presentation folloing every week. 4d is the most 'song' at the moment. no homework. but there's still art history and literature!! so imagine my schedule and the amount of devotion i put just for work.

anyway had really interesting thought-provoking lessons for 4d and art history. here's one from 4d that i'm still searching for the answer: Who actually sets the trend? fashion editors, hairstylist, big-shot designers, artistes and so called fashion gurus are all trend follwers if u think hard enough. then why is it they are still able to define the fashion trend for the next season? and who dictates another fashion to be passe and "out-of-fashion"? hmmm..

Mega thanks

2007-08-01T14:55:00.000+08:00

~to wenjie (understudy), jel, mofo, dennis, edwin, and xiu xiang, thanks for the hugo boss scent!! love it! haha.

~to jingwei, yuxian for Artfriend

noticed the list is slowly growing? lol. you can be in my list too!

Make Love and NOISE

2007-07-30T12:03:00.000+08:00

new tshirt design competition everyone!

it's the NOISE-Fleshimp collaboration which i mentioned earlier the month. see i told you i had inside tips. hahaha. Submissions close on 30 Sep 2007. So you can do up ur designs s-l-o-w-l-y lar.. lol.

somehow i feel old suddenly..maybe i've grown out of it?

Wishlist

2007-07-23T20:50:00.000+08:00

21st is supposed to be grand. 21st is supposed to be humongous. 21st is supposed to be outrageous (outrageously expensive presents as well). lol. so here are my 21st wishlist. nope, there's no need to get all of them. but i dont mind if you can get it. basically they are:

Adidas Originals watches
ADH1349
ADH1214

Black/grey cardigan

Fossil watch

Brown style AM3695

Hugo boss ball/bomb like cologne (i dunno their name. tell me if u like the scent before u buy ba(:)

Asics sneakers vouchers. looking for high cut but have not gone out to look for it.

boyzilian waxing voucher (i do not know which is the recommended in town). once in a lifetime experience. if you are willing to sponsor my experience, why not? woot~

I am expecting these, isnt it? lol. my thickest-skin requests ever.. come on 21st is once in a lifetime... (so is 22nd and 23rd. . haha.)

btw thanks sisters for the gorgeous leather hand-carry bag!!

NOISE

2007-07-23T16:14:00.000+08:00

Visit NOISE Singapore!

I might have stop working with National Arts Council but their events are still very much interesting.
they are gonna be having this big launch at Heeren this coming Thu (26 Jul). too bad i had to go to my orientation camp this week. if you cant make it, at least check out their site for upcoming competitions, ranging from video on AIDS to graphic arts, and other exhilarating events.

*some inside notes, before they open it up on the site: there's this tshirt competition collaborated between Flesh Imp and NOISE. and selected designs will show up as Flesh Imp's anniversary limited edition tees to be sold in stores. how exciting is that? Flesh Imp should thank me for recommending them in my research for my manager in charge of NOISE. ha.

more information on the site after launch! do check it out!

God save my Queen

2007-07-23T16:07:00.000+08:00

ahem~

test test~

happy birthday to you,

happy birthday to you,

happy birthday to Yan Zi

happy birthday to you!!

God save my Queen from any bad scandals and rumours and heck to those pesty jounalists and forum commentors who are making nuisance of themselves. to hell with them! You are still da BEST!

blush~

going bananas

2007-07-17T11:01:00.000+08:00

All Project Runway supporters say "aye!", hailing the well-publicised American label that came to town.

Banana Republic finally reached our shores last weekend, following another American label , GAP, which is under the same company. Both are under the distributor FJ Benjamin which will be in charge of the stores in Singapore and the distribution in Malaysia. It's a hurray for those embracing the up-and-coming American fashion trends, after some fashion spreads naming the trend to replace the ol' Brit and Spanish fashion such as Topshop/Topman and Pull n Bear. i'm still getting used to how these commercialised American fashion will lead the way in the fashion world. I mean i'm still very much into the edgy indie inspired fashion sense rather than to look like some American factory product decked in those khakis colours that are so year 2000's Giordano. And they even got that prison break star to front the GAP advert for that. gosh~

Bangkok Shopping

2007-07-14T14:56:00.000+08:00

Bangkok is just great for bargain hunts, birds' nest, massages and tom yam!
my trip with yam and yx is more like a gourmet cum shopping trip so there's hardly any sight-seeing that we have done over there. shopping over there is unique experience as some of the places are seriously overpriced and it is a real test of your bargaining skills against stall owners. But they do have high end shopping belts as well that cater to the rich and famous there.

so for this entry, i will just try to briefly guide you virtually or maybe verbally, through the shopping belts in Bangkok for what's hot and what's not over there. And have you tingling with that shopping itch.

So below are the recommended go-see places to check out your good buys before you bid goodbye with your bahts.

Platinum Mall resembles Korea's DongDaeMun and a larger version of Singapore's Far East. they have allocated each level to the different types of apparels and accessories, for example Jeans at basement, Men's apparels at 3rd floor and so on. This place does wholesale but do sell individual pieces. So be expected to be charged very differently for the quantities you are buying. good tip is to ask for wholesale prices before you start your bargaining.

Siam Square is just like our bugis belt where all the hip youngsters hang out and let loose. on the friday that we went, there was even a flea going on and the whole place was so crowded by the female students. they are serious supporters of indie art and fashion. a must-see for those first-timers to bangkok. and there is a highly recommended thai cafe to drop by. Somtum Nua. We went back there the second day 'cause the fried chicken wings and that "wickedly spicy" tomyam soup just left us hooked.

Chatuchak Weekend Market is quoted as the largest weekend market in the world. All tourist would visit and that's the best place to pit your bargaining skills. this place do sell good and unique things it's just where you are looking at. Flooded with tshirt designs copied from Threadless. So in case your favourite threadless designs have been sold out, you can still hunt for the designs there. this is the place the 3 of us totally cnotributed to the Thai economy. they should build us a monument for that. this place is hot, stuffy and beware of pickpockets!

Suan Lum Night Market is the night version of Chatuchak, except smaller and it's much cooler. check out the rows of stalls selling art pieces, designer furnitures and clocks. I even bought a clock by Francesco Cappucio - an Italian designer based in Thailand. Though it's not exactly cheap, at least it should be relatively comparable to Molecule. Retro hunters should visit here! yam and yx bought these awesome pullovers for only S$24! what a steal! too bad they do not have my size.

Basically MBK is just plainly overhyped and the products overpriced. there are few good catches though, such as cheap fake RayBan or Gucci shades at 150 baht (around S$7 plus), amongst the dry and repetitive stalls (selling red bull singlets and those "i-pood" parody tshirts) that lined there.

flea at Siam Sq patronised by local schoolgirls

sarong-partying, their unique way to trying your new jeans or pants. oh i bought my washout slimcut jeans here!

big shades for the big attitude!

Kar khun-karp!

2007-07-10T16:27:00.000+08:00

买东西, 吃东西, 买东西, 吃东西..

back from bangkok, thailand!
will update when i get the photos ready.

slim ties tips

2007-07-02T14:31:00.000+08:00

gQ have you read GQ?
ha-ha crappy ok..
but anyway caught this great tip while flipping throughthe magazine.
slim ties are here to stay! (at least for up till end of this season, ha.)
there's no need to chuck your old fat ones out of that closet as a great tip from this magazine suggested that you can actually bring your old fat ones to your friendliest seamstress (yep, i dont use the word "tailor" nowadays. "seamstress" is so the new "tailor" after Ugly Betty became the new "pretty") and have it mended to a slimmer one! (for a minimal cost of course) But it is definitely worth it if you want to revive that favourite tie of yours that had been lying in that drawer awaiting to witness light again.
and remember to dimple your ties to give that smart look!

GQ is just so awesome. guess it'll definitely be my staple if it's like much cheaper!
go check out these 25 great tips.

Jap-influence

2007-06-10T14:05:00.000+08:00

Got the chance to flip some magazines during work. it's part of my work then as I'm supposed to be researching for retail outlets which NOISE Singapore (National Arts Council) could collaborate with for some upcoming tshirt design competition. Yes, I know how apt! lol. most probably I'm able to be join this competition and bribe my way through since i'm working there.. Muahahahaha..

Anyway, saw the artworks of this particular designer who collaborated with LeSportSac to produce this whole line of carriers and bags. i had initially thought the designer is actually a Japanese as most of his artworks are so influenced by the cutesy, kawaii JapManga such as Pokemon and HelloKitty(i do not count this as manga though). but he actually comes from the land of pizzas, tons of high-end brands and the leaning tower of Pisa - Italy. how unique! haha. during the interview in this FL.ag magazine (local free distribution i guess), he mentioned that he got this asian influence ( japanese in particular) from the area he stayed in in Italy. the gentleness, cuteness, elegance and exoticism of Asian culture inspires him, hence all these great artworks.

Speaking so long about this artist and i've actually missed out mentioning his name. He's Simone Legno. Go check him out. lol.