recently, a good old friend of mine decided to take the bold step to do a big career switch and to set up a chicken rice business. while his wife and himself were in Australia, they used to cook chicken rice and call their friends over and get raving reviews for it. i am so happy for them and their new venture. and i'm even more thrilled to help out with the branding of their business.
We ended up designing a logo, and the menu, and more to come after!
while thinking of the illustration for 2015, had in mind to draw something pretty intricate and similar to that of a colouring page. the illustration depicts the quiet scene on the night of the birth of our Lord Jesus. While He was king, He was humbly born in a lowly manger, with the animals as His first playmates. And the lowly shepherds were invited to be the first to go see him. On that night, these normal men were so amazed they went around to tell others of Jesus' birth and so in that little town of Bethlehem, the gaze was upon the little baby. our Lord doesn't seek for splendour or earthly power but that of humility and servanthood.
He was visited soon after by the magi that came from the East. They may not know who Jesus is but they came when they saw the star. And I could just imagine how the heavenly angels are gloriously singing and rejoicing of His birth.
These cards were documented when I was in Cambodia over Christmas. it was also the first time I wrote a card in a foreign language.
"During that first Christmas, the most beautiful display of love happened in a quiet little town" in the person of Jesus who later came to save humanity, bridging us back to God.
it was my dear cousin's birthday and she requested for a design for her invite to the celebration. thought i'll do up a nice doodle-y typographic piece with a splash of watercolours. it turned out great :)
blessed twentyfirst dear euphemia!
I was first approached by the owners of 1925 Microbrewery and Restaurant while being part of their flea market event. their idea was to add on a wall mural on this really plain wall of theirs. we sat down for a round of brainstorming and penning out their vision and we settled for a pretty cool visual.
Spent a few weekends chilling at 1925, getting to know the wonderful and lovely crew there while embellishing their wall with my doodles. The illustration turned out really good (not only to make their imagination and vision into reality but also filling the illustrations with hidden stories of their brand and bar with subtle visual metaphors amidst the intricate artwork.) when the mural was done, they loved it as much as I do. This is by far, the largest hand-drawn illustration to date, and definitely one of the most fun ones. please go chill at 1925 along Jalan Basar and pick your favourite seat to admire the mural!
This proves to be one of my most challenging, tiring yet thrilling projects that I have ever executed. JWT approached me to construct a 3D paper sculpture that is A0 size that encapsulates the voice and warmth of Singapore's Changi Airport and its artistic features. The work echoes the poem that was beautifully written for the airport by JWT. Spent countless hours cutting, crafting and sculpting while being technically challenged as well but I was very appreciative for the wonderful creative team that helped to critique and support.
The artwork was given to CAG as a gift.
And to me, it was a beautiful piece and accomplishment.
photos documenting the paper sculpture journey.
On the 23rd March, Singapore lost her founding father and first prime minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew. He was an amazing statesman, and one of the crucial persons who had brought Singapore to where she is today. But even more amazing is his undying and unfailing love for his late wife. I chanced upon a youtube video that featured their journey together and I could feel that warmth and comfortable familiarity and love they had for each other that when the shot cut to him giving her his last kiss during her funeral, I just broke down in tears and so, I was determined to illustrate portraits of Mr and Mrs Lee that celebrate their love for each other. She was his support, his pillar, and his live-long companion.
"Without her, I would have been a different man, with a different life" -Mr Lee Kuan Yew
To Mr & Mrs LKY, no words can possibly express my gratitude to both your contributions to me and to Singapore. R.I.P.
we welcome in the year of the goat! had the urge to illustrate a Chinese cut-out inspired piece this year so on a rare occasion one evening, I was not weighed down by any of my commercial work update or deadline, but yet, didn't really give myself that much of a break and end up illustrating late into the night! glad I did it anyway.
wishing everyone a festive and blessed mehhhh-ry new year (:
a beer label design for a dear friend whose hubs makes his own hand-crafted brews from his backyard. i love the name, rabbit revenge, as it is such a bold, adventurous and mean name, and hence we came up with visuals that is just as mean; a rabbit with an attitude, holding huge guns with a cup of beer on his back. was a very fun project and i have thoroughly enjoyed the process.
A project of agency, Experience Matters, for Credit Suisse's corporate event booklet. illustrations of speakers and VIPs who participated in their speaker's convention; sketched, hand-drawn realistic style is used for the portrait illustrations, with splashes of subtle pastel colours.
a commission by TBWA to illustrate a book shelf as part of a project for books actually. each illustrator was given a book category to set the style and subject matter for the book shelf and i was being given the classics. decided to illustrate some timeless literary classics with the story character engaging in the single act of being engrossing in a book no matter where they are or what they're doing. I drew them in the classic book illustrative style using just black pens and markers to push out the intrinsic details.
took considerable amount of time to pen every panel down but it was well worth in the end looking at the entire book shelf coming together. see if you could identify the different classics illustrated here!
last year was the year of weddings where many of my friends got hitched so naturally and recently this year that follows, i'm in the season where friends around are now all producing babies! so i've decided to print out one of my illustrations on baby Ts and i'll be giving out about 10 Ts to my fellow friends and their little ones.
and ofcourse they all need to be accompanied by a nice adorable card. welcome to the beautiful world little ones!! aunty el can't wait to see you :D
"a dog is the only thing in the world that loves you more than she loves herself"
an illustration for a good friend's good dog. thank you for always looking so cheerful and happy whenever wenhao comes home, and for joining us on late night car rides. i will never forget that night were we just sat there and watched you slowly breathe and sleep. thanks for being our blessing and may you take flight.
so I was literally laughing out loud listening Aaron talk about his dream, it's so strange that I had to sketch it out! So here it goes:
There was a giant squid terrorizing and eating people up while spitting them out as clones. the only survivors left happen to be me, him and the Queen of England! And we were evacuating from SG on a mechanical self-moving carriage when the Queen pulls out her mini gun and starts crazy shooting clones walking towards us. BOOM!!
an illustration for one of the most awesome and wonderful bunch of friends and comrades that I have made whilst playing an online MMO game. been wanting to draw this was the longest time. didn't have the time to. even when my clan leader was ill, and I wanted to draw it before he leaves, didn't managed to do it. but well... it's done now!! the Blood Ravens, here's to many more fires, more battles and more madness (: and may Legend's legacy remain, ell, xoxo.
a little wedding card for josiah and clementine on their wedding day. blessed and blissful marriage and to many more years showering in God's love.
love never fails :)
xoxo
a little card for my dear pony princess qimmy! girl, it has been an absolute joy looking at your illustrations and i truly am your fan and it was an even greater joy working alongside you as one dynamic duo! may you continue to share your talents and silly crazy ideas with the people at stockholm and have a smashing good time there and please do not scare the people away with your amusing and disturbing thoughts.
continue making art and all things beautiful (and gross, in a good way!) hee.
i blame myself for playing this game too much. now i blame myself for drawing based on this game. lol.
a pen illustration honouring a mighty Alliance in a mmo game that i am currently playing. promised a friend that i will draw this for them one day. might do a digital edit and add on some watercolours splotches if i am feeling hardworking one day. TDL OI OI ((:
just a random doodle of a little panda princess who loves her teapot very much. was a little random muse with the wacom.
my company mates were the best and brought me to my favorite place on my birthday – the zoo! we went there and ended up having a sketch outing while going historical when we saw the irresistably cute red panda that has the magincal powers turned adults into little children staring and giggling at them. thank you liwen for introducing the water color pen to me.. it is to me, one of the best inventions in the world by far :P
this is an FYP Degree project that tackles with themes about Nature and its visual rhythm, it is illustrative, moving and alive with a special focus on Singapore's local flora and fauna.
the deliverables of the project includes artist notebooks, postcards, pop-up illustrations and a motion graphics piece.
poster for Crowbar Awards Show 2011. Earthtone won Silver for Design Illustration category.
a wedding invite illustration for two of my closest friends. together with my well wishes is this invite, that derives from the story of how they both met: while on the quest to find the best teh in town and savouring tea together.
Cover illustrations for North West CDC, A project with People's Association, showing the hustle and bustling community at the North West.
A follow-up from the NUH Dreamcatcher's project. Designed their monthly catalogue since it was about the exhibition, decided to go and extend the look-and-feel into this magazine.
This is a project with NUHS and nuskids, designing collaterals for their exhibition, Dreamcatchers. The concept involves fusing medicine and art as the exhibition showcases artworks done by chronic patients and how they used art to convey messages of strength, hope and pain. I was personally inspired by their artworks.
Deliverables for this project includes postcards, brochure, banner, poster and an exhibition catalogue.
An illustration for an articles in the upcoming 11/12 issue on Ogilvy&Mather's DO.com website. The work had to echo the article, bringing out the importance of good leadership and creative mix in business success. A project of cum. http://ogilvydo.com/
a series of namecards design for the upcoming graduation show. namecards are shaped like my favorite drawing instruments
A project with Ogilvy & Mather, cards illustrations for wedding couples. The illustration is directed to be hand-drawn typographic, conveying messages of love, a little quirky on the side. It is still a work-in-progress.
wedding invite for a pair of good friends who loves daisies and warm happy colors! blessed marriage cixian and soonkheng! xoxo.
a new series of 18 bookmarks illustrated for Graceland International, 9 designs targeted for male names and 9 for female names. the style is illustrative, with inspirations from nature. it was interesting seeing and classifying things in terms of how "masculine" or "feminine" they are. Bookmarks are available for sales at most Christian stationery and gift stores.
Posters for beer brand, Jungle Beer, that ties in with their corporate identity that exudes energy, vibrance and a tropical jungle-y vibe that is also modern, which relates strongly to their tropical-flavoured beer. went for the vector graphics, layered paper-cut effect.
the second poster mainly conveys the message of the non-carbonated quality in their beer, and a subtle 'environmental' message that almost says that if you drink the beer, you're also saving the environment. subtle humor.
Grab a bottle next time. it's yummy (:
for fred & hannah, they wanted a wedding theme inspired by the fruits of the spirit, therefore we came up with a garden theme, that is vibrant, filled with their favorite colours, and really fruity yet romantic.
illustration postcard design for AidforJapan through Design about raising above the storm.
second illustration postcard design about not quitting when the going gets tough. GO JAPAN!
A school project.
The project brief encompasses a study and research into a particular system in life. my exploration was with stellar system and constellation map and then constructing my own internal universe. how it worked was to write everyone in my life.
385 stars,
25 constellations,
25 illustrations,
4 star clusters,
1 universe.
how it worked was to write everyone in my life, relating them to a certain star type and then plotting them out in a system whereby I'm on the pivotal center in relation to them according to emotional proximity. from there, to group them up into smaller groups which i later termed as "star clusters" and then forming constellations.
The booklets was a brief description of the specific constellation or "star cluster" of my life. After naming them, I attached an illustration to each constellation, based on symbolic meanings and significance. Due to the deadline, did not manage to fully develop and finish the work but would love to revisit it some time in the future.
for unto us a child is born.
emmanuel! (:
have a jolly merry christmas and a blessed new year! and lets welcome 2014 with a whole new cheer!
A school project on physical typography.
Poster for one our typography assignment on physical type. "Mai Buang" is an installation where we went around the HDBs in Singapore to collect unwanted furniture disposed by people.
The actual physical type that was made out of unwanted furniture disposed at void decks. it spells "O! LIFE" reflecting on the wasted life of these unwanted yet still functional furniture.
a floral-themed card with splashes of watercolour. both physical invite and digital eDM. blessed marriage janie (: xoxo.
A school project.
In this project, we had to address a certain issue that we are concerned about in a society and to then propose a campaign in reaction to it. hence we planned a campaign in the context of Singlish, as the identity of Singapore. Using Singlish as part of our visual outlook, we produced posters, books, accessories, fabric products out of recycled and waste products.
The items would be produced as part of the campaign, and sold in a "pasam malam" style which Singaporeans can identify to.
A school project.
a graphic design campaign on reviving the fading tradition of chinese wedding in singapore. "a gift for two" strives to bring forward the values from chinese weddings, where relationships are revisited and very personal.
The two posters are aimed at two sets of audience, one modern one (left) for the locals and the traditional one (right) for foreigners that features the "shuang xi" or 囍, the chinese symbol used for marriage.
A school project.
posters and postcards from a graphic design exercise about using a 5dollar project and using it to push a new graphic campaign. i used Playdoh and moulded out famous historical art pieces to show how everyday mandane objects all have the possibility to be used to create art, opening up art as a medium to the public.
A school project
a typographic poster from a type assignment for an event. ive used the type as image to trace out the lines of a "gui ling" or the mountains and ridges. type used are the description of the event itself.
A postcard illustrated for Noise's recent showcase 2012 and it resonates with one of the biggest things that I believe:
"ideas are infinite on a blank space"
so never forget the paper and pencil!! the illustration process was also sponteneously drawn out, covered with random doodles, completed while sitting at a coffeshop. this process literally echoes the quote i suppose.
elloostrate with the final canvas artwork during the launch party. it was done in two hours but we were sure glad to have churned it all out within the timeframe and we had a ball of a time there! may the drawing vibe live on. A project headed by TBWA\Singapore and Havaianas.
a school project.
this project was to come up with a list of words that defines you as an individual like a dictionary. i involved 104 of my friends and family to come up with the words for me and decided to create a self-defining space that reflects my character.
a self-defining space that reflects my character of being very dynamic, loud, energetic and bombastic, packing up energy in the form of illustrations into a small space.
the space took 3–4 full days to complete, the illustration is quite spontaneous and improvised along the way. As the audience comes into the space, they are allowed to have fun, blowing bubbles, eating and laughing and getting infected with joyous feelings.
Logo Design for NTU ADM's Freshman Orientation Camp title, "the Exhibition" that followed the storyline and style of famous game, Left4Dead, that had a more creepy, violent and bloody edge.
An illustration done to remember the greatest act of love in man's history on Good Friday. thankyou Lord!
I just had to draw something on Valentine's this year and this song kept playing in my head.
Illustrated for Havaianas again but the next following year. This year the illustration was for beach ball which would be produced for their event. The brief was to draw the creative and enegetic vibe of Havaianas with a touch of the beach and music. A project of TBWA\Singapore.
A poem about the real reason behind the season. a christmas illustration for 2012, printed into postcards for friends and family.
The only time when you can draw on walls and get away with it! SalHappySalads is my good friend's start-up business in SMU, and with a new branch opening on the admin side, its shop walls were too empty for comfort. so I had fun with it! :D go visit it and dine there too!!
An artist notebook done up for a friend as a gift to her sister who loves parrots and macaws.
when a good friend says something that immediately gives you an illustration idea in your head that you just had to draw out!
an illustration that i've done up for a very special senior who just got married. a wedding gift that holds an important message about love, the quote is from the verses from corinthians that says all that it takes to love the right way
illustration inspired and titled by an instrumental by Yiruma, part of visual explorations between illustration, music and visual movement.
"If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, over there, your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast" from Psalm 139.
one of my illustration entries submitted for OIC's rollcall early august! these works were produced and belong solely to OIC (Organisation of Illustrators Council) submissions. just a sudden thought that led to this piece!
another illustration entry submitted for OIC's rollcall, works were produced and belong solely to OIC (Organisation of Illustrators Council) submissions. this one speaks of one of my most cherished quote and belief!
ADM's Gradbash 2012 was held at J'Dee Thai Disco, and it has a theme of essentially Thai, with the idea of being promiscuous, naughty and "playboy" so I came up with an elephant illustration with my style, inspired by Si Scott, adding on to the feel of Thai and Disco. and controversially this poster received quite a big hype of it being obscene, and well, slightly erotic if you see it from a certain angle. one of my first controversial illustrations, which well you can say, fit to the theme.
this illustration is a nostalgic one because it was the first one i doodled after figuring out the name, ellustrate.
pen-rendered illustration that says it all, simply the medium as the message.
inspired by a really rainy day!
an illustration i did for Noise Singapore '09 and it is titled "snow leopard – we all saw it coming"
a project where we used the cultures from a particular country to influence our illustrations and mine for Thailand, which i went on to illustrate for a Thai jewellery store, gems gallery.
one illustration assignment to make a storybook, so i illustrated the biblical story about creation, to glorify what God has done in the beginning. He's the true artist of all who painted the universe and He holds my creativity and drive as well!
this was my first official illustration, in my life. it draws upon the idea that design is only possible with the hand, the pencil where ideas all begin.
beautiful things usually come with a price.
the moment when i found out i have a big fat nose :(
because it really is. but we still work our asses over, every single day.
here's to a year of madness working at cum.m+d! decided to do a medieval twist to the company logo which is a jackalope, a creative of mischief. well, looking forward to many more moments of fun and good design.
HAPPY NEW YEAR. 2013, mayan calendar and beyond!
christmas card design of 2013. emmanuel — God with us. something that personally touched me that christmas, in knowing that Christ came down, and His spirit stays with us till today.
it's not like any other day when you get two celebrations at one go. happy birthday to me and selamat hari raya dear friends (:
