Plein Air - Once Upon A Time In Chinatown In Watercolor With Brian Tai

Back by popular demand, join Brian Tai for a special en plein air watercolour workshop in collaboration with Overjoyed. This immersive session invites participants to capture the charm and complexity of Chinatown’s historic streets through direct observation and expressive brushwork.

Set amidst shophouse facades, decorative motifs, and street-level bustle, the workshop offers a grounded, hands-on approach to watercolour painting on location. Under Brian’s guidance, you’ll learn to see with clarity, simplify what you observe, and paint with confidence — whether you’re new to the medium or returning to it with fresh curiosity.

Please arrive 15 minutes earlier at the meeting point — Kong Beng Industrial Building — before departing together by mini bus to the painting site.

Workshop Highlights

Sketching Foundations – Strengthen your linework and composition with quick on-site sketches.
Color Mixing Mastery – Build balanced palettes that reflect the mood and atmosphere of the scene.
Structural Simplification – Learn how to break down complex architecture into digestible forms.
Watercolour Glazing – Layer washes to add clarity, tone, and a sense of depth.
Perspective and Proportions – Develop an intuitive approach to spatial relationships in busy streetscapes.
Composition on Location – Make creative choices in framing and focus to tell a compelling visual story.

Outdoor Painting in Practice

• Weather & Light: Adapting your techniques to changing conditions.

• Paint Handling: Managing moisture, consistency, and cleanliness outdoors.

• Space Setup: Efficient strategies for arranging materials in unpredictable settings.

• Staying Focused: Selecting what matters and keeping your painting grounded amid distractions.

• Artistic Adaptation: Making choices quickly while staying true to the scene’s spirit.

This workshop blends technique with experience — equipping you not only with artistic skills but also with the mindset and tools needed to thrive outdoors.

About The Subject

Chinatown’s streets hold echoes of Singapore’s layered past: quiet courtyards behind busy shops, peeling paint on stucco walls, and signs of daily life that speak louder than monuments. In this session, you’ll paint a corner of the district that invites reflection and study — a rare chance to interpret both detail and atmosphere in real time. Every shophouse offers rhythm; every alley, a story. It’s a landscape waiting to be understood in watercolour.