Caricature theme - kickboxing

Client's brief:-
"I wish to have a pencil cariculture done, based on the photo given, with face and body only. I have decided not to have the background instead. However, I wish to include the sentence,'Happy 21st Birthday, Sexy!! From members of BQD.' on the top right hand corner..."


Put the wordings below instead, to balance the whole picture.
Still think it will look better in colour for this caricature.

Caricature theme - on the red carpet

Client's brief:-
"Dear Jit,

I was referred to you by a friend who had their caricature done and I loved the end product! Would like to present my hubby with an Anniversary gift by ordering a caricature of both of us (full body + background).

Theme:
Will you be able to create a red-carpet moment for the "theme" - decked in the finest red-carpet togs for us both - with like cameras flashing away in the back. (I'm fine if you have other ideas for this, would just like some Hollywood-esque red carpet moment as theme). Specifically for him, dressed in a suit but with open neck shirt inside. And to include in a corner "Happy 3rd Anniversary, August 2008" "


I guessed this caricature could be the one which she was referring to.

I had some hard time to get their features out, partly due to the angle, size and features of the subjects. Sometimes, when the starting point wasn't right, and the feel was not there, all things go against your favour. That was what happened to me here. Thus, I have to put in extra effort to get them right at the beginning of the pencil stage. Of course, it was worth the effort. When the starting part wasn't right, all things will go haywired in the end.

Upon receiving the framed artwork, the client said:-
"Cool!"

She dropped me an email the next day:-
"Dear Jit,

Would just like to say a big THANK YOU for the wonderful caricature! You really captured our facial features perfectly - I was blown away by the uncanny resemblance! My hubby loved it too, he was very very impressed, and each time we see the it, we can't help giggling about it. Thank you!

=)))

Regards,
Rozanah"

Portrait for Grant Thornton

The client wanted a mixed medium for this portrait - pencil for the face, while the body in black & white watercolour (ink wash), which I have never tried before.
To blend the two mediums better, I have added in some brush strokes and ink wash on the face.
Turned out quite good, and I like it.
The portrait is scanned in at high resolution, into digital copy for their use. Not sure how they are going to use it.
Top is in RGB mode, while the bottom is converted into greyscale mode.
The latter looks especially good, when both mediums are in greyscale now.

Caricature theme - Mahjong

This client ordered a caricature of similar theme from me, in December last year.
Now, she wanted a similar theme.
Usually, I will try to make some changes here and there - not so boring to me, and the recipient won't get a exact duplicate too.
Here, I have him holding up the mahjong tiles, with a combination of and a pair of behind.
The supporting cartoon characters helped to spice up the whole drawing, I think.
More exaggerated expressions than the previous one.

Her immediate response upon seeing this caricature:-
"Haha... very funny!"

Caricature theme - sliding down the rainbow

Looking at the client's brief:-
She wanted a rainbow, mushrooms, strawberries, a cow, and a bear.

First picture to appear in my mind is:-
It is a cute picture like those Hello Kitty, Kalm's, Forever Friends etc.
Thus, I have them sliding down the rainbow.
Gave them short body and legs, bigger shoes, and the sweet and bright colours like pink, yellow and red.

Book Cover illustration - Master The Market

Putting all together - the charts, logo, banner, portrait and illustration.


Lightened the portrait.


Took out the gradient mask of the portrait.
Still not very satisfied. I think it is the portrait.
May have to redraw.

Pencil illustration - bull and bear fighting

Another illustration for the book cover.
That's what the market is like today -
The big brother bear is sitting on top of the bull, hammering the latter.

Pencil portrait for book cover

Done this portrait of Robin for his course material cover.
This is the education whch I have been helping him to run since early last month.
From corporate image - logo design, letterhead etc., revamping website (not fully done yet), advertising, marketing, blogging, to registration and signing up for course etc.
Those are what have been keeping me busy these months, besides my own drawing business.
Working till late in the night, around 2am+ and wake up early in the morning around 8am+.
As what I told my friends - my chair is my wheelchair. I sit on it for more than 16 hours a day.
The remaining time is for running errands like fetching my son from school, and daughter from in-law's place, getting lunch and dinner. That's all. The rest of the time is on work. Very pathetic, and unhealthy, I think.

My clients asked me to go to their offices for meeting. Sorry, but I can't afford the time.
I know they are not happy, and they don't believe that I am that tight up.
I have no choice.
I need the time to travel to and fro, for drawings and other admin works.
I have to let go these clients, and I can only take in jobs for those who are willing to place their order via emails.
And when I told them usual leadtime is about 4 weeks.
They can't believe it. No choice, but this is the fact, as there is a limit on the number of drawings I can do in a day.

Caricature theme - hunk at the beach

Client's brief:-
*I would like the background to be of the beach, with him and a husky (black and white dog with light blue eyes) and somehow incorporate the MAOAM sweets in the pic as well (find attached file). Perhaps like a heap of the sweets on the floor? Im open to suggestions!
*He is also into bodybuilding and is somewhat muscular and loves wearing either black or white singlets with jeans.
*He also loves tattoos and has many on his body but I like the one of the lion on his right upper arm the most (find attached file) but if its too difficult to draw in that's fine!
*I also want the words 'Happy Birthday Vijay!' somewhere in the pic.

Would like to add in a tiny detail. Would it be possible to place the God of War symbol (find in attached file, just the symbol) on his singlet/Tshirt? Or can you suggest somewhere else it can be placed? It doesnt have to be big.

..... we'll scratch the dog idea. Can I have a snake instead? Hehe..No specifications..But perhaps you could give me an idea about the placement of the snake?"


Not sure why she wanted Maoam sweets. Could be one of their secrets.
Didn't put the snake over his shoulder, as it will block his tattoo on his arm, and the God of War logo.

She dropped me an email:-
"Thank you so much for the caricature! Im sure he will love it! Its really awesome!"

Caricature for SIA (Singapore Airlines)

Client's detail brief:-
"(1) Type: Caricature in marker with theme
(2) Size: A3
(3) Date required: latest 13 August
(4) Theme: Lady in Singapore Girl Sarong Kebaya. Draft sketch below
(5) Details
a. Lady to be wearing Singapore Airlines Sarong Kebaya, please ensure the colour used is close to actual, attached sample of the print
b. Lady to be wearing Mortar Board, it should be relatively small as the emphasis should be on the lady's head/face (i.e. smaller than what is on the draft above)
c. Lady's right hand to be in "Peace" Sign. Fingers to be relatively big (for the cartoon effect). The proportion of the fingers to body can be similar to your pic below
d. Lady's left hand to be holding a graduation scroll.
e. Please fully utilise the entire A3 paper, with emphasis on the head itself (anyway, this is what caricature is all about right)
f. The backgound can be a SIA airplane."


If the client didn't specify for a big 'Peace' sign, I would draw it smaller.
If you do notice, I seldom draw the ladies with 'Peace' sign for caricature with theme, as I have a lot more designs for them, unless it is caricature without theme.

Obviously, the Sarong Kebaya pattern is the most time consuming in this drawing.
It always made my head big, especially those colour details.
However, when it is done properly, the outcome is satisfying.

Caricature theme - Christians holding Bible

Straightforward brief and theme:-
Couple holding a Bible each.
Background is a church.

My dream.....

Just a sudden urge to sketch this out.
This is the type of comic sketches which I like and used to do it in classes, since Primary 5, whether I was listening to the teaching, or nothing to do. My hand will just feel itchy', and I don't only draw on paper. I did it on tables! Hahaha....... Thus, from primary, secondary schools, junior college to University, those tables which I have sat before, will have my drawings. My lecture notes have more sketches than notes. Some of my classmates will turn to look at what I have drawn, when they are bored.
I think this has built the foundation of my figure drawing and drawing skills, which I later fused into my caricature works.

I used to have this dream of being a comic artist.
After doing up of about 60+ pages of comic strip, I began to realise that it can only be a dream to me. It could be hard for me to start in local market. Knowing that the best comic artist's comics are not selling well in Singapore (after doing some survey), what makes me think that I can get a better sale than him? And to produce a good comics, it's not just pure drawing skill, you need good storyline, and good story-telling skill etc. I know it is hard for me, and I may not have that patience too. You will need to know how to market it too. To do everything solo, it may take years to do it. Most importantly, I may not be able to survive, financially.

At that time, I just started working as a portrait and caricature artist, and was doing well. Hence, I put in more effort into that career. I do comic drawings for personal interests only. I have not been drawing this for years, and I can tell that I have deteriorated. Nevertheless, quite a good stress relief for me, and withdrawal from those portrait and caricature drawings.

Wilfred told me that he missed my comic sketches. Thank you. But I am not in the mood to draw, due to my heavy workload. I did this in the middle of the night. Throw away all the work orders. Just do this for fun. Don't think I will ink it or colour it. I know I won't have the time to do so.

Don't know when the next sketch will be coming up on this blog. Maybe few years later.....

By the way, the angle of the face looked a bit off.....

Illustrations for CNB (Central Narcotics Bureau, Singapore) - Essay 9

Nuha Amani Bte Misbahuddin
Madrasah Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiah

Problem Solver

The price for taking drugs is too high to pay. Until this very day, Sharon still regretted her past actions. Bedridden, she closed her eyes and recalled how she ended up in this state.

“How much did you get?” asked Sharon’s mother, Mrs. Teo, as soon as Sharon stepped inside the house after school. Sharon glared at her mother before walking quickly to her room. She locked her door and let herself fall onto her bed.

School had been bad, and her Mid-Year Examination grades were not helping. “Your grades have dropped far too low. I’m afraid we’ll have to transfer you to the Normal Technical Class.” The voice of Mr. Fang, her form teacher, echoed in her head. Sharon used to be active in her studies, but she often got distracted by her parents’ recent divorce and pressure at school had stressed her out. Besides, she loved blogging. Sharon would sit in front of the computer, typing with her eyes glued to the computer screen as if her life depended on it!

The next day, Sharon was transferred to the Normal Technical Class. She felt humiliated to have dropped so low. She broke the news to her mother and as expected, she did not take it very well. Mrs. Teo had always blamed it on Sharon’s endless blogging. Sometimes Sharon got so sick of it that she would secretly cut herself. During those days, only blogging would release her tension; she had no friends anyway.

During recess, Sharon was sitting alone at a table, staring at her chicken rice while thinking about the numerous problems in her life when a group of girls from her new class approached her.

“Hi, I’m Nikki”, one of the girls introduced herself. “This is Lynn, Wei Qian, Suzie and Anne”, Nikki said, introducing her friends.

“Listen, we know you’re new and you don’t quite fit in, so maybe you could hang out with us”, she continued.

“We’re going clubbing tonight at eight. So maybe it would be cool if you joined us”, she invited. Nikki reached across to put a small piece of paper in Sharon’s hands.

“Just call me once you decide, okay?” she said, before walking off with the rest of the group.

That night, Sharon was on the dance floor enjoying herself. She had agreed to hang out with her new friends at a nightclub.



Mr. and Mrs. Teo had been yelling at each other over the phone, so she had sneaked out after calling Nikki with the number on the small piece of paper given to her earlier. She had to lie to the bodyguard outside about being 21 when she was just 17, as that meant she was underage. But now it did not matter as she was having the time of her life!

“Thanks so much for inviting me, guys”, Sharon said as she sat down together with Nikki, Lynn, Wei Qian, Suzie and Anne. “What a great way to get away with the tension at home!” she cried. The five of them broke into laughter. Nikki asked Sharon if she had any problems. Sharon told her friends everything as they seemed to be concerned. Suddenly Nikki gave Sharon a small Ziploc bag that contained two pills.

“What’s this?” Sharon asked, shocked.

“This will solve all your problems”, Nikki answered, coolly.

“But, uh…” Sharon started to stammer.

“Don’t worry”, Suzie interrupted, “it’s nothing. Trust us, go on…”

Sharon looked at her other friends and saw them stifling giggles and whispering to each other.

“You’re not scared, are you?” Anne teased.

“Don’t be a chicken!” added Wei Qian.

Not wanting to be a “chicken”, Sharon popped the two pills, which were actually drugs, into her mouth, her heart racing madly. Nikki and her friends cheered and applauded. Then suddenly she threw all of her fear away and felt proud of herself. After all, the drugs did leave a “good sensation”.

The following week, poor Sharon was already on her third packet of Ecstasy tablets. Yes, it made her feel giddy at times, but she also felt the “good sensation” and tingly “kick”. Plus, she was also a member of Nikki’s gang. For once she felt like somebody. Her new friends were so nice to her that she felt like she fit in perfectly. By now, Mrs Teo was becoming seriously worried, but Sharon did not even bother to think about her family, or anything else for that matter.

One evening, Sharon got another packet from Nikki. She knew that she was addicted, but she could not help it. Every time Sharon felt like she should not be taking drugs, she would think of all her problems: her parents’ divorce, her bad grades, and all the other pressure. Then she would feel the need to take the pills. It was her “problem solver”, after all. This would make her cry.

After swallowing the Ecstasy pills, Sharon started to feel high. She felt a sudden urge to take the elevator to the highest level and go up to the roof, so out of highness, she did. Sharon felt really giddy and started to swagger. Suddenly, she tripped over a piece of rubble and her feet brushed against the edge of the building. She could feel the wind rush through her body as she was in mid-air, shutting her eyes tight.



“Crash!” She could not feel anything anymore…

Illustrations for CNB (Central Narcotics Bureau, Singapore) - Essay 8

Yew Kai Ning, Sophia
Rosyth School

A truck wheeled into the driveway, sputtering and sighing. It was an old Toyota model, riddled with various scratches and patches of rust. A pale adolescent stumbled out of it. His cheeks were sunken and premature lines spanned his thin face. His dark eye rings looked like bruises in contrast with his colourless face. However, he was giggling as he stumbled unsteadily out of the van. His companion, a burly man with the same sunken cheeks and dark eye rings, soon followed his footsteps out. They carried with them several small sacks that seemed to be foodstuff to be consumed. The burly man winked at the driver of the truck, who promptly drove away.

The men walked a little and soon arrived at a dilapidated old hut painted in an unhealthy tinge of green. It was deadly quiet, but they knew that there would be at least a dozen people in there, waiting silently for the imminent arrival of their sworn brothers. They walked up to the door. The effort of lugging the heavy sacks had left the gaunt adolescent drained of energy, but no colour had come to his cheeks. The burly man glared with heavy contempt at his accomplice, and knocked the secret code on the door. Two knocks soft, one loud. Knock, knock, KNOCK.

The door creaked open, and there stood an unsightly man in his early forties. His bare torso, with weak shoulders and a hairy chest, was intricately adorned with assorted tattoos. He had aged far beyond his years. A toothless grin cracked his face into a mass of wrinkles as he savoured the sight of his youthful helpers in drug abuse.



A great hubbub filled the room as eager shouts welcomed them in. They walked into the room, opening their bags and handing out attractive-looking tablets that came in a wide variety of colours. It was the drug named Ecstasy, also known as MDMA, Playboy, Snow White, Pink or XTC. The boss slapped the teenager on the back and said, “You’ve done well again, Oreo!”

The others, ages ranging from early teens to twenty-odds, gathered around, praising the burly man and Oreo. Smiling, Oreo popped the pills, feeling the familiar effects of uncontrollable shaking and unmatched physical prowess overwhelm him. His heartbeat accelerated until it was nearly unbearable. Music blared as they switched on the radio to accompany their shivering, and they started showing off their strength to each other. Oreo’s face was stretched in a constant smile as his body swayed to the music. He did not turn his mind fully to the problems of where he was to go after this party. Home? Perhaps. Surely his elderly mother would not notice that he was on drugs. This all vanished as he lost himself in the party. He belonged here, and no where else…

The next morning dawned clear and bright. Oreo stumbled out of the hut, aching with thirst as well as feeling dazed and irritable. His house was not far, and once there he could indulge himself with water. He felt dizzy, but it was not be because he had not eaten in quite a few days. Oreo vomited on the ground before continuing on his desperate way. He hardly noticed as his surroundings changed, tall skyscrapers filling the skies, HDB buildings filling all the space.

Oreo lumbered into the lift. It lifted him into a narrow corridor; his home was one of those highly subsidised HDB rental flats meant for people with low incomes. It was all Oreo’s mother could afford, as his father had passed away, leaving her with a bad leg and an inability to get a job even as a cleaner. Oreo had no money to go to school, so he had fallen into bad company. He threw open the door, for it was never locked, and walked straight to the kitchen. He grabbed the water jug and poured all the water down his throat. His elderly mother limped into the kitchen and started gabbling away in a dialect. Oreo did not listen, merely grunting as he drowned himself in the two-litre jug of water. He drank unceasingly, feeling his stomach growl in protest. His body seemed to be warring, his brain telling him to drink, and his stomach grumbling and rumbling in hesitant protest. Finally, all his systems shut down and he tottered unsteadily before dropping heavily on the ground. His mother stood over him, shouting in a distraught voice, “Ah boy! Ah boy! Ah boy! …”



She ran out, squawking like an upset chicken. The neighbours soon stepped out of their flats to survey the pandemonium. Oreo’s mother’s next-door neighbour, Ling Chee, was a great help, as she swiftly dialled the police hotline.

The men in blue soon arrived at the scene, as well as the ambulance. They conducted an investigation and figured out that Oreo had been on drugs. However, it was too late for him. His heart had stopped beating. As his mother was told the truth, she wept and said, “He never told me where he went every day. Now I’m all alone!”

The price for taking drugs is too high to pay…

Caricature for Monetary Authority of Singapore

Client's brief:-
"The background is possible to contain "Monetary Authority of Singapore"
wordings or logo, whichever you deem appropriate aesthetically.
For memory sake, thought it will be nice to have a picture of the MAS
building as well.

He is usually clad in white shirt, black pants, and always seen "doo-dling"
his favourite PDA."


Self-explanatory. Pretty straightforward job.

3D figurine - couple in the park

This French (couple) client came up and rang my door bell, without knowing that it was a home office, until they reached. Usually, my clients will place their orders via email, instead of walk-in, or at least made a call to check my availability, before popping by.
And they were quite lucky in the sense that I just came back.

Anyway, this was an order for their friends who have worked in Singapore for 1 year+, and leaving soon. A birthday gift for the lady in this figurine set too.

First, I have to say that this 3D figurine set was nicely done up, and the resemblance was quite close. (It was not done by me, but by Adam's artists).
The word - 'Singapour' was 'Singapore' in French.





Another reason for putting up so many photos of this figurine set was - my Nikon D80 and SB800 did a good job in capturing the details. Hahaha...... I like the lighting, depth of field and the sharpness here especially. No studio lighting, but they looked like sitting and enjoying the romance under the sun, in the park.

Caricature theme - Happy Birthday!!!

A birthday gift.
She's turning 18 on 08-08-08.
The client wanted this number on the left, and "Happy Birthday" on the right,
and her name "Neddely" somewhere in the drawing, which I put on her favourite chocolate cake.
He also requested for birthday presents and balloons.
Of course, I will need to put in some cartoon figures to make this solo caricature looks fun , happy and crowded.

His feedback upon receiving this caricature:-
"Wow Wow...... very nice!!! Thank you very much!"

Featured on I-S Magazine

I-S magazine contacted me about 1-2 months ago, told me that they will like to feature my website and blog in their upcoming issue. They asked me what I have too say, which drawing I want to put up on it. Told them nothing much to say (Not arrogant, just that don't know what to say), and they can take any image from the website which they like. In the end, no image was used. Hahaha.... serves me right.
They agreed to send me an issue when it is published.
(which till date, I haven't received.)

I almost forgotten about it, until Adam told me that both of our company websites and blog were featured, but his was on top of mine (See that dog figurine?).
I-S Magazine send him a softcopy, which he forwarded to me.
Don't know where to find their magazine.
Thought I saw them in cafes like Starbucks or The Coffee Beans, but didn't see it on my trip down to Robin's office at Raffles City Tower.

Anyway, put up the softcopy here.
Just some amendments here that "....sitting is recommended"
Due to my tight work schedule, I can't afford the time for live sketching at my place, as it will disrupt my work schedule.
I can only do it for events, which I sketch on site and I charge by per hour basis.
Maybe, I-S Magazine saw it on my website's writing and mis-interpreted.

I have made changes to my work procedures/methods recently, and didn't have the time to check through these on my website, put up previously. There were clients telling me that you stated you can do this and that etc on my website, and yet I tell them different things. I apologise for that, and I will try to amend and update the changes whenever they spotted and raised them up to me.

Problem of one-man-show.....

Caricature for Nokia

A birthday gift.
The client wanted to portray her as a rock star.
I gave her a black setting to bring out her red hair - one of her unique features.
Added in her favourite word - "gorgeous"

Caricature theme - Art Director working on laptop

An Art Director, who is always working in Photoshop, on his laptop.
Added in a sleepy moon, to show him working till late night.
Quite a fun face to draw, to me.

Caricature theme - multi tasking baby sitter

The client sent me a 'geometry" sketch, drawn in Powerpoint.
Simple enough to understand.
My job was to turn this sketch into an interesting caricature.
(Oops! Looking at the sketch again, I left out the baseball cap!
Sorry.......the client didn't raise it upon receiving the caricature too.)

From what I know from my friend -Meow, who's staying in Melbourne now, they don't do heavy Chinese cooking. Thus, I have him pan-frying the beans, sausage, bacon and egg.
The running-into-the-scene (and smiling) cartoon Chow Chow dog, should look a lot better than a stand-still one, which the client provided me a sample photo. I think this looks the best in this drawing! Hahaha.........

Nice quotes.....

Robin sent me some slides.
Think they are meaningful .... to share with you here:-

Age is an issue of mind over matter.
If you don't mind..... it doesn't matter. ~ Mark Twain

The key to everything is Patience.
You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it. ~ Arnold Glasow

Life is a journey, not a guided tour. ~ Unknown

Never let gear of striking out get in your way. ~ Babe Ruth

When you lose, do not lose the lesson. ~ Dalai Lama

Time is the coin of life.
It's the only coin you have,
and only you can determine how it will be spent.
Be careful, lest you let others spend it for you. ~ Carl Sanburg

To handle yourself, use your head.
To handle others, use your heart. ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. ~Proverbs 15 1,2

Talent is God-given, be humble.
Fame is man-given, be grateful.
Conceit is self-given, be careful. ~ John Wooden

Yesterday is already a dream,
and tomorrow is only a vision;
but today, well lived,
makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
and every tomorrow a vision of hope. ~ Sanskrit

Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap,
but by the seeds you plant. ~ Robert Louis Stevenson

Climb every mountain, ford every stream,
follow every rainbow, 'till you find your dream. ~ Rogers & Hammerstein

Keep laughing.
As long as you're laughing, you still have hope. ~ Moe Howard

Caricature for SembCorp

More refined swinging posture for this golfer, I think.

Caricature theme - Doctor

Big syringe, spoonful of pills and capsules, with supporting cartoon characters to spice up a pretty normal theme - doctor.

Illustrations for CNB (Central Narcotics Bureau, Singapore) - Essay 7

Naomi Chua
Concord Primary School

The Big Mistake

Judy came from a wealthy family and she had everything she wanted. People always called her “the princess”. Though her parents pampered her with a lot of money and games, Judy told me that she had never once felt truly loved by her parents. I had no idea what she was always doing at home. Even though she was my best friend, she did not spend much time with me.

On Sunday evening, while we were chatting on MSN, Judy told me that she chatted with a guy who promised her something wonderful.



I pestered her to tell me, but she just coldly turned me off by saying it was a big secret. I was shocked; all I could do was to advise her to be careful not to enter into uncharted territories. Without saying a word of thanks, she abruptly logged off, leaving me in daze.

On Monday, Judy did not turn up in school. Still offended by what happened the day before, I did not bother to call. One week came and went, and Judy still did not come to school. Finally, I decided to go to her house and visit her. “Ding dong! Ding dong!” No one came to the door to answer the incessant ringing of the bell. Dejected, I slowly walked away.

It was a typical school day, but I did not know that I was going to get the greatest shock of my life. Judy reached school late, and when she arrived her blouse and skirt were crumpled, her hair was unkempt and dark rings shone under her eyes. This was not the Judy I knew. Stupefied, I croaked, “Judy, what happened to you? How did you…” All of a sudden, she cut me off, “Look here miss goody two shoes, I have no time to talk and this is none of your business.” Stunned, I sat rooted to my chair. The day dragged on with me feeling more and more worried for Judy. I searched my head for an idea to get Judy to tell me what was happening. At the end of the day, I sank back onto my chair, feeling more exhausted than ever. At night, I had no appetite to eat the sumptuous dinner that my mum prepared. With a heavy heart and a throbbing headache, I hit the sack.

The next morning, I woke up feeling depressed. What was I supposed to do? Finally I decided to trail her home. I could not wait for school to finish. When the bell rang, I quickly stuffed my things into my bag. Like the police on a criminal’s trail, I followed Judy. Judy unexpectedly turned into a deserted alley. I quickly hid behind a large dustbin when she stopped. My heart jumped when I heard muffled footsteps approaching. To my horror, I saw Judy taking out some money to exchange for some colourful pills. Straightaway, I recognised it as ecstasy. After the drug dealer had left, I boldly stood up from my hiding place and confronted Judy. Judy was taken aback. Dumbfounded, she questioned, “What are you doing here?” Undaunted by her question, I replied, “Maybe you should be the one telling me why you are here.” I fired a number of questions at her about why she was abusing drugs and her withdrawal symptoms.

Judy was stubborn and she did not want to tell me anything, no matter how I coaxed and persuaded her. All of a sudden, Judy turned around and sped down to another smaller lane. I stood in the lonely alley alone. The sense of hopelessness and helplessness surfaced again. Faced with no other choice, I called the narcotics officers. The officers found Judy lying face-down on the floor in her room.



I could not believe my ears when I heard that Judy died from a drug overdose. I broke down and cried. Judy’s parents were shocked. I will never ever forget this incident. The price for taking drugs is too high to pay. Know their dangers and start spreading the message today.

Illustrations for CNB (Central Narcotics Bureau, Singapore) - Essay 6

Title: My Faustian Pact

Wilson Wu Fan
Ai Tong School, 5A

“You’ve been tested positive…” Those words from the doctor weighed down like an anchor. My heart sank, body iced and mind blanked in an instant. Now that I recall, the first image to enter my mind after regaining a semblance of composure was a dying AIDS1 victim, surrounded by his family members, in an advertisement from United Colours of Benetton. I’m now a carrier of the HIV2 virus.

About a year ago, I still had a future. Leading to its destruction, ironically, was an opportunity that my friends and I thought was golden. “Boys, we’ve got a gig!” exclaimed Steve. He was the lead vocalist of The Cream, a nascent band that featured his younger brother, Jacob, as the percussionist; Johnny, our childhood friend, as the bass guitarist; and me, the lead guitarist. Lady Luck must be smiling down, all of us thought, when Steve broke the news that we had been selected to perform at the annual Rock Festival.

The event was an unexpected success. We were buoyed by the cheers and applause from the electrified crowd. What surprised us even more were the flattering comments from Matthew, an influential composer in the region. “It was a fantastic performance. I didn’t have the impression that you guys were a bunch of rookies,” he remarked. Before parting, we were invited to a party at his house. Steve eagerly agreed on our behalf. “We need connections,” he told us later.



An unmistakable air of hedonism permeated the sprawling apartment. The owner had no lack of any material comfort that I could think of. Every piece of furniture, decoration and entertainment device was synonymous with luxury. It seemed that we had entered a different world. Except for us, the guests at Matthew’s party were all dressed in designer outfits. They were dancing to techno music while we stood at a corner sipping cocktails served by waiters who treated us condescendingly.

Jacob, feeling bored and uneasy, said, “There are only high society people here. This is not a place for us.” Just when we were deliberating whether to leave, the host came up to us. “Hey, are you guys comfortable?” Matthew asked. “Let me be a gracious host,” he continued without waiting for a reply. “You can ease yourselves into the party.” Matthew then took Steve’s hand, placed a packet of pink pills on his palm and closed the fingers to make a fist before letting go. I saw a smirk on the composer’s lips. His penetrating eyeballs gave each of us a glance. He walked away after pretending to pop something into his mouth. The gesture was easily understood.



“We’re not going to touch that stuff!” Jacob protested as soon as the host was out of sight. I nodded in agreement. “Are you afraid of ending up like Kurt Cobain?” Steve snapped. “Don’t forget the premature deaths of Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix and Jim Morrison!” Jacob retorted, citing the names of iconic rock personalities who had their lives terminated by drugs. The two brothers were embroiled in a heated exchange of words until Johnny interrupted, “Jacob, I know that we should stay clean, but your brother is right. We need the performances, songs and tips that Matthew can offer to give us the success that our talents deserve.” There was no denying that Matthew could propel our musical ambition. Steve coaxed. Johnny cajoled. By rejecting the drugs, they believed we would not get another opportunity to seek the help of Matthew. In the end, we made a dual pact. We agreed to rid our lives of drugs once we achieved our objectives and to prevent each other from getting into a vicious cycle of addiction.

It turned out to be a Faustian pact. Our acceptance of drugs from Matthew brought us into his circle of influence. He used his clout to help the band gain publicity through various platforms, and much sooner than expected, a proposal was tabled for us to cut our very first album. In the meantime, we ventured deeper and deeper into the wasteland of drugs. The dark side of Matthew was soon revealed to us. Behind his façade as a respected composer, he was the leader of a drug syndicate. We were among his clientele. The few attempts made to wean ourselves from drugs were blocked by withdrawal symptoms that brought absolute misery. It was too difficult to exchange glamour and rewards for suffering. In the spiralling freefall, we graduated from “Ecstasy” pills to a smorgasbord of cocaine, heroin and marijuana. We also joined intravenous drug users at rave parties, injecting our bodies with illegal substances. Needles were shared freely in a fraternity of musicians.

A drug raid abruptly ended our life of decadence. Narcotics officers operating undercover arrested us in a discotheque. Memories of the incident are vague. I was high and dazed when the law caught up with me. It was in police custody that I realized the folly of my actions. However, I did not expect the consequences to be more severe than imprisonment and caning. Three days after a mandatory blood specimen test, I was told of my infection with the deadly HIV virus. It was tantamount to pronouncing the death sentence on me. The same fate fell on Steve. We must have been infected through needles used by other drug abusers.

Almost two months have since elapsed. During this period, I experienced the agony of freeing my body from narcotic dependence. Many times during the day, in a silent lucidity, I wished regretfully that time could be reversed. The nights were interspersed with intense moments of anguish. Thoughts of suicide crossed my mind. The haunting emotional guilt and pain are difficult to exorcise. Yet, I have derived from them the strength to live on. In the drug rehabilitation centre where I am now, many former addicts have shared their stories with me. All the accounts invariably end with a desire to make restitution to those who have been hurt. I cannot cause more sorrows to my parents. Rather than choosing a road to perdition, I have decided to complete my remaining journey with dignity. Obstacles will arise along the way, but I am prepared to face them. Indeed, the price for taking drugs is too high to pay and they must be shunned without hesitation.

1AIDS is the acronym for Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
2HIV stands for Human Immunodeficiency Virus

Caricature for Republic of Singapore Navy, COSCOM

Client's brief:-
"..... One of the senior warrant officer will be retired from his 36 years of service on 8 Aug 08. I would like to have a caricature(in colour marker with theme-with background & body) for him as a Farewell Gift. He is a mentor in the unit, thinking of drawing him as "Zhuge Liang" character. Or perhaps, u can offer yr value suggestions to me. Prefer size is A2 with frame

I have proposed to draw xxxxx as "Zhuge Liang" character holding to a fan & the background is a Chinese Junk Ship. Pls also include the wording in Chinese on the centre of the sail "Yi-Fan, Feng-Shun", horizontal......"


A2 size. Considered big for 1 person caricature.
I have done this theme of "Zhu Ge Liang" (諸葛亮) few years back, but it was printed out and slot in my display portfolio. You don't see it on my website or blog.
The client wanted him on the boat. Even though it was a caricature, we still need to take into consideration of the proportion of the relationship between the ship and the human. If they wanted to see the whole ship, this '諸葛亮' will be too small to be scene.
Thus I proposed to have him on the ship, but only partially shown, while we have another junk ship in the background.
Suggested to the client too, that we should put the "Yi-Fan, Feng-Shun" (一帆風順) on his fan, instead of the sail. It will be too small to be seen on it, in the background.
Quite a good them, I think, for a farewell gift from the Navy

caricature for Ministry of Finance

Client's brief:-
"Theme...
[Our boss is a long-time civil servant who is retiring soon. She started her career at the Inland Revenue Department (later called Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore or IRAS) at Fullerton hotel back when it was still a government building. Her last post was with the Ministry of Finance as our tax director.

Being a pioneer in tax policy, we would like to have her portrayed in the posture of Sir Stamford Raffles' statue at the Singapore River landing, with the familiar Singapore river and skyscrapers backdrop. One request we have is to fit the Fullerton Hotel in the backdrop so that she can be reminded of her roots.

As with the Raffles statue, we would also like her to be put on a pedestal, with the inscription "Singapore Tax Pioneer" on the pedestal. To give u a sense of her personality, she a very well dressed person who dolls up in power suits, Cartier watches and Ferragamo shoes. She should not be white, of course(!), but in full normal color. "


Main issue which I keep debating within myself (also raised to the client) was whether to let her stand like Sir Stamford Raffles statue. Might not look so graceful for a woman. In the end, as you can see, I threw away that posture.

Feedback from the client upon his collection:-
"Arh, nice!!!"

男人“六大睡死”

Received an SMS on my handphone, and don't know who was the sender:-

男人“六大睡死”
1. 和美女睡，兴奋到死
2. 和丑女睡，生不如死
3. 和辣妹睡，累得半死
4. 和情人睡，醉生梦死
5. 和名模睡，贵到要死
6. 和老婆睡，整夜装死

Caricature theme - Striker & Goalkeeper's wedding

Client's request:-
"....For the background, we would like something unique and creative. What I have in mind is my wife as a goalkeeper and me as a striker. I am trying to score a goal (goalpost is marked as 'Mine forever'). The ball is in mid-flight with the church and M hotel as the backdrop. Is this ok?"


For the caricature to turn out good (at least cheerful), I always requested for clear and smiling photos (at least; any expression except non-smiling photos which will turned out boring) from the clients.

Some clients will think that we are the face magicians, and can turn a non-smiling face to a smiling one. I always tell them that it is not as simple as putting a smiling mouth on the face.
It concerns with the facial muscle. Just like I can't put your smile on his/her face and it will look like the latter's smile. I can't do it based on imagination too. The resemblance will be gone.

Of course, these didn't apply to the above job. When the client provided me with smiling or funny expressions photos, they tend to inspire me with different ideas. My imagination will run wild. But the only drawback for funny expressions were that the resemblance were not there, as their friends or relatives (people who know about him/her) seldom see his/her these funny expressions , and thus they can't associate the caricature with that person. Usually, I won't choose these "extreme" expressions to work on, unless I am very sure that I can capture their essences in these expressions. These could be done with several photos of differnt expressions provided.