119-3469-70 – Origami carabao and hornbill

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Origami carabao

Here is my second batch of sketches done with UskManila at Dia del Libro. After lunch I decided to go and sketch in the children’s play area of the Ayala Triangle gardens. These playground animals, which you can climb inside of, appear to be sponsored by the World Wildlife Fund and each has some information about the animal. The sign for the carabao says it is “a symbol of hard work, perseverance and teamwork in Filipino culture”. The sign next to the hornbill says that this (endangered) species “lives only in Mindanao and nowhere else in the world! It helps the forest by spreading seeds, which grow into new trees”. These sketches were done in a new sketchbook made the Umae hot press watercolour paper.

Origami hornbill

Sat-25-Apr-2026

118-3467-8 – Dia del Libro and Al at lunch

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Dia del Libro

I have joined UskManila at Dia del Libro for several years now (see sketches 103-3088, 86-2677 and 1079 – the latter from 2019 – for example). Here are my first two sketches from this year – the second one being done at lunch time when a group of us ate at Bacolod Chicken Inasal (which surprisingly has quite a few veggie options). Dia del Libro is World Book day (which was actually April 23), as declared by UNESCO in 1995. It also marks the death of Cervantes and Shakespeare, and is a cultural festival celebrating literature and language.

Al at lunch

Sat-25-Apr-2026

118-3465 – Daily carry

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I have been trying (and kind of failing) to reduce what I carry about daily for sketching. This kit includes, my mini watercolour set, water, a few Derwent watercolour pencils, a black pencil, a Sailor Fude pen, a Platinum Preppy pen, a TWSBI pen, some tissues, a uni-ball pen, a water brush, a white Posca pen, a big squirrel brush, a syringe, a kneadable eraser, a little water pot, a Rosemary and Co. dagger brush and a wrist band for wiping my brushes.

Wed-22-Apr-2026

118-3462 – Mini palette

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My wife was given a little tin box to put watercolours in and seeing it, I couldn’t resist buying one myself. I have put a basic range of 6 colours in half-pans in it (though I might split some of these into two quarter pans), including some relatively new colours that I don’t use often. It’s so small (just 6x5cm) that it fits in my roll up pencil case.

Mon-20-Apr-2026

118-3461 – Miranda Yolanda

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This sketch was done at the Spotlight Blackbox Theater, in Ayala Malls Circuit, where we went to watch a play called “Miranda & Yolanda”. According to some blurb the play (in two parts) explores “the insidious ways power corrupts people”. The first part (Miranda) was in English so no interpreting was needed. In the second part my wife kindly whispered in my ear to explain what was going on (to my shame my Tagalog is still hopeless). I sketched this while we were waiting for the play to start.

Sun-19-Apr-2026

118-3460 – Mum

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Here is another sketch of my mum done while we were having a video chat. The day I sketched this she was sadly very confused and distressed about where she was and what was going on around her. Thankfully the day I am posting this she seems a bit more back to normal.

Sat-18-Apr-2026