Ong Kim Seng

Watercolour Painting Workshop By Ong Kim Seng - Masterclass

Art Master Workshop Series

Themed specialty art workshops with internationally acclaimed artists

Featuring Ong Kim Seng, Fan Shao Hua, Michael Britton & more!

Visual Arts Centre proudly launches the Art Master Workshop Series as an exclusive masterclass workshop collaboration with internationally acclaimed art masters. The Art Master Workshop Series provides art lovers with a rare opportunity to be led and fully guided by the master artist on an immersive workshop journey. With this Art Master Workshop series, we’ll introduce you to learn and to experience a variety of art mediums and themes presented through different workshops. Acquire a deeper understanding of the art subject and theme of study, learn and appreciate the art medium and its applications, and practise under the artist’s guidance.

This series of art workshops is suitable for drawing and painting hobbyists and even beginners who are exploring or learning any art mediums. The workshop topic will be at a beginner-intermediate level, so that learners may learn and enjoy the workshop without being intimidated.

An art masterclass series unable to miss!

We collaborate with top art masters to bring high quality art instruction closer to all art enthusiasts, art practitioners, and art lovers at an affordable price. Whether you are looking forward to approach international art masters, or to accelerate your art skill from the top instructors, this Series is totally for you!

This series is suitable for those with previous experience in drawing / sketching. Beginners may also look forward to join for a new perspective and an introduction to the practices introduced during the workshop.

Upcoming Art Masterclass Session:

Live Landscape Watercolour Painting Workshop by Ong Kim Seng

In 15 March 2026, we are bringing you art masterclass in watercolour landscape painting. Live Landscape Watercolor Painting Workshop @Chinatown, introduced by Ong Kim Seng, will bring you from our Art Gallery to Chinatown to observe live landscape and sketch directly.

Ong Kim Seng is a master in creating watercolor works with vibrant colors and exquisite expression of light – a technique that resemble Impressionism art movement (a famous name rising up during this movement includes Monet with his famous Cathedrals: A Life Study of Light series, The Cliff Walk at Pourville and Women with a Parasol – Madame Monet and her Son).

In this workshop, Ong Kim Seng will introduce you to his techniques and practice in mastering understanding of light and shade for landscape, and ways to express it using watercolour.

During this 3-hour workshop, Ong Kim Seng will walk you through:

Quick Landscape sketching techniques;
Watercolor painting techniques for Landscape;

Programme:

8.40am-9am: Participants will meet at 20B Mosque Street, Visual Arts Centre’s newest studio!
9am-9.50am: Participants will engage in plein air sketching at Chinatown!
9.50am-10am: Participants will return to Visual Arts Centre’s studio at 20B Mosque Street.
10am-12pm: Watercolour in Action! Participants will learn watercolour painting techniques and apply them to create their masterpieces!

Please note that there will be a tea break allocated during the session. Refreshments will be provided!

Join us for a fun-filled art trip within Singapore! A new perspective of Singapore scene is waiting for you to uncover! Sign up here!

About Artist Ong Kim Seng:

Born in 1945 in Singapore, Ong Kim Seng is an internationally renowned watercolorist and one of Singapore’s most prominent artistic icons. Notable solo and group exhibition he has held/participated:

Featured in Shanghai Art Fair and Guangzhou Art Fair in 2005;
International Travel Solo exhibitions in Shanghai, Beijing, Canberra, Washington, Yangon starting in April 2006, each exhibition lasted from 4 – 6 weeks;
Retrospective exhibition “The Art of Ong Kim Seng” at Malaysia, 2005;
Solo Exhibition “Home and Nation in the art of Ong Kim Seng” at Singapore Art Museum, 2008;
Solo Exhibition with Quanhua Watercolour Museum, Shanghai, China, 2013
Joined Group Exhibition “Follow the Masters, Shanghai Joint Exhibition of International Watercolour Masters and workshops”, Shanghai, China, 2016, 2017, 2018.
He has won a multitude of awards including six awards from the American Watercolor Society, and the coveted Cultural Medallion in 1999.

Beside painting, Ong also add several art books to his life-long legacy. His books compile a considerate amount of his paintings, art studies, and revolving around techniques and painting methods.

Learning objectives in Art Masterclass: Landscape Live Watercolour Painting – Ong Kim Seng:

This Watercolour Live Landscape Painting workshop – Art Master Series at Visual Arts Centre provide the practical instruction of how to master light and shade in watercolour painting. This was introduced by Ong Kim Seng in his famous book “Mastering Light & Shade in watercolour” (2003).

Participants will have the opportunity to learn the techniques directly from master watercolour painter Ong Kim Seng.

All materials will be provided for the workshop. All you need is be ready to embark on a journey to your familiar Singapore scene and extract only its exquisite beauty onto your painting.

Each participants will be able to bring back your painting at the end of the lesson. Come join us for a professional art masterclass experience with artist Ong Kim Seng,

An opportunity to learn professional technique from an international acclaimed watercolour master – Ong Kim Seng!

What will you bring back from the Art Masterclass Workshop in Watercolor Live Landscape Painting with Ong Kim Seng?

Each participants will be able to bring back your painting at the end of the lesson;
A set of sketch book and sketch pen;
In-depth understanding of light and shade in landscape watercolor painting.

Ong Kim Seng's Artworks Available for Sale: (Click to Enquire With Us!)

Ong Kim Seng watercolour painting artwork for sale

Art Masterclass on Portrait (Watercolour Painting) by Fan Shao Hua:

[4 sessions, $980, Watercolour Painting]

Portraiture Watercolour Painting Art Course | Art Class | Art Lesson:

This watercolour portrait art masterclass introduces students to the essentials of portraiture through expressive watercolour painting. The masterclass focuses on learning how to observe faces and translate them into soft, lively portraits using watercolour techniques.

Students begin with basic drawing skills for portraiture, including facial proportions, structure, and expression. From there, the class moves into watercolour painting, covering washes, layering, colour mixing, and brush control. Special attention is given to creating skin tones, light, and shadow using transparent layers of watercolour.

Throughout the class, portraiture is approached in a relaxed and approachable way. Students are encouraged to experiment and enjoy the natural flow of watercolour painting, rather than aiming for perfection. Demonstrations and step-by-step guidance help build confidence, while individual feedback supports personal growth.

This watercolour portrait art masterclass is suitable for beginners and those with some experience in watercolour painting. It helps students develop observation skills, creativity, and a personal style in portraiture. By the end of the masterclass, students gain a strong foundation in watercolour painting and a deeper understanding of expressive portraiture.

Art Masterclass on Portrait (Chinese Ink Painting) by Fan Shao Hua:

[4 sessions, $980, Chinese Ink Painting]

2. Portraiture Chinese Ink Painting Art Course | Art Class | Art Lesson:

This course introduces the traditional art of Chinese ink painting, focusing on brushwork, composition, and the expressive use of ink and wash. Students will explore classic subjects such as bamboo, flowers, birds, and landscapes, while gaining hands-on experience with essential tools like the brush and rice paper. Emphasizing both technique and philosophy, the course fosters an appreciation for balance, simplicity, and the spirit of nature in painting.

The Artist – Fan Shao Hua

Fan Shao Hua’s interest in art began at a very young age. his father was conversant in both Chinese calligraphy and painting, and painted in the Lingnan style. During his early education, his art teachers also influenced him greatly. That led to his admission into the Guangzhou academy of Fine art in 1981 where he was trained in Western paintings.

When Shao Hua was pursuing his university education, renowned second-generation Lingnan-style artists such as Guan Shan-Ye and Li Xiong-Chai were leading professors in the Chinese art Department in the Guangzhou Fine arts academy. As a result of these multiple influences, Shao Hua is also very familiar with the Lingnan style of Chinese paintings. Shao Hua graduated in 1985 with a Fine arts degree with strong foundation in Realism technique.

Works In Realism

In his Southeast Asian themes, he painted sceneries of Singapore, Malay kampungs and Balinese landscapes, bringing to life these regional vignettes in his vigorous style which still preserves the finesse and detail of his subject matter. The largeness of spirit and expression typical of the Shanghai School can be seen in his classical themed paintings of birds and flowers. But Ling went beyond the traditions in which he was schooled, incorporating increasingly abstract qualities in his work. By the 1990s, his work in the landscape genre had included the usage of acrylic paints, making him stand out as a modern Chinese painter of the times.

Fan Shao Hua’s realistic works shows his keen sense of observation and thoughtful interpretation what he observed. coupled with his ability to draw and paint with accuracy and detail, he puts on his canvas captivating stories that goes beyond aesthetics.

In his portraiture works, his strong ability to depict human anatomy is evident. He is also able to portray the subject’s character well. This enables his portraitures to go beyond the mere representation of his models’ facial features.

It also allows the audience to assess the character of his models and appreciate their emotions. In both his portraiture works and his paintings of daily living, he pays careful attention to light and shadow, showcasing the three-dimensionality of his works.

Shao Hua’s realist works include the trivialities of daily living, the behaviour of culture and relationships between human. His paintings go beyond being a feast to the eyes, one can be emotionally involved in the world that he depicts and interprets.

Awards and Achievements – Fan Shao Hua

Dr Fan graduated from Guangzhou Art Academy and completed MA at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in Australia and received Ph.D. in Research of Fine Arts at Nanyang Technological University of Singapore.

He held numerous solo exhibitions both locally and overseas such as at Guangdong Art Museum, Shanghai Art Museum, National Art Museum, Guancheng Art Museum and Hong Kong City Hall in China, Taiwan, Korea and Paris.

He received Grand Prize, UOB Competition (2000); Premium Oil Painting Artist Award, Hong Kong World Class Artist Committee (2008); Excellent Award in oil painting, “Tang Shan Grandfather” selected by the International Artists, an American magazine (2007); International Culture Art Fair Award, Korea (2007); Excellent Award “Qiu Qu” selected by the International Artist, an American magazine (2006); Philip Morris ASEAN Art Award for Ink painting (2001); and “Journey”, a ink painting selected as one of the top five entries that represent Singapore in the Winsor and Newton Drawing Competition (1999).

Fan Shao Hua's Artworks Available for Sale: (Click to Enquire With Us!)

Fan Shao Hua Chinese ink painting artwork for sale

Past Art Masterclass Session:

Live Alla Prima Portrait Oil Painting Workshop by Michael Britton:

Detail Information:

Date: Monday, 19 & 26 October and 2 November
Time: 7.30pm – 10pm;
Course fee: $330/3 Session (U.P. $380/3 Session), $140/1 Single Session
All materials are provided.

What you will learn in Art Master Series – Alla Prima Oil Portrait Painting Workshop with Michael Britton

In this Art Masterclass Workshop, you will be using oil to paint portrait from a live model, with the instruction of international master artist Michael Britton. For oil painting enthusiasts, this is an art masterclass you are unable to missed out!

For beginners, you are looking forward to achieved:

Foundation Understanding in Oil Colour, Oil Painting Materials, Oil Painting techniques;
Basics knowledge in observing live model and construct human portrait accurately.

If you are an experienced learners, this workshop is exactly what you need!

Advance Alla Prima oil technique;
Creative use and mixing techniques to achieve unique paint colour;
Intensive study of skin tones and lighting.

Discovering a fascinating way of making oil portrait painting – Alla Prima!

Alla Prima (wet on wet) is a direct painting style where paint is applied wet on wet without letting earlier layer dries. In Italian, the “alla prima” term means “at first attempt”. Originally, Alla Prima is a technique used to paint in one session only to give out a spontaneous and fresh result.

This techniques will not only groom the painter to have fascinate use of oil painting but also build up great understanding of human face’s anatomy. This Art Masterclass Workshop bring you high quality instruction from American master artist Michael Britton, and guidances to help you make it your own skill!

As a master in Alla Prima painting, teacher Michael Britton will be the best lead for you to kickstart your Alla Prima learning journey!

Led by international master artist Michael Britton, this Art Masterclass workshop in Oil Portrait Painting bring you professional quality instruction in executing a unique oil portrait painting – a way you would never expected!

Beside learning foundation techniques in creating oil portrait, you will groom your skills effectively by studying with live model! Each workshop will feature a different model with different postures in order to maximise the learning capability of the lesson.

What’s more is Michael will go through all process of making a portrait painting:

composing face structure,
identify facial characteristic,
mixing colour, and
ways to apply paint on your canvas!

Furthermore, Michael will also demonstrate the techniques in three mediums in successive lessons.

portrait oil painting art masterclass Michael Britton

Visual Arts Centre –

strong & ongoing collaboration with established artists

Visual Arts Centre is an art gallery space and art studio with a strong art programme dedicated to supporting local and international artists. Located in the prime district of Dhoby Ghaut. Next to various art exhibitions and presentations. We’ve also Hosted and featured the Maritime (2016), Transcend (2016) , Japan Society and China Society, just to name a few.

We are dedicated to support and present a strong art exhibition programme to introduce local artists – thus, developing and evolving into these Art Master Series as we strongly believe that having a master class forms a bridge between artists and locals.

Having represented various 2nd & 3rd generated artist since 2012, Asia Arts Collective (AAC) is an art consultant to the needs of corporate. Since 2012, Iola Liu, owner of Asia Art Collective – founder of Visual Arts Centre has worked with multiple artists, which enabled us to bring out this on-going series which includes several art masterclass workshops. Each workshop will cover a specific topic/technique that is unique to the medium. The concept of each class will vary depending on the study subject, which aids to uncover a new perspective of observing, making and appreciating art.

An art masterclass series unable to missed out!

Join our Art Master Series for art masterclass experiences with internationally renowned artists! See You Then!

Our Location

Dhoby Ghaut Art Studio

Address:

10 Penang Road, #01-02 Dhoby Ghaut Green,
Singapore 238469

Exit from Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station Exit B and turn left, we are there in 30m!

VAC Chinatown Art Gallery & Studio

Address:

20B Mosque Street, Singapore (059500)
*2 minutes walk from Chinatown MRT Station Exit A

Take a left turn upon exiting the Chinatown MRT Station Exit A (Pagoda Street). Make a right turn at Bee Cheng Hiang store to go to Mosque Street. Finally, take a right at Mosque Street to walk to 20B Mosque Street.