I started to take a bad habit.
Looking ay my phone or Ipad when I get bored.
And it happens multiple times in a day.

Besides that,
I am also part of people who think that kids today shouldn’t play at Angry bird, but instead playing marbles or hide and seek.

I have the nostalgia of the period where we only need our imagination to entertain ourselves.

Street art of Penang Note Pad
Street art of Penang Note Pad + a pen = 1$

TIP#51 Never get bored anymore with 1$

I reached Penang today, a pretty city of Malaysia famous for its Street art full of humor. I took my camera, a tripod and my phone to cover the city.

Bruce Lee Street Art at Penang Malaysia
Bruce Lee kicking a cat – Street Art at Penang Malaysia

I didn’t bring any sketchbook to lighten myself as I should have brink a bag to put it in. Then, I saw an office furniture shop.

I stopped by and buy that ballpoint pen and a “pocket notebook” for 1$ only.

When I needed a break, I entered a Coffee.
So instead of feeling bored and getting my phone from my pocket,
I took that notebook and I sketched.


Look attentively at this picture.
Do you see anything?

Cycling at Penang - Street Art
BEFORE/AFTER: THE LITTLE BOY WAS SO HAPPY. NOW WE RATHER SPEND TIME ON OUR PHONE.

Sketching creates emulsion in your brain where you only have to face yourself.

Some people assimilate drawing as meditation.
I can’t agree more.

I guess that to take a break, it is much a better option than instant chatting and checking information on one’s phone that we’ll end to forget the day or the minute later.

See also  5 Designer Tips to Select a Ballpoint Pen That Will Elevate Your Artwork

Instead, I have created something that I can keep!
I am tempted to say that no matter how cheap is your book note, your imagination is priceless.

Some Y-3 Adidas sneakers with a wedge.penang-malaysia-theDesignsketchbook-f
CHOU-TAC CHUNG – Mid-wedge Y-3 Adidas

penang-malaysia-theDesignsketchbook-e
CHOU-TAC CHUNG – High-wedge Y-3 Adidas

Here is an other evolution of sneakers from a basic to more sophisticated.
penang-malaysia-theDesignsketchbook-d
CHOU-TAC CHUNG – Low cut Adidas performance Basic

penang-malaysia-theDesignsketchbook-c
CHOU-TAC CHUNG – Low cut Adidas performance Mid-Range

penang-malaysia-theDesignsketchbook-b
CHOU-TAC CHUNG – Low cut Adidas performance Pro

Penang is actually the city where the famous designer Jimmy Choo learned how to make shoes. I should draw some sandals :).

Do not hesitate to leave a comment. See you guys for the next tip! Oh, I will soon upload some live videos of some of the sketches above. Tomorrow should be fine.

2 comments

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  • Nice post Chou-Tac Chung, next time I am traveling I will take my sketch book out and make some sketches instead of checking Face Book or emails on my phone. We are so distracted now with having access to the online world in our pockets, I am trying to give up technology every Sunday for the next month.

    Looking forward to the videos and the starter kit :)

Hello! I'm Chou-Tac, a Product Designer from France.

If the sketching methods I’ve acquired aid me in my life and in my industrial design career, I believe that they can also help you reach your dream goal as a student or professional designer.

Leave a comment in the blog or send me an email at choutac@thedesignsketchbook.com : )

Chou-Tac

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  • Chou-Tac: “Hi Adrian, We are in 2025, and I am re-reading my article. :) The example I gave here: Some applicants…Jun 25, 18:33
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