SINGAPORE — As street artist James Lim pulled out his watercolour materials and began deftly drawing a portrait of me at the bayside of Esplanade, I was struck by how much his demeanour and aura changed from the 37-year-old man I met just minutes ago.

His brush strokes were confident, quick and precise. In just under 10 minutes, he was already putting finishing touches on the cartoon-esque caricature, then proclaiming to me proudly that the sketch is complete.

His persona as a serious craftsman at work was a far cry from the camera-shy introvert he claimed to be when we first introduced ourselves to each other last week.

Said the full-time creative designer who works in the banking industry: "In my free time, I like to draw on my sketchbook people on the streets, and then giving them the piece of drawing that I did for them."

During our conversation that followed, I learned that it was through art, not words, that Mr Lim relies on to connect with people on a deeper level.

On his TikTok and Instagram accounts, Mr Lim, going by the respective handles jamesethosklaus and james.ek, is known for doing guerilla-style street sketches of unsuspecting strangers and then giving away the illustrations to them for free.

He then films their happy reactions to his gesture.

He has drawn hundreds of strangers, including hawkers, train commuters, and most recently, a Singapore Airlines flight attendant. Mr Lim has also sketched Mediacorp television artiste Kym Ng after meeting her by chance at a restaurant. 

In all, his videos have amassed well over a million views, and he has around 17,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram. 

Besides sketching people, Mr Lim also draws food and landscapes, though his human portraits gain the most traction among netizens.

But his viral videos hide the fact that approaching each subject were unnerving experiences for him.

Watching him stumble over words during a video interview with TODAY, I thought that he was clearly more comfortable with a brush than with a microphone.

Mr Lim said drawing random people was how he was able to overcome his shy nature. 

"I’m an introvert, so I try to practise and gain more confidence in what I do. So I think recording my process and engaging with people is a good way to build confidence and courage," he said. 

HOW IT ALL BEGAN

For a long time, Mr Lim could not summon the courage to give away his drawings when he initially began sketching random strangers, because he was not sure how they would react.

That was until August 2020, when he illustrated a food stall at Pek Kio Food Centre, one of his favourite drawing spots.

When he showed the drawing to the stall owner, she excitedly asked him to draw her instead, recalled Mr Lim. 

The hawker was “ecstatic” when he finally gave her his completed sketch of her, adding that she went around to other stall owners to show them the portrait.

Since then, drawing became a way for Mr Lim to thank people for their service and hard work.

“My intention of drawing people, especially service crews and hawker owners, is to tell them that ‘Hey, people are looking out for you. And despite your long, busy working hours, people are thankful for what you have done, and this is my way of showing you my thanks’,” he said.

Nevertheless, there are also people who mistake him for trying to sell insurance or hit on them. 

“But that’s not my intention. I draw for the sake of acknowledging them,” he said, adding that his hobby became a serious pursuit after he joined Urban Sketchers Singapore, the Singapore chapter of an international art community that organises monthly outings to draw urban scenes.

GENEROSITY 'COMPLETES' HIS ARTISTIC PROCESS

One of his most-viewed posts on social media is a short-form video of Mr Lim giving a Singapore Airlines flight attendant a drawing of her. The video, posted on July 13, has over 340,000 views on TikTok and Instagram. 

Her exuberant reaction warmed the hearts of many netizens. "If this happens to me, I would cry," said one commentator to the video post. 

Another said Mr Lim's gesture resonated with her: "As an ex-cabin crew, I can understand how she felt on her first supernumerary flight. You did well and definitely made her day!".

Mr Lim said that particular encounter was one of his most memorable interactions.

“It was a pure coincidence because it was her first supernumerary flight. I hope it makes her happy and pushes her to do her best in the future,” he said.

A supernumerary flight is a part of a cabin crew's training process meant to help new crew members get used to their various duties while in the air.

On another occasion last December, he encountered Singaporean show host and actress Kym Ng.

“My heart was throbbing... because I’m a big fan of her. My hand was shaking while I was drawing her,” he recalled. 

Ms Ng was "very surprised and happy" when she received his unexpected drawing, said Mr Lim, adding that he had to take several deep breaths before he was able to muster up courage to approach her. 

Asked about giving his art away, he agreed that it is important for any artist to want to build a collection of his work.

But for Mr Lim, sometimes, the action of giving art away completes his artistic process. 

“I feel like it’s not necessary to keep all my drawings. If one piece of my drawing can make someone happy today, then that makes me happy as well,” he said. 

He eventually hopes to hold an exhibition of his drawings to “promote local culture and inspire others through art”, said Mr Lim.

But for now, Mr Lim plans to continue growing his social media presence and widen his reach to a global audience. 

“I think humanity needs art to thrive, to fill in the gaps in our lives and to make everything more interesting and beautiful,” he said.