Singaporean artist sketched the world after quitting his job

A Singaporean artist has launched a book which showcases his various sketches from 14 different countries after he and his wife quit their jobs to travel around Asia and Europe.

Mr James Tan and his wife Joanne decided to commemorate the half-way point of their lives by seeing as much of the world as they could when they both turned 40.

Mr Tan, then a creative director, and his writer spouse resigned from their jobs and began their far-flung adventure in March 2013.

With the help of Mrs Tan, the 43-year-old, who now works as an illustrator, put together a 282-page book entitled The World is So Big.

Speaking to The New Paper, Mr Tan said: "We just decided that when we turned 40, we should do something different as a half-way point, given that a person's average lifespan is around 80 years.

"We probably took around three months to decide what we wanted to do, which was to see the world before we are too old."

James and Joanne in Kotor, Montenegro. PHOTO COURTESY OF MR JAMES TAN

To kickstart their epic voyage, the couple bought a one-way ticket to Taiwan.

Travelling by land, air and sea, Mr and Mrs Tan's travels took them to Japan, South Korea, Turkey, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovakia, Czech, Republic Austria, Germany, Denmark, Poland and Thailand before returning home last September.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MR JAMES TAN

Recalling his most memorable moment of the trip, Mr Tan said: "We stayed at a most wonderful guesthouse in Dubrovnik, Croatia where the owner regaled us with war stories on the siege of the old city while sharing their home cooked meals with us.

"The generosity and kindness of the people there was the most memorable in the various countries we had been to."

Among his sketches, Mr Tan reckons that the ones he did during the May Day protests in Istanbul were his favourites.

He said: "I managed to stand near by and drew the riot police forming a barricade when the protesters turned rowdy and smoke bombs were thrown in the distance.

"That felt more immediate and real as I tried to capture the scene."

PHOTO COURTESY OF MR JAMES TAN

While they initially planned to extend their trip by visiting Russia before taking the Trans-Siberian Railway to China, visa difficulties scuppered their plans.

Even though their trip was cut short, the couple are already talking about their next adventure together.

"We've talked about covering South America but we don't have any concrete plans yet," said Mr Tan.

"That will be the most likely choice for our next destination – and it will be cheaper too!"

Scroll down for more of Mr Tan's artwork from his travels.

The World is So Big: An artist's sketchbook by James is available in hardcover at Basheer Graphic Books at Bras Basah Complex for $35.