As I was sketching the piece above, a bamboo pole fell from a high-rise housing block and landed beside me. A shout of warning from some lady came later. I was really lucky the pole didn't hit me.

Usually, in my subconscious mind, I would choose a relatively safe location to sketch. In this case, I picked a spot further away from the building. That is probably why I'm still alive now to give out this first tip: Draw in a safe place. Don't get yourself injured or killed while sketching outdoors.

Don't sit on the roadside. You can't even begin to imagine how crazy some drivers can be.

Nothing is more important than staying safe.