#bakarina

So I use my yapping sessions for various reasons such as to write down my current thoughts at the time of doing the piece, like stuff I felt like I could improve upon, what I liked, what worked for me, etc. etc. It's like a diary for me. One of the things I'd like to do is to give recommend stuff that works for me. This case being watercolor paper.

If you watch Mr.Scott's videos (@ssavaart), paper is more important that the pigment/watercolor. A paper that can handle a lot of pigment and paper is ideal like an Arches watercolor paper or maybe a Canson or 100% cotton paper. However, I very much know that these paper are expensive, especially for people living in countries in the Global South or developing countries where the cost of living and imported goods are much higher but the wages and benefits are low. A single sheet of Arches watercolor paper can reach up to 255 PHP in Shopee and a whole pad/block can reach +1500 PHP. That's not affordable for most people. Canson and Strathmore and Berkeley are much affordable but will still make a lot of people like me hesitant. Not to mention, most of these brands can only be bought in National Bookstore—in malls—and not that easily bought in local bookstores (in my country). Whenever I'm trying out new supplies, I'd like to say my thoughts on them. It may not be the most well-articulated (or comprehensive :p) review but I hope it can help you.

So here goes :3

So this is the Bomeijia Water Color Pad. They come in three sizes but I used the A4 sized one. I don't know if they are available in malls or National Bookstore but I see them in local Pandayan Bookstores. It cost me around ~290 PHP if I remember correctly.

It actually handles water very well and the pigment appears very vibrant here (note that I am using a Seamiart watercolor paint). I don't know if it's due to my technique or the hot Philippine weather but I find that water dries up very quickly when using this and it can handle a relatively large amount of pigment. It doesn't also get muddy too quickly and the paper doesn't get flimsy or pill or tear apart when using lots of water. It also doesn't warp that easily (still warps when using lots of water all over but just tape it down and it'll not warp to the point that the tape can't handle it)

It also doesn't yellow very easily. I kept this in a brown cardboard box (like the box where snacks are packed before being sold in grocery stores) under the bed with the other supplies so it might be also because it in usually in the dark. Most of my other unsealed sketchbooks have yellowed under the bed while this one stayed relatively unyellowed though. Even my finished works using this paper have not yellowed.

I have not tested if using an eraser (or kneaded erasers) ruins the paper but I don't want to test it because I've come to use this and the Motarro Watercolor paper of the same GSM whenever I'm creating a serious piece and not just a practice piece. And they do cost ~297 PHP for 12 sheets (and not to mention, Pandayan runs out of stock and they take a long time to restock them so I have to look for it in different branches in different municipalities).

It is a watercolor pad glued down on the top side but you can somewhat turn it into somewhat like a watercolor block by taping it down using masking tape or something that won't tear the paper. It leaves you with a nice white border if you painted on the sides. Like this.

I got a new watercolor paper. Watercolor pad actually. And I’m actually surprised at how I don’t have to tape down the edges so that it wouldn’t warp when wet (it’s a Berkeley Watercolor Pad).

I really love Hamefura if you cannot tell (because I rarely post about it in my main blog). I used to call it Destruction Otome back when it only had the original light novel and a friend recommended it to me and I read it on Wattpad.

I used to wish. and pray. and WHINE. BEND OVER to my friends back in Grade 8 highschool in 2017 that I want Hamefura to have an anime adaptation soooo badly, they said it wouldn’t happen and you can guess how fucking happy I am that an anime adaptation actually happened.

Hamefura is honestly one of the first isekai that I read (that is typically seen as isekai) and first otome isekai and reincarnation isekai. And honestly, very based of me. I could do much much much worse. The characters are great. My baby Katarina is great. I love them. They’re my babies. What more can I say? I would do a 1000+ essay but I ran out of words after making my friends’ ears bleed talking about it (sorry Vera)

Anyway enjoy this Bakarina offering

Alternate versions:

Dos:

OCs/real people

Nudity but not sexual in nature (think classical paintings)

Male and Female (though I have more experience with fem subjects)

Fandoms

Ships (of any kind, canonxself or canonxcanon or canonxoc)

NSFW but still up for discussion

Don’ts:

Mechas

Animals (I can only do stylized doodles)

Furry (same reason as the animal reason, I do not have much experience drawing them)

Gore (includes wounds and mutilation, just blood is ok but you can still inquire just to be sure)

Overtly muscular subjects

Complicated poses

Please provide references. I will be sending one progress report for every “step” (rough sketch>cleaned up sketch>lineart> color sketch>watercolor rendering). That said, I will not send a progress report for sketch commissions.

Dos:

OCs/real people

Nudity but not sexual in nature (think classical paintings)

Male and Female (though I have more experience with fem subjects)

Fandoms

Ships (of any kind, canonxself or canonxcanon or canonxoc)

NSFW but still up for discussion

Don’ts:

Mechas

Animals (I can only do stylized doodles)

Furry (same reason as the animal reason, I do not have much experience drawing them)

Gore (includes wounds and mutilation, just blood is ok but you can still inquire just to be sure)

Overtly muscular subjects

Complicated poses

Please provide references. I will be sending one progress report for every “step” (rough sketch>cleaned up sketch>lineart> color sketch>watercolor rendering). That said, I will not send a progress report for sketch commissions.