Haw Par Villa (12 Jul 2014)

This is Haw Par Villa, a theme park in Singapore. The original name was Tiger Balms Garden. It used to be a ticketed venue but it didn't do well and it closed down. After renovations, it's now open to the public again, for free. It's just beside the MRT station so it's real convenient to visit.

I haven't been there for over two decades. I still remember fondly that how frightened I was as a kid while walking through the 10 Gates of Hell exhibition. Many of the exhibits there are quite violent. Beheaded heads on rocks, weasels with legs chopped off, monkeys with guns (not Planet of the Apes) and many more peculiar scenes of fighting and torture. It was supposed to teach kids to behave themselves so that they won't be subjected to such treatment in their afterlife.

This was the line art that I drew that day. There were too many mosquitoes there and they forced me to add the colours at home.

The paper is Strathmore 300 series Coldpress with Sennelier watercolours. I'm still using the new Escoda Versatil watercolour brushes and they feel real good.