Lords of the Ring

Last April I was commissioned to come up with 2 new artworks for Rogue Magazine. The article is entitled 'Lords of the Ring', and is about Manila's underground fight clubs.
I had this scratchboard style that I have been practicing a few months ago and I thought it will be perfect for this kind of topic. The idea is to sketch on paper, scan it then invert it in Photoshop. I came up with a number of sketches and instead of picking just two to go with, I scanned everything and decided to composite them over the main visual.

I then added some more elements in Photoshop. I also played with the composition of the piece, mainly because I want to veer away from the current layouts that I use.

The digital brush set that I have been using for a long time now is fox_orian's illustration brush set. I kinda got comfortable already with the weight of the brushes, and I think it suits my style.

Here are the artworks.

Long time No See

Here's a preview of 2 of my artworks coming out next month for a magazine :)

My Photoblog

I have started a photoblog because I want to kickstart my photography hobby again, and also because I want to document my life using photos. I needed someplace quiet to publish it and share it with everyone, and not have it mix in with my illustrations here. So here it is: Gaktikol SHOOTS

I'm not abandoning illustration, that is impossible, I'm just starting another thing to think about, as if I've got nothing better to do.

Big Sky Hanz

Big Sky Hanz is a new side character in my upcoming comic book, Disco Circo & The Blinding Liwanags. He's roughly based on the bartender from a local dive that we used to go to years ago. In my story, he's in charge of an outdoor stall that gives away free, ice-cold beer to whoever wants it. :)

This was drawn on an iPad, using a bamboo stylus and the procreate app.

NINOY Sketch

Here are frames of an animated sketch of Ninoy that we used for a video documentary on Benigno Aquino Jr.

I have always known that I'm not good at portraits, so I had to look up several images of Ninoy and pick which pose I'll copy. As in the exact pose, I can't create a new pose or else I'll risk ending up with a portrait of somehow I do not know. :)

Tiya Azucena

Tiya Azucena is a minor character in my comic book story Disco Circo & The Blinding Liwanags. She is one of the many vendors of supernatural stuff that have set up shop on the outskirts of Rayos.

Done with an iPad!

Ali Beep Bop

Newly-designed Ali Beep Bop. Drawn with iPad

Ali Beep Bop is a long-time character of mine, and now I'm using him as a minor character in my comic book story Disco Circo & The Blinding Liwanags. Below is the first drawing I had of him back in 2006, as a Bebop-obsessed Russian Fairy. I know, I don't know where I come up with these categories.

Old Ali Beep Bop from 2006

I had to redesign him and make his face a bit more 'localized', so now he's wearing tsinelas/slippers, his wings are small and like that of a tutubi/dragonfly,  and a bit more slender built (but still with the beer belly) like a true sunog-baga / drunkard :)