Perelandran Chronicles

Moleskine Art: Kawaii

2012-01-30T02:13:00.001+08:00

Kyary Pamyu Pamyu

Logo Design: CAMP@50

2012-01-27T10:07:00.003+08:00

This year will be the University of the Philippines Manila College of Allied Medical Profession’s (UPM-CAMP) 50th Anniversary. CAMP has undergone dramatic changes from the time of its establishment in 1962 to what it is today. After 50 years since its founding, its pursuit of academic excellence and its dedication to serve the Filipino people have been the guiding pillars of the School. These goals shaped the School as one of the premier institutions in the country that offers degree programs in the professions of Occupational Therapy (OT), Physical Therapy (PT), and Speech Pathology (SP) and post-graduate programs like MRS, MRS-SP, MClinAud and MPT. And just recently, the college has finally found a new home in its own building.

As a graduate and having been a faculty member for 10 years, CAMP has been a very important part of my life. I am so indebted for the all the wonderful memories, uplifting knowledge, skills and experiences. One cannot deny that the most amazing people of the country belong and were produced by this college. Sure it is something to be called a graduate of CAMP (considering how tough it is to graduate) but where else can find a college that respects each of its constituent for everything you are, molding you not only to become the best OT, PT or SP, but allowing you to grow with your other talents as well (singer, writer or artist, or whatever unconventional skill you might have). So it was with great pleasure for me to create the seal of CAMP, and this time, to design the commemorative logo of CAMP’s golden anniversary.

Dean Cabatan sent me all the necessary information I need to work with. The theme is: “CAMP @50: Aiming Higher -- toward greater relevance and stronger leadership”. The seal and the whole text should be included in the whole logo set. One of the informal guidelines I have when creating a commemorative logo is that it should look good enough for you to wear it. And of course, when you wear a logo, it should be flashy enough for people to notice you and easy enough to identify with the message.

I wanted “50” to be the main highlight of the whole design, incorporating the graphical elements within its outline. Celebration was what I have in mind, and though the drawing looks random, each swirl and swoosh represents an aspect of the chosen theme. I had to keep it simple as well to facilitate printing in all forms.

The CAMP seal will be conveniently placed inside the “0” and the text are placed around in simple but elegant NeueHelvetica font.

Of course, gold is the theme color, so I used different shades of yellow and orange in the logo. Good enough to wear?

Here is how the logo might look like in shirt form (I soooo hope CAMP has the budget to make these shirts):

Happy 50 years CAMP!

The Water Dragon

2012-01-23T21:03:00.003+08:00

"Water has a calming effect on the Dragon's fearless temperament. Water allows the Dragon to re-direct its enthusiasm, and makes him more perceptive of others. These Dragons are better equipped to take a step back to re-evaluate a situation because they understand the art of patience and do not desire the spotlight like other Dragons. Therefore, they make smart decisions and are able to see eye-to-eye with other people. However, their actions can go wrong if they do not research or if they do not finish one project before starting another."

Gong Xi Fa Cai / Gong Hey Fat Choy!

Logo Design: 6th APOTC (Philippine Bid)

2012-01-23T17:05:00.003+08:00

The Occupational Therapy Association of the Philippines, Inc. (OTAP, Inc.) will be celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2015 and to commemorate this milestone, the OTAP would like to have the honor of hosting the 2015 Asia Pacific Occupational Therapy Conference and the Asia Pacific Occupational Therapy Regional Group Meeting. In their words, “It would be a fitting way, not only for the OTAP to celebrate with the world, but more importantly, to share with the world the unique brand of Filipino occupational therapy." I was asked by the organization to create a logo to accompany their bid for the 6^th APOTC Congress.

“Moving Forward with the World” is the slogan they chose and wanted to focus on the Bayanihan spirit that Filipinos are known for. They came up with an idea to use a stylized bahay kubo with four people at each corner carrying the bahay kubo. Bandaritas need to be used in the logo since we will be using this in our booth in Chiangmai. They sent me a sketch to explain further how they want the logo to look like.

Now, this was a rush job since they were pressed with time to come up with the necessary documents and media for the event, so any form of direction is truly appreciated. However, the theme is in a way difficult to execute, without making it look too traditional. And since the instructions were pretty focused, I am required to include specific graphical elements in the logo: bahay kubo, 4 people and bandaritas. The challenge is how to keep the logo look uncluttered even if it will be full of details.

I worked on developing their concept, but instead of approaching it in 3D (as their sketch suggested), I invested on fitting all the elements within a tile. This will be the main graphical tile where the other elements of the logo will be based on.

I used this tile within "15" (which was a mistake, since I thought then it was the 15^th Congress. It was the 6^th to be held on year 2015) and played around with some text.

I still had enough time to enhance the logo, so I added highlights and effects (such as the basket weave background, drop shadows and gradients), and framed this within a stamp. I imagined it would be cool to have the logo packaged in a vintage looking stamp, where all merchandise bearing this stamp. Old Manila style.

Here is the final logo.

Unfortunately, the organization’s bid didn’t make it. But I heard that the Philippine delegation put up quite a fight against the winning country. It’s just a matter of time when APOTC will realize this: “Occupational Therapy. It’s more fun in the Philippines!”

Logo Design: Radiate Inc.

2012-01-23T15:13:00.002+08:00

Radiate Inc. is an upcoming media company that will focus on film production and photography. Still in its beginning stages, the company needed a preliminary logo that they can work with. I was given much freedom with regards to its design, but basically they wanted it to be simple and relevant.

The first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of the word “RADIATE” is light. Sources of light, such as the sun, a light bulb, a candle, a firefly are all examples of what could be ideal graphical themes for the company’s logo. However, almost every company that has a name with references to light has a logo with different variations of these, tucked within a convenient frame or cleverly positioned over a letter. I wanted to offer something unique for this company. I came up with three initial concepts, after selecting a unique font which I think represents creativity and modern innovation. The first is a play on the negative spaces of the letters. Luckily, the central letter of the word RADIATE is the letter I, a very dynamic letter which can be modified to form a graphic. Since, I wanted to avoid using the cliché, I represented light in an indirect manner. Imagine, you’re inside a dark room and you came upon this door (Concept 2), and slowly you open it up, and bright light rushes in! (Concept 3).

They instantly like the idea, so I developed the concept further, adding shadow effects. I even suggested that the logo could be animated (ala movie opening credits where they show the production company’s logos). So simple, it can work on its own in monochrome. Colors and other special effects can be added should they decide to expand and diversify.

The final design

Logo Design: LazyBob

2012-01-23T08:39:00.002+08:00

LazyBob is a company that sells and installs swimming pools and automatic lawn movers. The name of the company is a bit unusual, and the owners chose it because it sounds fun, easy to remember and is also a bit "provocative". The word "lazy" have two meanings in the company name. According to the owners, the name stands for:

“The first and most obvious one is that we provide products and services to people who prefer to have a nice time at the pool rather than spending time working with their garden, i.e. they can be seen as a bit lazy. The second meaning of the word "lazy" is that we as a company will use the best possible products and methods when performing our services in order to do it as fast as possible - in order for us to work as little as possible, i.e. we can be seen as lazy. In the end this is of course a positive thing for the customer since the cost for the service will be low. The name Bob also has two meanings, it can either be the staff that performs the services (building pool, cleaning roof etc) or customer himself who enjoys a nice moment at the pool while the automatic lawn movers takes care of the grass and a worker (Bob) cleans his roof.”

There are numerous approaches to creating this logo. One of the things I thought of was creating a mascot which will also act as their main logo. However, research shows that in their business, most companies are already using characters to represent their company. Generally, character design is complicated and time-consuming, and may be beyond their budget. I settled for creating a simple crest or text-based design with minimal graphical elements. The crest works very well in different media. These were the studies for the logo:

The owner opted for the rectangular emblem (to my relief) to be developed further. To highlight each word of the company’s name, and to add more character to the text, I used different fonts. The background features their two main services, pool and grass services.

And the final design, in a dark background.

Murakamiesque 6

2012-01-13T15:59:00.002+08:00

"Air Chrysalis"

A scene from Haruki Murakami's latest novel 1Q84. You have to read it to believe it.

Jeepney Nightmares

2011-12-14T14:47:00.002+08:00

I hate nightmares. I really do.

Bonifacio

2011-12-14T14:28:00.001+08:00

“Bonifacio” celebrates Bonifacio Day held every November 30. Unlike other commemorative days , his is the only day where we celebrate on his birthday. The others are celebrated on their dates of death. Highly respected, but little do people know about him. Oftentimes, the limited knowledge the people know of him are already tainted with controversies and rumors. Published previously at the Manila Bulletin’s AngI.n.K. corner last November 26, 2011.

…Face Tomorrow With Hope

2011-08-03T00:07:00.000+08:00

We are resilient. We rise from the ashes of poverty and face tomorrow with HOPE!

This feels like a prequel to a piece I made for “Your Heart Today: Ninoy and Cory In Art”, a joint project by Ortigas Foundation, Inc., Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation and Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang I.n.K.) which will exhibit artwork renditions of select writings of Ninoy and Cory Aquino. The exhibit will be on view from August 3, 2011 to September 3, 2011 at the Ortigas Foundation Library, 2^nd Floor Ortigas Building (Ortigas corner Meralco Ave.).

My piece for the exhibit entitled “Heroism Unleashed” was inspired from a quote from Essential Cory Aquino: Sustaining Stewardship of People Power:

“We need to focus on helping the individual recover his or her sense of dignity and self-worth. In other words, before we can realize strength in numbers, we must first unlock the full human potential of every Filipino trapped in the debilitating culture of poverty. Empowering the individual is akin to unleashing the nuclear energy in an atom—ultimately it energizes the entire community.”

Here’s a preview, but you’ll have to visit the exhibit to view the whole along with the other exceptional artworks of Ang I.n.K. members.

The Tau Manifesto

2011-07-28T15:05:00.003+08:00

This is based on Michael Hartl's The Tau Manifesto which is dedicated to one of the most important numbers in mathematics, perhaps the most important: the circle constant relating the circumference of a circle to its linear dimension. For millennia, the circle has been considered the most perfect of shapes, and the circle constant captures the geometry of the circle in a single number. Of course, the traditional choice of circle constant is Pi but, as mathematician Bob Palais notes in his delightful article “Pi Is Wrong!”, Pi is wrong. It’s time to set things right." I can't remember how I came about this article, but the geek in me naturally drew me to read and understand this. And I must say, it is very convincing! Now, I realize why trigonometry seemed a little off and illogical, and I could only wish that my teachers then used tau instead of pi. Things could have been a lot easier to understand, and a lot of us could have loved math a lot more. I wished I was able to finish this Moleskine entry on June 28 which coincidentally is Tau Day!

MyMoleskine and “The Glassblower’s Apprentice” (Study)

2011-07-28T14:46:00.005+08:00

This is just a study for "The Glassblower's Apprentice,” a piece I hope to be chosen for an upcoming exhibit. I’ve always been fascinated by the magical nature of glass and the craftsmen at Murano, Italy seem to conjure magic in every piece of glassware they create. I’m still trying to figure out how to properly execute the effect of glass in a painting form. The final piece may look totally different as I try to explore various styles to execute this.

I uploaded the drawing as well to Moleskine’s MyMoleskine gallery, which they describe as “the best place where you can find and share the most beautiful creations made on a Moleskine notebook.” So if you own a Moleskine, and make art in it, that place may be a nice venue to showcase your talent.

AngI.n.K. Corner: Unnatural Expeditions

2011-07-02T10:13:00.004+08:00

"Unnatural Expeditions" features some of the characters I created for my tumblr site: Visoliluquy where I post doodles from my little drawing notebook. I try to post as much as time allows. This is also a special tribute to my colleagues at Quality Life Discoveries, who are represented here in their alter-ego animal forms. Published today at the Manila Bulletin's AngI.n.K. corner (page E-2).

AngI.n.K. Corner: A Student's Life

2011-07-02T09:49:00.003+08:00

"A Student's Life" is another collaboration with my sister, Sigrid who wrote the poem for this piece. This was published in Manila Bulletin's AngI.n.K. Corner last April 16, 2011.

Logo Design: Wolfe Landing LLC

2011-05-29T11:25:00.003+08:00

Usual logo depictions of a wolf more often than not exude fierceness, aggression and dominance. These themes are very appropriate for sports teams and tattoos. But sometimes, the wolf image is required in a logo without necessarily portraying these themes. For instance, a logo for a real estate company or a home community, which would focus on tranquility, carefree living and comfort. In a project I recently did, I was required to develop a logo for Wolfe Landing. The specifications were very simple: I only needed to have an image of a wolf, and the name "Wolfe" and that it should have a similar feel to earlier logos I made for them (Eden Park Homes and Fairfax Park). Pressed for time, they wanted me to come up with my own design and proceed immediately with vector work. Cool! The challenge I faced in creating this logo was how to portray the wolf in a manner that focuses on the positive aspects that is appropriate for such a company: privilege, freedom, dignity and respect. I knew that I can avoid the ferocity of the wolf by entirely using curves in the graphic (notice that most other wolf logos utilizes sharp lines). I had to select a dignified posture for the head of the wolf and work the curves from there. For the text, I chose Optima as the preferred font, simple yet elegant. I provided them with variations of the same logo. And luckily, they immediately accepted this design with no revision at all!

Logo Design: Maluka Produce

2011-05-28T15:07:00.004+08:00

Maluka Produce is a wholesale/retail business dedicated to delivering fresh local fruit and vegetables. They are located in Noosaville, QLD (Australia) and the owners wanted a logo that was clean and industrial, matching the industrial area in which their headquarters is located. As part of my creative pitch for them, I mentioned that the logo they will be needing would look best as an icon, either simple, minimalist or detailed but nature-based. Researching on the word "MALUKA", I discovered that it meant "Queen" and/or "Flower" in some cultures and "Work of God" in others. I thought of combining these key words and infusing these in the graphic, something that evokes cornucopia (bounty) and royalty. It turned out that the name Maluka is a combination of Matt and Luke, the names of the owners (but they did appreciate the research, and it turned out, these were the things they wanted in their logo as well!). As for the text, the themes would be minimalism – evoking cleanliness, freshness and health… thin, clean lines; or whimsy – evoking bountiful, freshness, wealth… thick, curvy, nature, wavy lines and modernism – evoking relevance, cleanliness, modern… thick, power, industrial lines. I provided them with these initial sketches:

Among these, they wanted to go with the minimalist stamp approach. I then proceeded with vector work, providing them with numerous options for the icon, among which they selected to develop the "leaf" concept.

As can be seen above, the developments included revisions in design elements (removing unnecessary embellishments and maintaining simplicity and minimalism in the icon) and color. Ultimately, the final design was reached and packaged to fit their needs. Maluka Produce is in www.malukaproduce.com and Facebook: Maluka Produce . All the fresh and healthy fruits in their store now has made me hungry…

Murakamiesque 5

2011-05-22T16:04:00.003+08:00

Inspired from Haruki Murakami's "A Wild Sheep Chase", a story about a man's unusual adventure that leads him on a hunt for a mysterious sheep that seems to have powers to control the world. It is filled with quirky characters including a girl with magically seductive ears (that can increase the quality of sex a thousand-fold! woah!), a strange man that wears sheep clothing and many more.

Aristophanes and Eleven Minutes

2011-05-22T15:36:00.000+08:00

If you like Paulo Coelho and is quite familiar with most of his works, then it will be very easy for you to say that his novel Eleven Minutes comes as a unique story. First of all, Coelho apologizes in the preface saying that the theme of the book might be too "harsh, difficult and shocking". The book talks about sex, true love and passion but through the eyes of a young prostitute named Maria. We follow her journey in looking for true love even in the context of her unusual profession. The title actually is based on her observation that it only takes on average eleven minutes for the whole sex act to transpire.

There are many interesting moments in the book, but one of these that I loved is when Ralf, one of Maria's lovers, explains why one person always seems to seek the love of another, seeking a sense of fulfillment and oneness:

"According to him [Plato], at the beginning of creation, men and women were not as they are now; there was just one being, who was rather short, with a body and a neck, but his head had two faces, looking in different directions. It was as if two creatures had been glued back to back, with two sets of sex organs, four legs and four arms.

"The Greek gods, however, were jealous, because this creature with four arms work harder; with its two faces, it was always vigilant and could not be taken by surprise; and its four legs meant that it could stand or walk for long periods at a time without tiring. Even more dangerous was the fact that the creature had two different sets of sex organs and so needed no one else in order to continue reproducing.

"Zeus, the supreme lord of Olympus, said: 'I have a plan to make these mortals lose some of their strength.'

"And he cut the creature in two with a lightning bolt, thus creating man and woman. This greatly increased the population of the world, and, at the same time, disoriented and weakened its inhabitants, because now they had to search for their lost half and embrace it and, in that embrace, regain their former strength, their ability to avoid betrayal and the stamina to walk for long periods of time and to withstand hard work. That embrace in which the two bodies re-fuse to become one again is what we call sex."

- Ralf Hart (from Paulo Coelho's Eleven Minutes)

This is actually derived from Aristophanes' Speech in Plato's Symposium where various philosophers debate about the nature of Love and human interaction. Here is a video featuring the whole speech.

The art I made above features the mythical creature (the proto-man) rendered in a more human (rather than the egg shaped creature in the animation) approach. After I drew this (initially in my Monologue notebook), I realized how it serves as a reversal of an earlier Moleskine spread I made. Thus, I went along with the reversal, using colors similar to the earlier version.

Sharpener

2011-05-22T11:23:00.003+08:00

Lead sharpeners, pencil sharpeners… sharpen your pencils all you want, but what you really need is to sharpen your mind.

The Duhat Tree

2011-04-07T07:51:00.000+08:00

Every year our house is blessed with an abundant supply of giant duhat (java plum). Never has our duhat tree failed to produce extremely sweet and dark pulpy fruits. I often wondered how could such a small tree create an overflowing amount of fruits! And not just quantity, but the quality is so excellent you can swear it tastes better than any market can sell. My dad gave me an explanation, but it was never direct. He just told me, "Ever wondered where I buried all our pets who died?" I remembered all the dogs and cats we cried over when the life left them, but we never asked our dad where he buried their bodies. I look at the duhat tree and from the trunk I trained my eyes to the ground, and though I couldn't actually see what's under, I imagined the roots trailing deep under and around the corpses of our pets long gone. It's almost sacrificial in the manner that the bodies each root has taken hold of has given life to the tree and the seasons of bounty it has endured. I eat the duhat fruit as a tribute to each of the pet our family has loved and taken care of.

Logo Design: The Cheer-Up Squad

2011-03-13T18:50:00.002+08:00

I love creating logos that just by looking at them, you can't help but smile. I recently made this logo for an organization, and this logo literally has a smile in it. The organization is called 'The Cheer up Squad' and they are a professional team of dedicated members that go around visiting the sick and elderly, cheering them up in all kinds of amazing ways. They wanted something colorful and playful with character but it should remain classy and very professional. Based on experience, the look of a logo like this can either look creative or silly, and there's a fine thin line between the two.

As I often do when I start creative projects like this, I presented the client with at least three initial concepts (colored versions using marker pens). The image below shows the sketches on the left, and the corresponding digital version on the right. It is quite evident in all versions that I have become fixated with the use of the smile, conveniently converting the letter "u" into a graphic of a smile.

The client was very happy with all versions but decided to go with the top orange version (which I personally liked as well). She suggested creating variations of the graphic by playing a bit with the smiling face, perhaps adding a hat or face element; or creating some flourishes with the text elements.

They all looked good, but compared to the original version, they all looked overly designed (and perhaps, as I said before, silly). The smile and the eyes seemed enough to convey the cheerful attitude they aim to portray, and the professionalism and respect they wanted as well.

Stay Strong Japan!

2011-03-13T13:08:00.003+08:00

Stay strong Japan!

I originally drew this for my Visoliloquy series, and can be found here: Visoliloquy: Stay Strong Japan! Seeing the breath-taking images of the aftermath of possibly the worst earthquake and tsunami combo that rocked Japan somehow made me reminisce of childhood mecha and anime cartoons I grew up with. It's quite unsettling to witness such devastation which I only relegated to the realm of animated imagination. Japan may not have the gigantic robots to protect and save them from this tragedy, but the real spirit of fortitude and unity is very much alive in their people and the rest of the world.

Never Alone

2011-02-27T16:53:00.002+08:00

"She was always there. As long as there's a body of water around, doesn't matter how big or small it was, she would be there constantly wooing me to go back to her world. She said I had already married her when I partook of her food, but what an awful trick that was. I was young back then, the sweeper of our boy scout troop, and I can still vividly remember how I accidentally fell through a puddle. A puddle! I was expecting the usual splash of a usual stomp on a usual puddle but no! My whole body was sucked in that tiny hole where underneath she was apparently waiting. She offered me food, so enticing they were, shiny black rice and bright red fruits I haven't seen before. I ate them. Out of courtesy at first, but then I found myself devouring them to the last bits. I almost forgot about my troop and told her I needed to go back. I pleaded with her but she wouldn't let me go. So I escaped. I swam away furiously and eventually found my way back to the puddle. Taking a last look back I found her staring at me. As if cursing, she said I'll never be free and will always be with her. I managed to go back to camp but I was told I was gone for a week which seemed only a few hours in her world. Now I'm 75 years old, and people think I'm crazy, just because I always talk by myself to a glass of water. I'm not by myself! I'm never alone! I'll never be alone!"

Just a recounting of the story of one of the elders I interviewed at Mt. Banahaw a long time ago. I myself thought he was nuts. But who am I to say so. I remember an aunt of mine telling me an old relative who was similarly courted by a sirena, and my folks inform me as well that I had a duwende as a playmate when I was a kid. Hmmm…

This was initially drawn in my Visoliliquy series at http://revcruz.tumblr.com as a character. Here is its iteration in my Moleskine notebook.

Logo Design: Activiteens

2011-02-27T12:30:00.002+08:00

I made this logo for an exclusive upper class after school club for teenage girls. They organize activities ranging from drama, music, IT and many more. They wanted a new logo that was colorful but very professional. It must be very classical to reflect their clientele yet still have an element of excitement. The logo should have character to it, something different and attractive so they could use this as a powerful marketing tool. They specifically did not want any figures of girls in the logo but don't mind abstract vector faces.

These were my initial drafts, and for some of these drawings, I actually did not follow the specifications of the client (no figures of girls) but thought of presenting what it would look like if it did have these figures. Sometimes, if I feel strong about an idea even if the client was very specific, I would go ahead and present these as exploratory ideas.

It turned out they liked the versions with the figures. The design process involved combining elements from each draft concepts until we reached the final design.

For logo concepts and designs, illustration and other graphic design needs, you may contact me at revcruz@yahoo.com .

Murakamiesque 4

2011-02-24T22:48:00.004+08:00

Inspired from Murakami's The Little Green Monster, a story about a woman who finds how irresistible she is to a small green monster that burrowed through her garden. I really felt sorry for the creature and made me wonder who the real monster in the story was.

I started drawing this as a character in my Visoliloquy series at http://revcruz.tumblr.com, but realized I should feature it in my Moleskine as well.

Murakamiesque 3

2011-02-23T10:48:00.000+08:00

I know it didn't happen exactly this way in the short story. In fact, in the story, the aunt simply appeared – matter-of-factly – with not so much as an alarm to the author. But if it did happen to me, and taking it literally, I would be surprised and somewhat disgusted at the thought of someone growing out of my back – and a poor aunt at that! Should we take the story either its literal or symbolic level, it reminds us of how our memories, like people, we don't need or take for granted suddenly poke out like a sore thumb… emotions that pent up… build up and even take its form into a physical being. We wish them out of our lives but really we could not do it ever because they are a part of us… and if we do manage to erase them completely which is so unlikely, they leave us empty and less of who we really are…

Murakamiesque 2

2011-02-20T10:32:00.003+08:00

Inspired from another Murakami masterpiece, this time from a novel… ""I had no idea if what I was thinking was right or wrong, but I knew that as long as I was here, I had to defeat this thing. This was the war that I would have to fight."

The initial reviews for the preview of its stage production is so intriguing… "Imagine watching a David Lynch film on stage." (City Arts New York)

Murakamiesque

2011-02-13T01:53:00.003+08:00

I've been reading a lot of Murakami's works lately, interspersing between his novels and collections of short stories. It may not come as a surprise that some of his ideas may seep into one's consciousness and/or imagination, just as situations in his stories seem to thin out the line between reality and dream. The imagery created by his works are said to be unique to the medium, and may derive a variety of different emotions and interpretations from its readers. Despite having had some of his works turned into film adaptations (I've already seen the Ichikawa "Tony Takitani" and Logevall's "All God's Children Can Dance", but have yet to see Anh Hung Tran's "Norwegian Wood") and upcoming theatrical presentations ("Wind-Up Bird Chronicle"), interpreting them poses a unique challenge. I can't help making some illustrations while I was reading his books and I must say my drawings will never do justice to his story, but I'll post some of them in succeeding posts, as a sort of mini-game for Murakami fans out there.

Now try to guess which story the above drawing is inspired from. It's a dead giveaway actually. (By the way, this happens to be my first Moleskine drawing for the year… I've been very busy. Plus, I might have very interesting Moleskine related-news soon.)

Here's the original drawing I made, and that in itself is a clue.

Logo Design: Zengu

2011-02-02T15:04:00.002+08:00

Tengus are mythical creatures found in Japanese culture and are believed to be protective spirits or deities according to recent Buddhist lore. In one of my recent projects, the tengu served as reference for the logo of Zengu. The name of the company is actually a wordplay on tengu and Zen, and for my initial drafts, concepts started from literal representations of the tengu, which by the way are often depicted as a combination of bird and man, to abstract icons, leaning more on the minimalist zen aspect of their image.

The client was initially attracted to the icon versions, and revisions were made until the following image was reached.

Sometimes, the design process turns around in an entirely new direction, especially when dealing with clients which involves a committee deciding on the approval of the logo. My concept was entirely rejected and I ended up developing and refining a concept they developed on their own. Apparently, they chose a more classical direction for their logo. In the end, I basically enhanced their logo by sharpening their crane image and cleaning up the font to make it more legible.

It may be a little disappointing to have my proposals rejected, but thinking about it, the client knows what's best for their company and how they should be represented. But as an artist, I think was still able to infuse something of my own in the final work. In designing a logo, there is always balance between what you and the client wants. Some clients are more controlling of the process, while others would give free rein to the designer. It's part of the job to find that balance point, and simply flow wherever the design process takes you for optimum results.

For logo concepts and designs, illustration and other graphic design needs, you may contact me at revcruz@yahoo.com .

Evolution of a Bunny Drawing

2011-01-12T16:04:00.002+08:00

It's the year of the rabbit, and browsing through the set of commissioned works I finished last year, I thought of featuring one that fits the New Year. Just to show, how painstaking it could get to capture what the client wants. I was asked to create an illustration version of a Chinese name which quite closely resembles a rabbit holding a sword. It took numerous revisions…

Until we settled in the final colored design. Happy New Year to everyone!

Paranormal Philippines v2: Prints are now available!

2011-01-05T10:48:00.001+08:00

It's been a slow work in progress but I've finally completed re-drawing Paranormal Philippines! No drastic changes, I just made the lines clearer and sharper, the text parts more readable so it can still be clear even when blown up to a 30" x 45" inch print! I've been receiving numerous requests through my DeviantArt account to have the original Paranormal Philippines ready as a print. So I used this opportunity to update the artwork, so it will be pretty to look in full map size. A full-size map of the Philippines featuring our favorite Filipino mythological creatures! And I prepared it in two versions, black print on ancient parchment paper, and white on black. Just head on to http://revcruz.deviantart.com , select the map you prefer and click "Buy as Print". You'll notice it's available on different formats, from greeting cards to puzzles and mugs and lots more!

I understand that there's a bigger demand to have this on T-shirt. Frankly, I've seen this printed on shirts without my permission (apparently, they used the picture grabbed from the internet). I wonder who those motherf*$#ers are. They don't look pretty and the print is just to blurry for you to make out the details. Take note, that Paranormal Philippines is copyrighted and is protected by the law! *grins* Well, there already exists real Paranormal Philippines shirts, and I've been wearing the prototypes (dark grey print on grey shirt, as below; silver on black, white on black) for quite some time now. What prevents me from releasing it yet is that I am still not satisfied with the print. I'm still looking for a shirt printer who can execute the design perfectly. So for those who have been waiting, sorry, you will still have to wait for the official shirt. But I assure you, it will come out and when it does, it will be perfect!

So be good for goodness' sake!

2010-12-26T13:28:00.001+08:00

Just when we thought Santa's not serious when it was said, "So be good, for goodness' sake", here comes Xaphan, Santa's fiery elf to carry out his worst secret missions.

Fiery Holidays to all!

2010-12-24T11:12:00.002+08:00

Wishing everyone a Fiery Christmas and a Blazing New Year! There's something about the coming year that will be uplifting for all!

Arborea

2010-12-19T21:24:00.002+08:00

"It seems life is constructed in a way that no one can fulfill it alone. Life contains its own absence, which only an other can fulfill. It seems the world is the summation of others and yet, we neither know nor are told that we will fulfill each other. We lead our scattered lives, perfectly unaware of each other; Or at times, allowed to find the other's presence disagreeable. Why is it, that the world is constructed so loosely?"

Miknok Nikeni Wagum

2010-12-19T21:13:00.001+08:00

Merduk naflotani kuti ferpon. Refuman nor me ayutan fri. Froman-ruppendiskulana fi. Kuti ruppen tinduts fi. Adlunini Zeppun ru. Kuti tindantsunati Adlunini ruppen klupendut. Plud dut pukhi La Pang it akhu khoki me. Ku palak holomin Kalam Ngipun Shippunde Kuti Reppundi Zek eras Ku phalandi re Merduk miknok mek kendolomon re. Ayu Zeppundu re ti Dopondol ki fitalon.

Kalipantoran Zerdunyalondi keppu reppunda koloko indak put ain holorondika Taron Ki. Fulando rolondok titilongaring kopol pilikon porokulan merduk parfulandok kili-dontafen fi zuppan rhopa reppun zolonki kepundulant nelun pholondolar kepunduran Ken fi zorbankorngiz miknok Kepu niken Kuti lor rhop refuman fi zun kolon zi Zephi Zoool Zun Zi.

Ansaluia

2010-12-19T21:03:00.002+08:00

The Golden Boy

2010-12-19T20:57:00.002+08:00

Conquest of the Giants

2010-12-19T20:49:00.002+08:00

One down, two to go, and then freedom!

Viridius

2010-12-19T10:02:00.000+08:00

My head is in the trees... I feel the breeze as it blows the leaves and sways my branches... I let out a sigh from the depths of my lungs, as it breathes life around me... And the feeling of hope lingers, keeping a promise I intend to keep... Though I move slowly through the stream of time and dispersed through its many tributaries... Surely I will reach my intended destiny...

Dreaming in Water

2010-12-19T09:37:00.003+08:00

Sink deep in soothing water,

Bathe in the truth of joy and sorrow,

Free the mind to realms uncharted…

Sleep, dream and live.

Logo Design: Cassiopeiae Sweets

2010-12-12T21:34:00.005+08:00

It's the season again for joy and merriment and what better way is there to make hearts happy but through gift-giving. And you're always sure to win through a box of delectable fudge cake… or some zesty lemon cashew… or some sweetly intoxicating fruit cake… I better stop there, because there's more ways than these that Cassiopeiae Sweets can offer.

Coming home from a 2-year stint as pastry chefs in the world's first seven-star hotel, the Burj Al Arab of Dubai, my sister, Gelyn and her friend Marge decided to venture into creating their own cake and pastry business. They invested on my mom's sought after and time-tested recipes (my mom's Solita's Kitchen), and actually improving on it by perfecting its taste and presentation using the skills and experience they gained from abroad. Looking at their first batch of sweets, one couldn't deny the effort put into the presentation (how often do you find authentic gold leaf as garnish?) and more so to its rich flavor. I couldn't prevent myself from helping out in the best way I can… by creating their logo brand.

They chose the name "Cassiopeiae" because it creates an image of stars shining in the night sky, something that they aim to emulate through their creations. After some brainstorming about the name (and we did have some interesting debates), I sat down to draw some working concepts. I started selecting fonts, and worked on the graphic around it.

And after some deliberations, the final design was chosen. It wouldn't be a surprise though that I would also be tasked to create their label design. Simple and homegrown.

Highly recommended and it doesn't matter whether you have a sweet tooth or not. Great gifts especially for the holiday season. Scroll down on the pdf viewer below for their products.

For inquiries and orders, call Gelyn at 09166438963 or Marge at 09178250705.

Where Ideas Come From

2010-11-29T06:33:00.006+08:00

One of my latest moleskine entries which is partly related to the previous "Muse" spread:

Sometimes I ponder on the question, "Where do ideas com from?" In a contemporary world we live in, where ideas has become a valuable commodity even before they are materialized, it seems it could spring forth from almost anywhere... people are social and minds process incessantly everything that is fed into it voluntarily or not, and it produces a notion whether we could ever or has ever produced an original idea. Or rather, ideas are never original but a filtered or processed result of an internal mindstorm... even stimulated by external influences... Science proposes that an idea is born with a resulting new connection within the already complicated network of our mind.... a formation of a new connectome slightly different from a thought earlier. Imagine, we incessantly think, thus, we are constantly shifting!

I have to say that while I was working on this, I saw the following TED talks in YouTube, which directly inspired the drawing and the texts. The first one is a very interesting lecture by Steven Johnson about how ideas, rather than born from instant "Eureka" moments are actually brewed inside our heads quite differently.

The second talk is by Sebastian Seung as he discusses his work which involves mapping the connections in our brain, and how our "connectome" as he calls it, could open up a new way of understanding how our brains work.

Now let's all say... "I am more than my genes! I am my connectome!" Interesting!

Muse

2010-11-25T08:33:00.003+08:00

People draw inspiration from many sources, many of these seem distantly unrelated to the final instance of creation. Some personify these sources of creativity in the form of muses, originally mentioned in ancient Greek writings. Personally, I'd like to imagine my "muses" into 3 personas - which may or may not be linked to the Greek versions. I describe one of my muse as feisty, child-like... almost mischievous and a little unpredictable and wild... ideas are born out of storm - a mindstorm. Another one is motherly and nurturing because an idea has to be fed and taken care of until its complete fruition. And finally, the muse is honest and natural, baring and transparent... nothing contrived and truly reflective of the soul. But what's funny, it seems my muses speak more when I'm down recalling Stevie Smith's "Why does my Muse only speak when whe is unhappy? She does not, I only listen when I am unhappy." Which leads mo to think, how many of these pages were made during times when I'm happy or during times when I'm down?

It took a long time before I made another page in my Moleskine again. And what better topic than to talk about my muse/muses. It take a certain level of motivation to work on art, but once I get inspired the process is easy. And in one way or another, I lost my muse, thus the hiatus.

Ang INK Corner: Dreaming of Heaven

2010-11-22T11:41:00.002+08:00

Last November 20, 2010, one of my artworks was published at Manila Bulletin's Ang INK Corner. As I have mentioned before, Manila Bulletin features in their Student & Campus/Youth Section artworks from Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, or Ang INK as we are fondly called. This is my second time to be published there, my first one being published almost a year ago, featuring my art coupled with my sister's poem about recess. Unfortunately, due to my extreme "busy-ness" juggling time between work and my numerous passions, I haven't been able to attend Ang INK's regular meetings. I definitely regretted not being able to participate in the annual exhibit since I was not able to finish the painting I was already working on. Anyway, when Blooey asked me if I could work on that weekend's feature, I just had to say yes. It was an added bonus that there was no theme for that week, I could choose any artwork I have, as long as it's for general patronage. In my mind, I thought I don't have to create from scratch since I have tons of materials from my Moleskine collection. I already had a particular drawing that I thought would be a great feature:

It's one of the favorite drawings from my sketchbook, and it's not surprising. It's cute and witty, unlike most of the other drawings in that collection. I was already preparing the layout for the newspaper, when I realized, while looking at it, that I wouldn't allow it published. First of all, it's from a notebook and it had this ugly line in the middle. The lines are not that refined. And the overall layout would not look natural. I finally said to myself, I have to rework the whole drawing from scratch!

It took me a whole night to work on this. If you notice, it was indeed a huge improvement from the original drawing. The lines and cross-hatching are finer, the features of the characters are more defined, plus the layout is more natural, as if it was drawn particularly with the final layout in mind. Just exactly how we children's book illustrators should do it!

I just love the description about me: "Rev is usually a good guy, but sometimes he imagines himself to be uhmm naughtier?" I meant it as a joke, but I was surprised that one of my patients in the clinic remarked: "That's very you!" Uhmm, I wonder what she meant by that.

Logo Design: MMA Headquarters (MMA HQ)

2010-11-18T22:04:00.002+08:00

It's interesting when my clients ask me about my other interests, because it opens a whole lot of creative avenues. Most probably, after seeing my online photos about my passion for BodyCombat®, which is a Martial-arts inspired workout designed by Les Mills International, and being an instructor myself, a regular client of mine asked me if I was into "martial arts, karate, MMA (mixed martial arts) ?" I never received any formal training in any martial arts, but in BodyCombat® you get exposed to various disciplines despite being a non-contact activity, mixing everything into one dynamic cardio workout. I said "in a way, yes…" and this inadvertently plunged me into another creative project: I have to create a logo for an MMA website.

The brief was pretty straightforward. MMA Headquarters (or MMAHQ) is a website that obviously caters to MMA enthusiasts with a demographic of 15-35 years old individuals. They intend to sell MMA-related products and feature a blog discussing product deals and events. They were open to several ideas: "fighting related elements, icons, silhouettes, other metaphors." The logo needed to have an icon or a scalable element that can be used independently of the words but still maintain the brand Identity. In their words: "what the Nike Swoosh accomplishes on its own." (a request, almost every client I had always remarked ;-P) Having been involved in MMA inspired artwork, I somehow have an idea of what they wanted. A quick Google search of MMA-inspired logos will show you what I mean.

I focused on creating an icon, this time working on a clever graphical way of combining "H" and "Q" since it is these two letters that set MMAHQ apart from other competing websites. Drawing inspiration from a logo I made for my old BodyCombat® team, I made the following sketches:

The client provided a very informative feedback:

Maybe like a clean grunge, if that's not a total contradiction. Like discipline amidst the grunge, if that makes sense. Like more jagged edges than sloppy, messy ones. I'd almost want to say there's a bit of military influence; I've seen so many board shorts and t-shirts that have camo or camo-like patterns. There's also a bit of a hip hop element; not too much but a bit of graf influence I think… but if you look at the fonts they use they are always super durable... Like you put all the fonts together and let them fight it out and the really strong one emerged victorious. Tempered by steel/tested by fire. It's still sort of Gladiator-esque in a way, but still trying to gain legitimacy as a new sport, so that's why I'd say it's not quite as grungey...grunge being sorta not caring about anything, MMA being more hyperfocused on a goal and defying human odds to get there

The client was very excited with these previews and almost immediately, we decided to develop the ideas to their vectorized format:

With almost little editing, the logos were finalized as what you will see in their website. On a side note, not entirely unrelated to this post, and with the fact that my birthday is nearing, I would just like to say that if anyone gift me with this or this, I would love you forever…

Logo Design: Baker’s Confetti

2010-05-23T21:18:00.003+08:00

One of my recent logo creations involved one of my favorite things: baking! Well, not really. I'm not that much of an expert in baking, my skills limited to simple cookies and cupcakes, but I can say, I'm very good in eating what other people has baked! Anyway, the challenge of creating this logo is to capture the magic of baking, and with a very enticing company name, the logo should be as well.

Baker's Confetti carries the sweetest, best-tasting bottled sprinkles around. Their products are formulated with the finest ingredients, and were created with even the most discriminating consumer in mind. They wanted a logo with business professional style, but must be trendy and memorable as well. Their target audience is the typical home baker/candy maker, small bake shop/ice cream shop owner and the run-of-the-mill sprinkle aficionado (anyone with a sweet tooth!) The logo should represent quality, be memorable and visually attractive.

Sometimes, before I set myself into creating a logo, I select keywords to guide me through the process. And for this one, I specifically chose "magic" as the name of the company pretty sets it up… "baker" and "confetti". The confetti part is easy. I can create a logo with sprinkles about it, but that would be too common. So I had to illustrate the baker and confetti in a sort of magical way… After a few swings using simple geometric shapes in my vector program (I didn't go through pencil sketches for this one), and choosing a "delicious" font (which I edited slightly to balance it out) to go with it, I came up with this.

And on light background.

It was an instant favorite, and a personal one for me as well. Definitely one of my most memorable creations. Baker's Confetti is yet to launch their website and release their products, but they have a blog which features some recipes, and a facebook account as well.

"What Makes You Happy?"

2010-05-07T22:30:00.000+08:00

I was on the MRT the other day heading to one of my gym classes, when out of the usual bustle, there were people in the train carrying sign cards… this small lady seemingly so excited to catch my attention showed me hers… Her card says… “What makes you happy?”… I thought to myself, “Secret, hehe…” and smiled.

Guesting at DZMM Teleradyo: Todo Todo, Walang Preno

2010-04-15T23:40:00.004+08:00

Quality Life Discoveries was supposed to be featured at Umagang Kay Ganda, the daily morning show of ABS-CBN, on Wednesday, focusing on the various services that the clinic offers. Of course, being the Aquatics specialist of the center, I was more than prepared to demonstrate and talk about Aquatherapy and WATSU® once more, the last time being in Unang Hirit (GMA's morning show). This meant waking up as early as 3 am, to be at the clinic at 4 and sink in the pool for more than 3 hours straight. Gruelling work, while trying to look pretty for the camera! But highly enjoyable!

However, due to some reasons, Umagang Kay Ganda had to back-out and instead I was invited to be a guest at a radio talk show in DZMM… Fine, I did radio interviews before, but of course I couldn't hide my disappointment. The first question I asked myself: Do I still have to wear my swimming trunks?

I was told to be at the DZMM station around 10:30 AM per instructions just in time for the 11:00 talk show. I was greeted by Lyn, the station assistant who led me to the make-up room. I saw the television screens around broadcasting the live radio shows and only then did it dawn to me that this was a televised radio show: Todo Todo, Walang Preno. Darn, I should have worn my trunks! Kidding aside, I was wearing the clinic's uniform of course. Make-up make-up while chatting with Lyn who shared how she could relate very much with the topic to be talked about because she had a nephew who was a "special child." Not long I was led to the booth, where hosts Winnie Cordero and Ariel Ureta were already airing. Off air, Winnie would talk to me, orienting me when we would go on-air, and asking a few questions about me, my work as a clinical consultant in QLD and the programs. I looked around from my seat, and pretty interesting, I could see the producer and technicians in their own booths, and pointed at me was a robotic camera. Ooops don't stare! Winnie and Ariel had their own cameras too. Good thing I was wearing the aqua colored shirt… looks good onscreen. I don't really listen to radio shows, but seeing how Winnie and Ariel work… uhhm, actually work is not the right word, have fun on-air, I was amazed… they're funny, witty and entertaining. After their signature "word of the day" segment, they were already informing the listeners about the next topic: "One Stop Shop to Wellness." This is it… just be my natural self, and forget the camera, forget that you're on air. It's just a conversation.

On air! Winnie asked me about my work, starting first with how I got to be called Teacher Rev… then my work as a physical therapist, how long it takes to be one and so on. We then talked about the programs starting with the TheraSuit Intensive Method, then Aquatherapy, which we spent considerable time with, with me talking about how great the water environment is in bringing out the best in children with disabilities, and at the same time, enjoying it. Ariel, would occasionally summarize or generalize these thoughts, highlighting the importance of early intervention and how physical therapists are "heroes", even "magicians" for helping patients regain their strength and skills when most think are unrecoverable. We had a short break, while new reports and some features were covered. Then in a few minutes, I was back on air, to continue talking about the other programs. I admire Winnie and Ariel for creating a light-hearted atmosphere that I almost forgot we were broadcasting. I wondered before the show, how such a potentially serious topic could fit their show, but they managed to bring out some laughs, while maintaining an educational tone all throughout. I asked Winnie if I could leave some parting message (remembering the small chat with the make-up artist who were all sad and pitiful about people with disabilities) and I did… (translated already) that we shouldn't focus on what our friends with disabilities can NOT do… because if we did, we are depriving them with opportunities to uplift themselves, and furthermore as a therapist, we wouldn't last long with our work… instead, we should focus on what they CAN DO… the small improvements that we see in our patients sometimes are enough reward to push us though…

The show finished around noon, and I asked for a photo with them. I thanked Winnie and Ariel for wonderfully championing the physical therapy profession, and told him that all PT's who were listening would be very glad. I went back to the clinic, very very happy.

Logo Design: Riley Seaplane Company

2010-04-11T12:36:00.002+08:00

It's wonderful when clients seek you out because a previous work impressed them and somehow fit the particular style they needed for their logo. Cam McCulloch saw the Art Deco style I did for Savoy Special, a rock and roll band based in Houston, Texas. Cam wanted to have a similar illustration and text for their seaplane company called "Flying Fish Aircraft Company". She shared ideas on how it could look like would like, one of which would have a flying fish with propellers on its back "like an airplane " coming out of the water. Cam provided me with reference pictures.

Another thought would be to use two F's in flying fish back to back some how to make wings. I did some research again about art deco design particularly how it represented aircrafts and fishes, and similar themes. I promised her 3 initial drafts for the logos and I came up with the following conceptual sketches.

The first one utilizes the two F's, forming the outline of the seaplane. It is a very simple design and can be framed in a numerous ways as shown in the variations. The second one invests on the idea of a flying fish-plane hybrid, and basing much from the reference pictures provided, the illustration was executed in art deco style, combining the dynamism of the fish and the sophistication of the plane. Again it can be framed in many ways, and various options for embellishments such as waves or splashes may be added. The final concept is again a flying fish-plane hybrid, but this time, executed in a simpler manner, flat from the lateral perspective.

Promptly after submission, Cam commented that the "Flying Fish" name of the company seems not to be working as a text in the initial drafts, and requested to use "Riley Seaplane Company" instead, executed in a more art deco inspired font. She liked the hybrid concepts and decided to steer the design development process towards that direction. The name "Flying Fish" would then be redundant, if an illustration using a flying fish would be use. Cam reminded me about the rejected design concepts I did for Savoy Special, particularly the wing concept and asked if it can somehow be incorporated in the design. It was of course possible, and presented an interesting opportunity. Before doing vector work, I made another sketch for final approval:

Cam really liked the design, and provided me with more reference pictures to incorporate in the design, specifically making the fish more detailed and framing options. After a suggestion of adding waves in the frame, the design so far was this:

And after much deliberation, we decided to tone down on the waves and settle with this final design:

This design was truly a collaborative work, and as a designer, I was very glad to have been able to realize the design the client wanted. Designers sometimes are frustrated with clients who seems too controlling of the creative process, while at the same time failing to communicate what they truly want, and sometimes, changing their mind incessantly. Not with Cam, whom I enjoyed working with. It is very rewarding to conclude projects with very satisfied clients.

Logo Design: UnoNovè

2010-04-05T18:14:00.006+08:00

What do you see in this logo?

UnoNovè, is a small company based in Los Angeles and they manufacture and sell woman's active sportswear apparel. They were looking for a logo that would represent fitness and style, can be artsy but not overly masculine (as most sportswear apparel logo tends to be). Since the name of the company literally means "19", the logo should somehow draw inspiration from it.

My first concept utilized the Roman version of the number, "XIX" which is a very interesting symbol to work with as it is inherently symmetric and allows itself to a variety of design executions. I came up and submitted this version, which evokes elegance. I was not exactly confident in the design as it particularly fails to represent "fitness" and more of the "style". Looking at it, it works better as a high fashion apparel logo, rather than a sportsline.

I worked on another concept, this time focusing on the original "19" and executing it in a simple iconic design. Looking at the numbers, I felt the key would be the head of the number "9". I worked on numerous sketches, and finally executed it in the version first shown at the top of this blog.

And on a dark background:

I tested it by showing the design to people, and obviously they see a flower, particularly a rose, as most of you did. Only then when they see the name of the company or they are told outright do they realize the rose is actually the number "19". I felt immediately that I hit it confidently with this design, and I was genuinely excited with it, and I really hoped UnoNovè pick this one. It can be executed in a variety of colors and will work well with embroidery and print. And they did pick this design!

Raisinhead places 2nd at the People’s Choice Awards

2010-04-05T17:28:00.003+08:00

This is quite old news already, and I myself am wondering why it took me a long time to post this. I have been very busy lately and in a way mentally and emotionally preoccupied with a lot of things. Yes! Raisinhead placed 2^nd at the People's Choice Awards, which just proves how many friends love me, haha! But really, I thank everyone who took time to register at Pelicola.tv and vote for my baby.

The awarding night was an unforgettable one - very informal, lots of yuppies (My dad felt out of place and can't stop muttering, "Puro bata naman pala rito!"), premium San Mig beers, but most especially we had Neil Gaiman grace the event. Of course, I was hoping to at least place in the top 3 in the judges' picks so I can personally spend time with Neil. But that didn't stop me from approaching him on the stage and have a little discussion. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of battery!

Congratulations to all the deserving winners, especially to Irene who placed 1^st place in the People's Choice Awards and 2^nd place Judges' pick! Woohoo!

Work in Progress: Paranormal Philippines v2

2010-03-03T17:23:00.003+08:00

About 3 years ago, I created what could be one of my most popular creations: Paranormal Philippines. It's basically a Philippine map, where each geographic detail is drawn with the country's folklore and mythology.

Originally inspired from Aaron Hogg's Para-Normal US, I intended this design to be printed on a shirt. I would like to apologize to everyone who had been waiting all these years for the T-shirt, but due to numerous circumstances, it can't come out yet. I had no time to produce the T-shirts yet, and besides, the design is not prepared yet for printing. Though it looks nice as a whole, once you zoom into the parts of the work, you will notice how smudged it is. This is expected, as it was drawn on A4 paper with a 0.1 fine line marker.

It is about time I update the artwork. This time, I plan to expand the map 500% of the original A4 and work with a variety of tools from ink brushes, brush and fine line markers. This is just a comparison of how the original compares with the new version. The other parts look more awesome.

This is something to look forward to. The Paranormal T-shirts will soon become a reality. Besides Paranormal Philippines v2, I'm currently researching for a new comic I'll be working on. Let's just say it's a combination of the historical and the supernatural. And if you have frequented my blogs, its plot won't come as a surprise to you. March will definitely a busy month, from numerous speaking engagements (aquatherapy and ergonomics), creative projects and an awarding ceremony plus I'll be officially training for BodyCombat! Hope I survive this busy month… Ciao!

Vote for Raisinhead for People’s Choice Award (3rd Philippine Graphic Fiction Award)

2010-02-19T12:43:00.006+08:00

The finalists for the 3rd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards are finally revealed at Pelicola.tv, and my "Raisinhead: Tale of A Modern-Day Tiyanak" made it to the shortlist for the Comics Category

Vote for Raisinhead for the People's Choice Award by following this link: http://www.pelicola.tv/channels/episode_fbpca.asp?video_id=178

Vote as well for Irene Sarmiento's "Filipina: The Supermaid" for the Short Story Category through this link: http://www.pelicola.tv/channels/episode_fbpca.asp?video_id=180

A very pleasant surprise from Fully Booked!

2010-02-14T00:47:00.005+08:00

Just a week ago, I met with Irene to talk about her The Open Time Capsule project and she asked what my plans for Raisinhead comics was. Raisinhead: A Tale of a Modern-Day Tiyanak was my entry to the 3rd Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards. It's almost 2 years already and we haven't heard anything yet from the organizers regarding the status of contest. Assuming that there was already no hope for the contest, I told her that I might release it for the Komikon in its present form, or perhaps expand it to a series or graphic novel format.

A few days after this, I received a pleasant surprise from Fully Booked… in the form of an email:

I have no idea yet who else are shortlisted for the comics category but this is indeed GREAT news! Irene's entry was also chosen in the shortlist of the short story category.

I checked Fully Booked's website and saw that they have already posted an announcement regarding the line-up of events related to this: the awarding night, an art contest and book signing by Neil Gaiman himself!

Someone told me we won't know the winners until awards night (kaya nga Revelations no! Gosh, I hate the suspense!) Hoping for the best!

Harana

2010-02-13T23:17:00.003+08:00

My brother Gelo's getting married. And like a good elder brother, I volunteered to prepare the invites… from design to finished product. The theme: Filipiniana. Of course, I wanted something special and unique for my brother and his fiancé and what better way but to make an illustration… of them… in a manner that reflects their personalities and how friends see them and their relationship, within the Filipiniana theme… And this is what I came up with:

Solid theme but subtly humorous. If you knew any of the couple, I hope the drawing brought out a chuckle or at least a smile.

The drawing served as the main graphic element of the invitation, which upon instructions, should be kept to elegant simplicity:

So happy for my brother and his soon to be bride and I hope their love endures. Happy Valentines to all!

A Personal Retrospective of 2009

2010-01-03T02:24:00.002+08:00

The Year 2009 has been an action-filled year despite the disasters and other numerous setbacks everyone experienced that year. Personally, the year had definitely been a rewarding one. Not only was I able to further and expand my creative endeavors but I was also able to establish a masterful grasp in my other areas of interest as well. It's scary, but I was able to cross out a lot of items from my "List of Things To Do Before I Die" so does that mean… Uhhm, stop the morbid thoughts, I ended up adding more to the list, making sure it was a loooong list. I wrote this in response to the lyrics of a song from Rent. So how did I measure my year?

The Year in Logos. Here are some of the logos I made this year. Again, a bunch full of variety and styles.

I should mention, that although there were numerous projects this year, there were some projects that simply fizzled out (that is, the projects were already completed as commissioned, but were stolen, ignored or abandoned). It's sad to think that some of these failed projects involved fellow Filipinos whom you would expect to be more supportive but ended up depreciating your efforts. I can't help it, but I enjoy working with people who truly appreciate and give value to artistic creations. I should be more cautious in accepting commissions and adapt more effective strategies in dealing with my clients. I know I haven't been able to update my blogs with my recent logo creations, but hopefully I would find more time this year.

The Year in Illustrations. This year, I was able to join Ang I.N.K. (Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan) and through it, I was able to affirm myself further as an artist. It's truly gratifying to be able to visit the UP College of Fine Arts for our regular meetings, discuss our projects and learn from other artists: things I could only dream of doing before. As an INKie, I was able to create illustrations for books, newspapers and exhibits! But if there was one achievement I could cite, it would be for my entry illustrations for "Ang Higante Sa Loob Ng Aming Bahay" which garnered Honorable Mention at the 2009 PBBY Alcala Award. The year 2009 affirmed my ability to create art but I learned that I should be more daring and exploratory.

The Year in Books. The year marked the publication of the book "Spinning" and its Filipino counterpart "Paikot-ikot." It's so exciting to be able to promote the book with Irene, and finally being able to see it in the bookstands. Interesting, I used to fall in line to get my books signed by their authors, but this time, I was on the other side of the table signing and giving autographs to both kids and adults. The other book "Chulliyaw" was also published this year, as a project of the Australian Embassy. It wasn't made available to the general public, being a private project with the Kalinga communities, but I hope that this Kalinga storybook series will be made available for public consumption this coming year.

The Year in Moleskine. I actually hoped I could make more entries this year in my Moleskine book, but ended up making only 9 (I made 13 last year). And most of my Moleskine art were actually studies for some illustrations. I promise to create more entries this year, and perhaps create more reminiscent of my 2007 entries.

The Year in BodyPump. This year also marked my official participation in the growing fitness industry. Being able to complete my training in Les Mills' BodyPump through Fitness First, I am now a group fitness instructor. I know it would seem difficult for some of you to imagine me leading a group fitness class (relax guys, this is BodyPump, I'm not required to dance here, hehe), but I've always thought I had a knack for it. Now only do I get free access to the gym, but through this, I am constantly reminded to stay fit and strong. Not only is it a great assured workout, but it is a huge ego-booster as well. It's so rewarding to see the students sweat and grunt, and flash their smile and thanks after an hour's workout. After 3 releases, I've taught more than 120 classes for the year 2009 and hopefully earn my international certification in 2010. Catch my BodyPump classes at FitnessFirst RCBC, every Mondays 6:30 AM and Wednesdays 7:45PM, at FitnessFirst Manila, every Tuesdays 8:15PM and at FitnessFirst MetroEast (with Bea), every Saturdays 4:00 PM.

The Year in Runs. Lots of runs! It's interesting that recently, there's been a surge in the frequency of fun-runs and marathons – almost every weekend! And as much as I can, I made sure I was putting in the miles. As a constant reminder to this newfound love for running, I've collected all my bibs to the window curtain in my room.

More than 120 official cumulative kilometers completed, and many more unofficial ones, but I do hope that this coming year will mark the completion of my first marathon (42km).

The new year will be a promising one for everyone. Expect lots of changes, drastic and high-risk but hopefully successful ones. So bring it on 2010!

I am a mad scientist!

2009-11-22T19:25:00.001+08:00

I am a mad scientist! I perform numerous questionable experiments on myself that often ends up with a boom and I do so with utter disregard to ethical standards. You might ask why I see myself so… but aren't we mad scientists all? We do the cruelest things to ourselves, almost ignorant to the risks. Sometimes we know the risks and we jump in anyway even if there is only a slim chance that we'll survive it unscathed. And when it does turn out awry, we just bear through the transformation be it evolution or mutation.

On a side note, I chose a mad rat scientist for the drawing on the account that my folks at home call me "the biggest rat in the house that walks on its hind legs" because of my nighttime habit of scouring the kitchen for leftovers whenever I get the hunger pangs.

Pea-Cock-Roach

2009-11-14T22:29:00.004+08:00

The PeaCockRoach, probably the most beautiful cockroach in the world. Picucaracha! What sorts of adventure will our little friend be in, as he sorts out through the underground world of filth, be detested by fellow roachies for his quirks and finally reach flower heaven?

Just one of the random characters from my idea notebook. Here's the original sketch:

Mermaid Fashion

2009-11-07T02:09:00.003+08:00

I've always wondered what else can a mermaid wear besides shells and starfishes as they are often depicted wearing? The numerous undersea possibilities are endless!

“Ang Malungkuting Bata” (for Ang I.N.K. Annual Exhibit)

2009-11-07T00:43:00.004+08:00

"Wag kang mag-alala, usbong. Lalakas ka rin. Aalagaan kita at mamahalin," sabi ng puno.

Hindi sumagot ang usbong. Tahimik lang siya. Nakikiramdam at nalulungkot.

Dahil magkadikit ang dalawa, may dumaloy na lakas sa usbong mula sa puno. Paano'y nabigyan ng puno ng pagkain ang usbong.

Hindi lang iyon ang ginawa ng puno para sa usbong. Inalagaan niya at ipinagtanggol ito mula sa mga batang may dalang panungkit.

Dahil hindi pa malakas ang usbong, hindi pa siya maaaring mabangga. Araw-gabi, binantayan ng puno ang usbong.

Hanggang isang araw, ang usbong ay naging isang dahon.

Ang isang dahon ay nadagdagan ng isa pa.

At isa pa! At isa pa! Hanggang naging matibay na sa sanga ang dating usbong.

"Salamat po! Salamat po!" Sabi niya sa puno.

Hango sa "Ang Malungkuting Bata" ni Rene Villanueva

The upcoming annual exhibit of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang I.N.K.) will be a tribute to Rene Villanueva. Featured in the exhibit will be new illustrations of several of Villanueva's endearing stories. "Forever RENEver" will be held on November 19-29, 2009 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

“Twinkler Bloom” (Girl Scout of the Philippines 2010 Calendar - December)

2009-11-06T10:21:00.003+08:00

The Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang I.N.K.) is working on creating the images for the 2010 Calendar of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. I decided to volunteer and ended up choosing the December page of the calendar. The page needed to feature a cheering activity with Twinklers (that's what they call 4-6 year old girl scouts) with pompoms.

I absolutely have no experience about cheerleading. Except maybe being able to watch the GALs (Girls Athletic League?) events hosted in La Salle Green Hills during my high school days. There's something out of place when an all girls athletic event is being hosted in an all boys school. I understand we had the best gymnasium (the popular space-ship shaped one), but you just couldn't imagine the distraction it caused among the student populace when the pretty girl athletes arrive and walk down the quadrangle! Of course, our most awaited event would be the cheerleading event. Not that we love cheerleading per se with all its high pitched shrills and cutesy high jumps, but they were such a sight to behold! I don't know if it would be appropriate to conjure these memories for this project. Uhhmmm…

So I decided to interview my little sister and all my female friends for all their girl scout experiences, just to get a feel of how it is to be a girl scout (geeesh). I was a kab scout, but somehow trying to tap those experiences didn't help that much.

I wanted the picture to be bright and jubilant, almost explosive. This was December, the best month of the year! From afar, I wanted it to look sparkling, or more appropriately flowers in bloom. And I thought the pompoms and their bright faces would be able to create that effect. I started working on some sketches and sent them in for final approval.

For the final piece, I used watercolor for base, and acrylic and colored pencils for highlighting on illustration board. Showed it to Sigrid, my 11 year old sister and critique, and the painting passed her standards – "It's nice…" If I pleased her, I knew it would please the other kids, especially girls who will see this illustration.

Somehow, I'm not that completely satisfied with this illustration (perhaps, it's the size… I felt it was too small… this would look absolutely great in oil on a huge canvas) and I wished I had more time to work on it. But friends who saw this piece first noticed it from afar, and they would beg to see it up close, so somehow I was able to succeed on that account. I hope it has that effect when this gets printed.

Beauty in Asymmetry: What’s in store for the Philippine flag?

2009-09-24T23:31:00.002+08:00

What's new with this Philippine flag?

If you have a sharp eye particularly to the details of the Philippine flag, you would notice that in this version, the sun would have nine rays instead of the usual eight. This is more or less what the flag would look like as soon as the Senate and House of Representatives ratifies next week the reconciled version of Senate Bill 3307 and House Bill 6424 which provides for the inclusion of additional ray in the sun. Apparently, the ninth ray was proposed to be added to symbolize the "the courage, bravery and integrity of Muslim Filipinos who fought for the nation's independence" and hopes that this would "foster greater unity among Filipinos regardless of religion." The whole story can be read here: Yahoo! News Philippines: http://ph.news.yahoo.com/gma/20090924/tph-senate-house-panels-ok-bill-adding-9-d6cd5cf.html .

The ninth ray represents the importance to "recognize the efforts and contributions of the Muslim Filipinos in the country's history so that they would not feel marginalized and Filipinos would be united regardless of creed". The Muslim community has greeted this proposal with enthusiasm, signifying that they are gradually "being respected, understood, and accepted". Link: http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2009/0924_gordon1.asp

From a design perspective, I personally think that our flag is one of the most beautifully designed flags in the world, and this news particularly worried me because any tampering with it would ruin this perfection. In the mock-up I created above, somehow, the changes are not that noticeable. In fact, the addition of the 9^th ray causes a subtle asymmetry which somehow adds visual allure, mystery and dynamism to the sun. Of course, one has to consider the historical facts behind the development of our flag's design, and whether the rest of the Filipino community would be open to such changes (Nice read: http://filipinovoices.com/no-to-flag-cha)

What do you think?

Chulliyaw: Book 20 of Ichananaw Children’s Storybooks already published!

2009-09-22T12:28:00.003+08:00

Another book I was illustrating was finally published as well. The book, entitled "Chulliyaw" (originally titled "Chuliyao, but I guess was corrected to fit the Chinananaw dialect, is about a farmer, who was constantly wooed by a rat into marrying her. A sort of love story unfolds. This book is actually book 20 of a series of Ichananaw children's storybooks which are based on oral stories told by Ichananaw elders from Kalinga and illustrated by the Ang I.N.K. These were produced as teaching and learning materials under the Australian Government funded 'Indigenising Education in a Kalinga Public School' project initiated by Australian volunteers Maria Cameron and Edwin Wise.

The book looks attractive and was laid out in the style of the old storybooks (with patterned spine and spreads). The initial spread looks great as it features most of the wonderful characters and scenes in all the books in the series!

The pages feature the story told in 3 languages: Filipino, English and Chinananaw, and is accompanied by my illustrations.

The books are not available for commercial purposes, as these are intended for the use and enjoyment of the Chananaw community and the Dananao Elementary School in particular.

For more information about this project, click on the following:

Inquirer: Kalinga tribe's stories, songs in 26 books: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090712-215050/Kalinga-tribes-stories-songs-in-26-books,
Manila Bulletin: They left their heart in Kalinga: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/211152/they-left-their-heart-kalinga
Preserving IP Culture in Kalinga: http://ayad-vida.devconceptsph.com/news-and-features/290-preserving-ip-culture-in-kalinga
Australian Embassy of the Philippines: http://www.australia.com.ph/mnla/SP090710.html

“Spinning” is finally out!

2009-09-17T21:48:00.002+08:00

Finally, my very first picture book is finally out! "Spinning" is a heartwarming story about a boy with autism. Written by Palanca Award winning author Irene Sarmiento and illustrated by yours truly, the book has endured numerous trials before it has eventually reached publication. I cannot describe how excited I became when Irene texted me about its release. I was not at the best of my health, but this great news surely lifted me up from my depressed state!

Here's our masterpiece!

I should say that the printing by Anvil Publishing, Inc. was superb. The pages were able to capture the vibrant colors and textures of my original art. Most importantly, the text of Irene's wonderful prose was integrated seamlessly with the art. One of the things most people will notice is that this edition features only the English version of the story. Anvil has decided to release a separate Filipino version later, as releasing it in bilingual would greatly affect the size of the text, making it uncomfortable to read.

The Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP) will be promoting this book as it aims to improve the public's awareness of autism. Dang Koe, the president of ASP, mentions "Reading Irene Carolina A. Sarmiento's Spinning immediately brought back memories of our family's early years with autism. More than anything, Spinning reminded me that educating the siblings, especially in their early years, should be done with fun, and with so much love – not just for the child with autism, but also for the other children."

"Spinning" is now available and can be purchased at the Anvil Publication Inc.'s booth at the Manila International Bookfair helf at the SMX Convention Center, Sept 16-20, 2009. Soon, it will be available at local and popular bookstores. The Filipino version "Paikot-ikot" will be released soon.

Ang I.N.K. Corner: Recess

2009-06-26T23:59:00.001+08:00

One of the perks of being an INKie (yeah, that's what the cute members of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan, or Ang I.N.K. are fondly called) is you get the chance to feature your work in the local newspapers. The Manila Bulletin features an INKie in its Youth Section every Saturday, and on June 27, 2009, one of my illustrations will be featured. The theme? My favorite subject when I was in grade school: RECESS!

I have been conceptualizing for weeks on how to execute an illustration about recess. Of course, I tried to draw inspiration from my own pre-school/gradeschool experiences of recess, but I opted not to… hmmm, let's put it this way: It was either EMBARRASSING (dancing or more like prancing around my first crush to catch her attention), VIOLENT (I remember pushing a kid down the slide and being scolded by the principal for doing so) or NEUROTIC (I had imaginary friends). Anyway, I thought this was an opportunity for collaboration with my number one fan and critique: my sister Sigrid.

We were having our Father's Day dinner when I asked her to make a poem about RECESS and she immediately grabbed my idea book (which I was using for my comic book scripts) and scribbled on it. I already had been developing characters for the illustration the day before (yeah, it was the Les Mills Quarterly and I was sketching!), but I still grabbed my brother's notebook to still draw alongside with my sister (and enduring his taunts: calling me a slave driver and citing child labor issues). Around 30 minutes later, Sigrid came up with 8 long stanzas and I was surprised as to how efficient and creative my 10 year old sister could be! "Sigrid, that's too long! Limit it to only 4 stanzas of 4 lines each!" I exclaimed while going over her work, marking lines which are good and suggesting ideas. If you were there, you would love to see the spark in Sigrid's eyes: we tossed around ideas, what to remove or retain, and we agreed and disagreed.

Eventually, she finished the poem:

Ring ring goes the bell
Everyone in school hears it well
The kids burst out and kinda shout
"Hooray! Hooray! It's recess now!"

As recess starts they find a seat
To gobble their snacks, some sour, some sweet.
Some buy, some bring, some ask from friends
Some go to drink to fill their quench.

Boys and girls play hide and seek
Until there's sweat upon their cheek.
There's lot of romp and games galore
Like chess and tag and many more

As school bell rings the children sigh
They wave their friends and say goodbye
They fall in line and go in a bunch
To study more and wait... for LUNCH!

That night I also started working on the illustration, laying out the characters and areas for the text. I used watercolor, colored pencils and watercolor sticks:

Scanned and then edited in the text and logos using Photoshop:

We loved how it turned out. More than the opportunity to be featured in the newspaper, I really enjoyed this opportunity of collaborating with my sister. I'm sure she would be very proud to see her lovely poem (and my art as well hopefully) in the newspaper … So everyone, see the published piece in the June 27, 2009 issue of Manila Bulletin!

A Poem: Mariang Makiling

2009-06-26T22:56:00.003+08:00

I should have announced this months ago (Sorry Pete!). I was contacted by Pete Lacaba, who maintains the blog "Ka Pete (Sa Patalim)" requesting permission to use one of my drawings to illustrate one of his poems, Mariang Makiling. The drawing he was referring to was Maria Makiling:

The drawing was actually featured in one of my previous blogs: Legilimens, and I described it as: "a quick drawing done on used bond paper (at the back side is a page from a discarded thesis draft)" to demonstrate to one of my friends how to work a brush pen. It is actually inspired from Irene Sarmiento's short story entitled "Malakas and Maria".

Of course I agreed after I read the beautiful poem. It's wonderful how my humble drawing can somehow come alive with Lacaba's words. I just hope it also added new flavor to his words. I definitely recommend everyone to visit his blog and read the full text of the poem: Ka Pete: Mariang Makiling (April 25, 2009).

Body Pump! (Part 2)

2009-04-28T23:22:00.003+08:00

Continued from Body Pump! (Part 1)…

Third and Final Day!

I woke up with an aching body, and my quads were still tender (as if a fork has been stuck there!). But I had to force myself up, and surprisingly, the pain reduced as soon I started moving around. Even so, I have to get a dose of Alaxan FR to make sure that I'll be able to manage the final day's training. As the day earlier, I spent the early morning replaying and replaying my track, adding in additional motivational cues. I had to devise a system so I won't forget mentioning all of my cues during my actual presentation.

The day started with a lecture, mainly focusing on the key element Connection. And then we promptly proceeded to our presentation, imbibing our own tracks with new things we learned from each lecture. This time, I got the choreography perfectly, with "great" control, timing and coaching. The rest of the group also showed marked improvement from their earlier performances. We got the chance to watch ourselves in recorded video and receive feedback as well. After which, we had additional drills to practice our timing and technique. It may seem simple to do the 2-2's, 1-3's and slow movements of BodyPump™ as compared to the choreography of the other programs, but the timing in the execution of these movements is essential and crucial. Similarly, correct execution of technique is necessary for effectivity of the exercise and most importantly safety. We then proceeded to the most exciting key element: Fitness Magic, and as introduction to this part, our instructors presented a powerful rendition of "Who Are You", which was a shoulders track. Obviously, they were good at this, and one couldn't help but feel in awe. Music, presence, connection, personality and attitude, and everything else creates this magic… which makes the workout simply FUN. And for our final presentation and final judgement, we had to make sure we incorporate a touch of this magic.

One couldn't describe the tense but warm ambience during our last presentation. Everyone was obviously exhausted and couldn't wait to get this done once and for all. The last presentation was obviously the best presentation for everyone. My final presentation was my best among the 4 assessment, and despite my fatiguing legs, I gave it my all, as everyone else. And unlike the earlier presentations, everyone was in all out support for each other – a sign that we were there not for our individual selves, but for the batch's success. We definitely wanted each one to pass the final test.

Each one of us were given individual feedback, and of course the final verdict – whether we pass (pass as trainee/shadow) or fail (resit). When it was my turn for feedback, I approached Rue who was all smiles at me… and she said… "Rev! You were great! You were very confident and natural!" and I was very relieved, and could not say anything but be thankful. She gave me some pointers on where I should improve on, basically in giving advanced cues and CRC's. It didn't dawn until a few moments after, but I gave a deep sigh of relief and satisfaction: "This is it, I can now rightly call myself a Les Mills instructor!" And I looked around, and the room was full of energy as almost all of us passed. We were in physical pain and exhaustion, but all these seemed to melt away upon realization of our batch's success.

Celebration!

We were lucky to have Judy and Rue join us for dinner and drinks. And it was definitely the culmination of a tough 3-day training (which in summary was approximately 7 masterclasses and 2 challenges squeezed almost impossibly into a 3 day period!). In the true sense of Filipino hospitality, we gave each of our lovely trainers with a memento from our country: a shirt bearing the stars and sun of our flag. And in return for the challenges we willingly accepted during the 3 days, we forced them to eat balut and sisig later that night. It was a rewarding Sunday night, and I came home thinking: it was great to have been part of this bonggang-bonggang batch… It's amazing what sort of images one can conjure upon hearing the name of our batch… Batch Body Pump 69!

Looking forward…

People ask… do I still have time for this, on top of my already many official and extra-curricular activities? Well, one always finds time for things they are passionate with. I go to the gym to work out anyway, almost daily… so why not make each visit to the gym memorable by being able to share your passions and influence other people? Plus, it's a sure and constant reminder that I have to remain fit and more.

After the training, the trainees still have to go through a mentorship program before we will be able to teach our own classes in the clubs. So, if you frequent Fitness First clubs, don't be surprised if you see us up on stage shadowing or team teaching with instructors. Pretty soon, we'll be leading our own BodyPump™ classes, working for international video certification or more! And I can't wait for those moments!

Body Pump! (Part 1)

2009-04-28T15:07:00.003+08:00

I've been a Fitness First member for more than 4 years already. And I remember first walking into the then newly opened Robinson's MetroEast club with dreams of shedding off excess weight (210 lbs! And it was causing me a lot of health problems). I constantly immersed myself among the treadmills and cable machines. I was very hesitant in joining the group exercises because I knew how challenged my body was when it comes to coordinated movements and quite frankly I was worried I could make a fool of myself. But soon after some time gathering enough guts, I joined the classes – I started with BodyPump™ first, and my body was a wreck after. Maybe, I loaded too much. Then I got interested with BodyCombat™ and I immediately fell in love with it, realizing how it could be a very good outlet for ones pent up aggressions. I tried BodyJam™, but that was an embarrassing realization that I did have two left feet. RPM™ was great, and I would leave these spinning classes as if I virtually came out from a swimming pool – I was dripping wet with sweat! BodyBalance™ was always a great finale to a stressful day with its stretches and relaxing music. BodyAttack™ was challenging but fun and energetic. Pretty soon, I was attending these group exercises like I was rabidly hungry for them, even heading to far clubs just to catch schedules. I started joining special extended events like BodyCombat™ and RPM™ Marathons and Challenges and met new friends along the way. I'm far from reaching my fitness goals and I admit, I've been like a yoyo with my weight, but I'm very grateful for these classes that I've managed to stay reasonably healthy.

But there comes a point when one have been doing these classes lovingly and for so long that you simply want to do more… I don't know if it's my innate desire to teach and share or uhhhm, vanity, but I really wanted to be a Les Mills group fitness instructor. Somehow, I thought it would be the culmination of the "fitness" aspect of my life. For those who are new to Body Pump, here's a quick introductory video about what it's all about:

BodyPump® is the original barbell class that strengthens the entire body. It's a 60-minute workout created and globally distributed by Les Mills International that challenges all the major muscle groups by using the best weight-room exercises like squats, presses, lifts and curls. It is set to great music and the choice of weight inspires participants to get the results fast. Here's the sizzler by program director, Glen Ostergaard talking about release 69:

Recently, there was an audition for new Body Pump instructors in Fitness First and though I wanted to wait for the BodyCombat auditions, I thought there's nothing to lose in trying this one out. Fortunately, I managed to pass the auditions (And boy was it tough! They chose the most difficult tracks! Actually, underneath my winning smile, I was cursing in pain!). We had to prepare for the module training in a few weeks by attending orientations and regular classes to practice our form and timing. Instructors and friends were all excited and supportive to all those who are joining the training. And in no time, it was April 17, the start of our 3 day ordeal!

First Day

I was so excited I couldn't get to sleep properly the night before our training. We were asked to arrive at Fitness First Megamall an hour before the schedule but I slept late, and had my alarm set at a wrong time. Fortunately, I was able to make it on time… and we started late anyway. The participants spent some time waiting in the lobby, chatting and sharing our excitement. Soon our trainers arrived… a tall pretty muscular Caucasian lady and an equally aggressive looking Asian woman (whom we thought was Filipina, but was actually Singaporean). We knew they were our trainers, because they exuded this unique authoritative but friendly and confident air that master fitness trainers have! Will they be kind to us? We will know soon…

As soon as everything's all set, we gathered at the Mind & Body Studio for our brief orientation and introductions. Our trainers were Judy King and She Rue, and there were 21 of us as eager participants. We were then given our program manuals and DVD/CD packs. After some necessary paperwork, we were then directed to the Main Studio for the BodyPump™ 69 Master Class. The release was pretty awesome, with a great selection of music (I particularly loved FOB's "I Don't Care" for the chest track, Pink's "So What" for the biceps track) and matching choreography. Doing it was manageable, but teaching it was another thing especially with the weights we were carrying.

We then had lectures introducing the 5 Key Elements in becoming an effective BodyPump™ instructor, focusing on the first 3, Choreography (100%!), Role Model Technique and Coaching Mastery. It was very interesting and engaging especially with the worksheets and group dynamic activities. We also had a run down on the basic techniques we have to remember for all the moves in the current release of BodyPump™. And then we were oriented regarding our presentation, where each one of us will be assigned with a specific track. I got the Squats track, which had an easy choreography but was challenging technique-wise. Good thing, we didn't have to present on the first day, so we will have the whole night to review the choreography and work on our scripts (initial, follow-up and motivational cues). And that's just what I did.

Second Day

I commuted to Megamall the next day, with my MP3 player set to a remix version of "Get This Party Started", the music of the squats/leg track, imagining the choreography and cues. The guy across me in the FX was beginning to look at me weirdly; perhaps I was unwarily shouting my cues already. I arrived at the club with everyone else in their own corners in the gym practicing their tracks. Everyone was obviously nervous.

We started the second day of training with a few lectures, continuing the key elements from the second day. And then judgment time! We now have to do our presentations. Our class was divided into two, with two trainees presenting the same track at the same time to their respective groups. Everyone did the warm-up track led by our trainers, and as soon as it was finished, the floor was mine (along with my fellow squatter, Bea, who was presenting for her own group). "Alright, how was your warm-up track? Everybody warmed up enough?" Haha, I was obviously using the DVD as reference. I then proceeded to my initial cues as I loaded my bars to around 20-25 kgs, (when challenged I will carry up to 30-35 kgs) and as soon as we signaled for the music, I was shouting "Chest out, elbows in… bring your butts down and out!" Aaaargh, it was tough talking and working out at the same time, plus you have to keep your smile up while doing it. The bottom halves were excruciating! The group was great as they were cheering you on as you coached them. As soon as the music ended, I wanted to fall down and nurse my legs, but I had to keep up leading the group to the stretches. I vacated my spot to give way to Edsel who will then be presenting his chest track. As I prepared for the chest track, I was breathing heavily and sweating profusely, but I had to go on, give support and stay attentive for my other group mates. It was like we did 1 and a half master classes per presentation because there were many of us trainees… so yes, we did squats, chests, back and triceps twice!

We had a quick break, after which we proceeded to a feedback session. This was the learning part of the presentation because we got to review a video playback of our presentation as we were provided valuable feedback by our trainers. My first presentation was "awesome!" (yippee!) but as expected, I had to improve my technique because as I got fatigued in my track, my posture and form diminished. I got my initial and follow-up cues right but had to focus on giving more valuable motivational cues. Whew! Thanks! The others had issues with choreography and cueing but generally everyone did great in our first assessment.

We thought we were about to split for lunch, when Judy and Rue told us to prepare for the BodyPump™ Challenge. This was it! The dreaded challenge our instructors were warning us about. We chose our partners who should be of almost the same size, and I ended up with Aldwin, the youngest (bunso) of our group. We were instructed to load up our bars to almost 50-75% of our normal class weight. And we had to undergo a grueling set of drills while carrying this load, including an unexpected 10 minute run as warm-up. Aldwin and I ended up carrying a maximum of 45-50 kgs! And we didn't go about the drills once, we had to do the whole set again, with even more load! By the end of the drills, the Mind & Body Studio was instantaneously converted into a steam room! We were literally fuming and exhausted! But at the end of it all, we were surprised at ourselves at how we could have accomplished such task. For some of us, it was the most physically draining task we ever did. But as our trainers said, this was our initiation as BodyPump™ instructors, and once we have accomplished this, our standard working load would seem a lot lighter! Somehow, it was true, because by our second assessment, not considering fatigue, our load did seem a lot lighter. And then, our deserved reward… Lunch! Time to deload our bars, reload our bellies. But still, we have to be alert, because we will have another round of presentations, our second assessment.

In the afternoon, we proceeded with another round of lectures, continuing from where we left in the morning. There were more dynamic activities which assured learning and at the same bonding of the trainees. And then after all these, we had to present again our tracks for our second assessment. My second presentation was not as good as the morning (actually, I liked my presentation earlier). Somehow, I missed my cues and I wasn't able to improve my form (perhaps due to fatigue… plus my legs were already screaming). And quite expectedly, that was what I received during feedback session. I felt proud for my team mates who did improve a lot from their first presentation, but everyone still had a lot of things to work on. Our trainers, since they "loved" us so much, decided that we stick to our assigned tracks for our presentation the next day. Deep inside, I was hoping that I get assigned another track, because although my mind was all prepared, my legs were desperately demanding for relief. But I thought, it was for everybody's benefit. The day was wrapped up and I met up with my family to treat them for dinner at Kenny Roger's… and boy, did I EAT!

To be continued…

Honorably Mentioned!

2009-04-26T09:05:00.003+08:00

It's been some time since I featured something here, but this one surely tops all the backlogged blogs I have yet to write (new logos and Body Pump!). I was so excited when I opened this letter and my friends from work were there to witness it, a fine way of ending a day of an exhaustive all-day presentation in an Aquatherapy seminar. Here is what I received last night:

April 24, 2009

CHRISTIAN OLIVER ANG CRUZ

Artist

Dear Mr. Cruz,

We are happy to inform you that you won Honorable Mention at the 2009 PBBY-Alcala Prize.

The awarding ceremonies shall be on July 21, 2009. We shall be contacting you about the said ceremonies details a few weeks before.

Our heartfelt congratulations!

Sincerely,

ANI ROSA ALMARIO

Secretary-General

I've been working on sketches before based on the PBBY-Salenga Prize winning piece "Ang Higante Sa Loob Ng Aming Bahay" by Raymund Garlitos, and I featured some of it here. I actually worked on the final artwork based on these sketches and submitted them as entries to the 2009 PBBY-Alcala Prize. Here is a description of the prize (from the PBBY website):

Larry Alcala (Lauro Z. Alcala), after whom the PBBY Illustrators' Prize is named, was one of the founding members of this organization. More than this, however, he shone joy and and rained laughter into the hearts of millions of Filipinos with his comic strips and illustrations. The fact that he chose the popular medium of newspapers and Filipino komiks means that he reached adults and children alike, many of whom could not afford more expensive forms of entertainment. The characters he created capture the whole spectrum of the Filipino's smile: from the bandana-wearing Mang Ambo to the intrepid Siopawman, from the profligate Asiong Aksaya to the hilarious duo of Kalabog en Bosyo, he sustained our souls even during the darkest moments of recent history. His single-page Slice of Life which included his own profile hidden--and at home--among the daily doings of his countrymen had most of the nation spending a few minutes of their busy lives searching for the likeness of the man who made them laugh.

Besides these accomplishments, Larry also broke new ground as a teacher of young artists. He introduced the first college degree course on Commercial Design in 1953 and the first 8mm film production of animated cartoons for the Dept of Visual Communications in UP Diliman in 1972. His awards are many but his gifts to us are more and so we remember him every year the competition for the Illustrators' Prize is held. Let all who compete and all who win remember not only his talent but his service to our souls.

First time I joined such a contest so this news really came in as a huge surprise. I won't get the chance to illustrate the book (that privilege goes to the sole Grand Winner), but I'm definitely ecstatic enough to get an Honorable Mention! Thank you Lord for another answered prayer!

I didn't get to scan properly my entries (they were huge!) but here are a few snapshots:

Work in Progress: Chuliyao

2009-04-12T23:51:00.004+08:00

Chuliyao is a Kalinga folk story as narrated by Agom Dawing who heard it from her mother and noted down by Maria Cameron. It is about Chuliyao, a farmer, who was constantly wooed by a rat into marrying her. Of course, Chuliyao ignored this. But after some time, Chuliyao agreed in bringing the rat home. While Chuliyao was working the fields, the rat would remove its rat clothes to reveal a beautiful young woman who would in turn clean the house and do the rest of the chores. In time, Chuliyao would suspect that the rat was indeed magical and will try to discover the truth.

This story would be part of a series of children's books (20 stories) that will be used by a school in Dananao in Southern Kalinga - a project initiated by Australian volunteers. It is a lovely story which would be very interesting to illustrate. I thought of using the concept of a magical mask and cape that the beautiful woman wears to become a rat. I patterned the mask to traditional Ifugao/Kalinga tribal ceremonial masks and the cape/coat to look like a straw/fur coat. I wanted to retain the femininity of the beautiful woman in the rat, thus the flowing form of the rat character. Chuliyao the main character would be more angular and geometric in contrast. I was greatly inspired by Eyvind Earle's art (of Disney's Sleeping Beauty) and would like to blend in some of his style into the rice terraced landscapes of Kalinga in this story.

The scene featured in the topmost drawing was inspired from this excerpt:

"The young woman began to cry, and Chuliyao felt pity for her. "Oh, are these what you are looking for?" he said as he revealed the clothes from behind his back.
The woman grabbed at the clothes, but Chuliyao did not let go. She begged him, "Please, please give me my clothes!" and he replied, "I won't give you your clothes unless you marry me! Will you marry me?"

Take note that these are just preliminary and exploratory studies, focusing more on capturing the general theme and feel of the story. The final art might be drastically different from these and I still have to work on the general layout once the specifications of the book are set.

Conjure!

2009-03-14T09:04:00.003+08:00

Good news! to those who doesn't know yet, I got accepted as a member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang I.n.K.) which is an association of artists committed to the creation and promotion of illustrations for children in the Philippines. It is a great stride for my artistic side, as it will further expand my creative horizons… and of course chances of illustrating more children's books. By the way, we're already finalizing the layout of "Spinning" and although the publication is delayed (due to my suggestions and comments), it will be coming out soon. I chose this as my "About the Illustrator" picture…

Silly... Anyway, to my drawing! At first, I thought of drawing "Hampas Palayok" first, like a group of kids catching the blessings of an exploded pot while the blindfolded kid standing in the middle with his stick unaware of the frenzy happening around him – all this from the pot's perspective… then I moved on to using a piñata instead, since these were more colorful. I ended up sketching a girl conjuring the most unexpected characters she has imagined…

I did it using my signature ink, then water-colored and highlighted with colored pencils on illustration board. Try to see what I did to my brushes! Those rubber thingies really help me work even if my right hand is already screaming in pain (De Quervain's).

I really didn't have a story for this one, the characters just came out randomly and if you'd like, make a story out of it… the final scanned piece...

Here's the girl… a diwata? a babaylan in training? The girl looks a lot like my sister Sigrid, hehe.

A snake wearing a top hat and a magician's wand, studded with card suit designs on the length of its body… with three little mice frantically running on his long tongue. And the pig balloons…

A bee who is actually wearing these huge shades to hide his Chinese eyes… and it's a hustler, not your typical jolly bee…

And the carabao jumped over the moon… rather jumped from the moon… and a rocket to witness it…

A flying tailless bubwit and again pig balloons…

And the cutesy putesy flowers… "Conjure!"

What do you think are the characters all about? What story does this picture tell?

Anyway, have to get back to my drawing board and abuse my right hand more, lots of logos and designs to work on. Have to make full use of my free time!

Logo Design: Swig

2009-03-10T16:52:00.002+08:00

I recently made a logo for Swig, a new bar/restaurant from Stella's Restaurant in Ohio. Demographically, Swig is looking for the 25-50 year old. Swig can be described as an inexpensive, fun and intimate neighborhood joint. It will feature 19 draft beers, comfort foods primarily focused on sausage sandwiches, etc. and will be able to seat about 60 people inside, another 75 on outside patio during warm weather (with stainless steel tables and bar with black walnut trim). They're looking for a logo that "puts a smile on people's faces" and makes them curious enough to come in. Swig will be a casual place, where people can feel comfortable "come as they are," but it will be well-kept and have a bit of hipness, too. The logo should include the name of the bar and their tagline ("Charcuterie and Suds for the Curious"). The logo will be used for front facade of building, as well as promotional materials and other purposes.

I worked on developing a text-based logo, using friendly legible script fonts. Of course, using text as a logo is very boring so I aimed for subtle modifications to incorporate specific requests of the client. Emphasizing on the need for a logo that "puts a smile," I searched for a way to integrate this on the basic text… and voila… what if I reshaped the tail loop of the "g" into a subtle "smile"? I edited the dot of the "i" into a spiral to evoke the "suds" nature of the bar/restaurant. I avoided using any direct visual references (such as using graphics of beer or mugs) because the name of the bar/restaurant already refers to the act of drinking beer. How the text is displayed will be important to show subtly the "hipness" but at the same time "classiness" of the bar/restaurant. Here's the basic logo in black and white:

I provided some color versions, and I thought of framing it into this:

At first this didn't appeal to them, as one person in their group suggested that it looked like the logo for instant potatoes or Duncan Hines (bake products). A friend of mine I showed this to commented it looked like a chocolate factory's logo. I thought, "This is good!" It meant that the logo seemed to evoke taste… which is very important for a restaurant logo. I framed it actually to make it look like an old beer label, and I was glad other people who saw this version thought so. But I provided them with another version without the framing and the red band:

It took a while before they grew into the logo, after having other competing proposals. But finally, they liked it a lot, thinking its versatility to be used for signage, menus and letterhead. They would be using all iterations of the logo. I provided them with the horizontal treatments of the logo, and here are the final horizontal versions:

Now, I've wanted to have a swig of cold beer after this project. Come to think of it, I've never been drunk before and I've always wondered how I'd be overpowered by alcohol. Would I turn into a laughing clown or a violent brute, a sleepy slob or a raging sex maniac? I have this fear of losing control of myself, but there's also this curiosity that has to be quelled. If only it would be that easy to get drunk.

Logo Design: Spira Sales Corporation

2009-02-25T23:01:00.003+08:00

SPIRA Sales Corporation was created as partners of TOTO Philippines at the onset of year 2007 to address the growing demand for high-performing bathroom and sanitary wares, fittings and accessories in the Philippines. SPIRA distributes TOTO products through a vast network of retailers that are strong industry players, like Wilcon Builders Depot, Inc. The distributorship network is strategically located mainly in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon area. Apart from high quality products, SPIRA also boasts of a talented team which is equipped and trained to excel in customer service. Products and manpower are the two main strengths and investments of the company that ensure customer satisfaction. In time for the grand opening of the new TOTO Philippines Showroom at the 1^st and 2^nd floor of Ridgewood Square, C5 Road, Taguig, Metro Manila, SPIRA is all set to rebrand itself in this new endeavor.

The original logo of SPIRA is an example of a direct representation of what the sales company is all about. I interviewed current employees and asked them if they knew what the graphic in the logo really was, and all of them were unanimous in identifying the image as a toilet piece ("inidoro" to be exact). I thought that the old image would have to be changed, even if its shape was quite indecipherable. This is a case, that the product may not necessarily provide a wholesome image of the company. I was asked by the management to look at their website at www.totophilippines.com to look at their products, find inspiration and get a feel of the image they wanted to convey as a company.

TOTO Ltd. is the world's largest toilet manufacturer and produces the most innovative and highly technological sanitary wares around. I didn't realize until I reviewed their catalogue how much creativity, research and technology can go in producing their products. Their mission is to enhance humanity's relationship with water and with this; they strive in producing products and designs that provide seamless user experience. The image of TOTO is simply elegant (and works similarly to SONY's logo) and classic. I wanted SPIRA's logo to look harmoniously side by side with this TOTO image, and although I wanted to go for a similar typographical approach, the management was insistent with the integration of a graphical component.

I provided their management with 3 initial proposals based on key elements I drew from SPIRA's and TOTO's portfolio:

PEARL within a SHELL / WATER DROPLET concept – The first thing I saw in SPIRA's website was this beautiful picture of a water droplet bouncing off from a rippled surface. I thought I should create a graphic based on this, but infusing it with the pearl-like qualities of TOTO's products, hence making it also look like an open shell.
SPIRAL / WHIRLPOOL concept – The word "Spira" actually forms the root of spiral, thus a graphic based on the name might be good. Also, the "whirlpool" image evokes a dynamic personality of water.
NAUTILUS SHELL concept – The products are heavily inspired from natural sources, so I looked for a natural symbol that infuses both the shell and the spiral elements.

Obviously, I was drawing references from nature, and used elements commonly associated with water and pearl/shells. Among the three, what do you think the management chose to develop?

SPIRA chose the spiral/whirlpool concept and they immediately liked the image being dynamic even without me providing an explanation of the graphic (I wanted to see whether they can relate to the logos). The comment they gave was how I treated the 2 swirls in the graphic… it seemed "deconstructed" or "dissolved". They were right. Although, I thought the effect was cool, it wasn't what they wanted to be. If there was a way I can make the swirls look more solid, while avoiding making it look like other swirl based logos.

I experimented using various treatments, from making the lines thicker, using stripes, etc. but I settled with the use of digital brush in creating the swirls. They look more solid than the previous, but more importantly, they looked organic and alive. Here it is, and the description I provided them.

"The logo of SPIRA Sales Corporation consists of 2 swirls forming a subtle upward-facing "S" in the negative space between them. The symbol represents the dynamism and harmony between the two main strengths and investments of the company: high-quality products and competent manpower. Also, the swirls represent the twin ideals of leadership and excellence, merging together with success as their goal. The color blue represents humanity's relationship with water (referencing TOTO's philosophy); while the color green represent's humanity's relationship with the earth and its brethren (a pledge to environmental and social responsibility)…"

It is wonderful how the SPIRA team feels proud to have this new logo. It is equally amazing how the new logo seems to bring out individual interpretations of the logo. Some members of the team described it as their "yin-yang", "whirlpool" or "spinning water." Cool imagery… signs that they are inspired and drawn to it – and I'm just very glad it is no longer their "inidoro." By the way, the showroom as well as this logo will be launched this early March.

Logo Design: Law of Attraction Experts

2009-02-23T09:29:00.004+08:00

I recently designed a logo for a new company called "Law of Attraction Experts.com" whose mission is to provide a constant stream of inspirational, life-changing, timeless resources including courses, seminars, audios, books, events, free stuff, etc to assist people, kids and families on their journey toward enlightenment. I myself have seen the popular self-help film "The Secret" and I'm sure people would be familiar of the onslaught of books released about the "secret" which was supposed to have "travelled through centuries" to reach the viewer. I was very curious then what the "secret" was, and I soon learned that the secret is the Law of Attraction, a principle that "posits feelings and thoughts can attract events, from the workings of the cosmos to interactions among individuals in their physical, emotional, and professional affairs." It's basically positive thinking but more. I generally agree with the principle and how it seemed to work in my daily life and complement my faith… Don't you notice how when you generally feel depressed and negative about yourself, everything about you seemed to be negative towards you to? When you start the day happy and exude a positive vibe, everything seems to go oh so well!

The company needed a logo that speaks to both men and women, is easy to read, simple...spiritual and intelligent. They supposed that "Law of Attraction" should convey the spiritual side and the word "Experts" should convey the dynamic energy of the experts: the ability to help change people's lives and fast-track them to where they want to go. With this general description they provided, I somehow knew that I was going for something that would rely on typographic design. Since "Law of Attraction" would be spiritual, it needed to use a font that looked antique and wise. The word "Experts" should be bold and respectable. I presented 2 initial arrangements, one framed in a circle and the other one, where the word "Experts" is encased in a scroll or flag:

They immediately liked the second version but suggested in toning down the ornamentations around the capital letters of "Law of Attraction".

From here on, all that were needed were minor adjustments to the font and color treatments. Notice how I modified the tail part of the "n". In the first one, the tail curves inwards and makes the "n" looks illegible especially in smaller sizes. I curved it outwards.

But in the end, we settled with the straight down version. These were subtle modifications but were very important when it comes to readability.

With the general design of the logo finished, I provided them with possible colored versions, ranging from deep blue, violet and gold.

I'm really glad they liked the logo and how it fits their company's mission. I positively believe that it will serve their company well.

Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

Logo Design: KALISS

2009-02-22T22:42:00.003+08:00

I remember years ago when I was just fresh out of college and enjoying my hard-earned salary, when friends of my parents who were very active in our local parish invited me to donate money monthly to the seminary in support of priests in the making. They said it doesn't have to be that big, so I thought I can shell out P200 every month. I thought this was enough and since I myself intended of going to the seminary before, I was in full zealous support of these kinds of charitable activities. But there were months when I would fail to commit to the pledged donation, and I can't help but imagine the poor seminarist who depended on that meager support, shivering cold and hungry in a dark corner of his room.

Of course, it doesn't happen that way. Organizations who manage these donations are usually composed of individuals, groups, companies and businesses who want to share their means by pledging an amount in monthly/semi-annually/annually to raise funds in support for religious vocation. So I'm just a small fish in a sea of whales whose contributions are being gathered together to support the activities, facilities and training required in producing priests. Recently, I was asked by Fr. Boni Chavez, through Kuya Onjie to help out a similar organization in a manner I am quite happy to oblige. Their group is called KALISS which is actually an acronym for "Kabalikat At Lingap sa mga Seminarista ng Sto. Rosario-Montalban, Rizal" needed a new logo.

The logo must bear the rosary as icon of the Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, a bible, a chalice, a priest or nun icon, and an open arm or crossed hands as "balikatan" symbol. Now, these are standard religious symbols that one often sees in religious seals. I thought that the way to go with this logo is through heraldry.

As a kid, I have always been a fan of heraldry, and now I realize why I am so fascinated with logos and creating them: it's because I have been creating armorial designs since I was a kid. We had these "New Book of Knowledge" (not so new really, as they are now more than 30 years old!) and the pages of the "H" volume that was so worn out were the pages about heraldry. I scan them here, and you would see that I even had some pencil marks on it, and even ballpen tracing where I thought lines should be. I think I was around 5 years old then when I studied this, and you could imagine how fascinated I was to learn that these shield designs had some real meaning behind them and were actually meant to identify the people behind the armor. What's also fascinating is how the artist tried to depict it here, some quite morbidly… and as a kid, I enjoyed it.

I remember since then, I have been making shields and insignias for imaginary armies that my brothers and I used to play in our invented board games. You would find it weird, but I make it a point to study the coat of arms of parishes and dioceses. I even went to the point of casually interviewing a bishop abut the symbolisms in his coat of arms. When Pope Benedict XVI was ordained, one of the things I was excited about was his new coat of arms, as this will be the graphical representation of his past and upbringing, and most often would bear the theme of his reign as pope. It's really quite interesting!

Hmmm, back to the KALISS logo. The symbolisms were clearly requested and it was up to me how to arrange them. I thought of using the rosary as a framing element and all the remaining four symbols would conveniently go to each quarter of the shield. As I was sketching for possibilities, I discovered that the cross of the rosary can be the centerpiece, and be the instrument in dividing the shield into its four areas.

As I went on digitizing the design, I sought for a more special treatment of the rosary – something to give the whole logo a unique shape. Since the rosary included 5 segments (mysteries), I thought of creating a semi-circular curve for the 10 beads of each segment. When combined, it sort of suggests a subtle flower… or even a star (especially if you focus on the major beads). The icons were created in a manner following the "law of tincture" in heraldry.

With regards to color, I started with giving it a generally a Marian blue color.

However, it somehow looked dull. The KALISS group suggested using the liturgical colors, particularly gold, red, green and violet. I was quite excited that they suggested these 4 unique colors as this providentially supplied the colors for each quarter of the shield.

Finally, I added the text and provided them with the vertical and horizontal options. I wanted this logo to look respectful and dignified for it to represent a group with a good cause, as this will aid them raise the funds they need. Also, since this is a parochial movement, I wanted it the logo to be something that seems to belong among ecclesiastic heraldry. I hope this logo will serve them well. And perhaps then, I can redeem myself from letting my poor priest go hungry for months…

The Giant Inside Our House (Part 2)

2009-02-12T13:35:00.005+08:00

Here are the rest of the illustrations for a children's literature "Ang Higante Sa Loob Ng Aming Bahay" by Raymund Garlitos:

"Mano po! Mano po!" ang sabi nina Ate Linggit at Kuya Utoy
sabay kuha sa dambuhalang kamay ng higanteng hawak na ang malaking kutsara.
"Ikaw, Matt-Matt, di ka ba magmamano?" yakag sa akin ni Nanay,
tinutulak niya ako patungo sa higanteng nakangiti sa akin.
"Mmmmmaanno ppppooo ... " sabay kuha sa kamay niyang singbigat
ng basketbol at singlapad ng pamaypay na abaniko at inilapat sa aking noo,
sabay karipas ng takbo patungo sa nanay ko.
Nagtawanan silang lahat sa aking ginawa.
"PARANG NAKAKITA NG MULTO ITONG SI BUNSO," sabay bunghalit ng tawa
ng higanteng parang kumakahol na asong mataba.

Ngayon, alam ko na kung bakit itong si Nanay,
si Ate Linggit at Kuya Utoy,
ay malapit ang loob sa higanteng ita sa aming bahay.
Siya ay higante hindi dahil sa laki ng kanyang katawan
o lalim ng kanyang boses kapag nakikipagkuwentuhan.
Siya ay higante dahil sa tawa niyang dumadagundong sa lakas,
dahil sa ngiting lagi niyang ipinapamalas,
dahil sa haplos ng mahinahon niyang palad,
at dahil sa tatag ng mga balikat niyang malapad.
At ngayon, habang kami'y nanood ng TV,
ang hiling ko'y lagi na lang dito sa aking tabi
ang higante na nakatira sa loob ng aming bahay,
na mula noon ay tinatawag kong "TATAY."

By the way, I made these illustrations as part of my membership application to Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang I.N.K.). The piece by Garlitos is a fascinating story and I recommend everyone to read it. The piece in its entirety can be downloaded here: http://pbby.org.ph/downloads/pbby_ang-higante-sa-loob-ng-aming-bahay.pdf.

I found the story to be quite challenging to illustrate since the story culminates in a revelation that the giant is actually the kid's father. The illustrations should also be able to evoke this revelation. That's why in the most of the panels (except the last one), the "giant" is only shown in parts and from behind, never revealing his face and entirety. I also tried to preserve the reality that the "giant" is not really a giant, while integrating the fantasy that the "giant" is so, mainly because of the wild imagination of the kid. If I had more time, there are more key scenes which I wanted to illustrate.

It's time to send these babies to the mail. Hopefully, these illustrations pass the screening process.

The Giant Inside Our House (Part 1)

2009-02-01T08:01:00.002+08:00

Here are some concept illustrations for a children's literature "Ang Higante Sa Loob Ng Aming Bahay" by Raymund Garlitos:

"Nagpunta kami sa parke, sa museong pambata,
at akwaryum na may napakaraming isda at pugita.
Pumunta kami sa mall at kumain ng hamburger at pizza.
Unti-unting nawala ang aking kaba sa matangkad kong kasama,
lalo nang nginitian niya ako, sabay sabing, "SANA'Y MASAYA KA!"

At nang ako'y mapagod, ako'y kanyang isinakay
sa matatag niyang mga balikat habang naglalakbay.
Masarap pala ang pakiramdam kapag ikaw ay nasa tuktok!
Mas lumilinaw ang panonood ng mga paputok!"

Since these are just preliminaries, and I might work on the final pieces in mixed media (basically, watercolors, inks, acrylic and colored pencils for highlight) just as I did in "Spinning"… I'll post other concept illustrations and the finished pieces soon.

Logo Design: Eden Park

2009-01-24T09:38:00.004+08:00

"Enjoy stress-free, maintenance-free living in a beautiful active adult community in West Nyack, New York… With its incredibly convenient location, Eden Park is the perfect place for the active adult to call home. Why wait?" I was tapped to create logo concepts for Eden Park Homes, LLC by the same people I worked with in the Fairfax Park logo project. The client provided a preliminary brochure with information regarding the community, and from the get-go, they wanted something like a tree (ala Garden of Eden), a park, a green scene to represent them. Here are sample images from the brochure they provided:

The information they provided were more than enough, and it seemed natural to go for the tree concept. The challenge here was to create a tree image that would stand out from thousands of logos of similar communities featuring trees in their designs. The tree should also be able to evoke the almost magical and sacred dignity associated with that tree of Eden. I drew these preliminary designs and somehow, I stayed away from the use of realistic silhouettes of real trees (I actually reviewed the common trees present in the West Nyack vicinity) and endowed my tree concepts with a more flowing element. Here are the designs:

I was secretly wishing that the client would choose the topmost versions, because somehow I was quite excited with the color possibilities for this design. However, the client chose the lowermost version. This was still an exciting design to do follow-up work on, because the challenge in this design is how to create the ethereal flow in the branches of this tree. For the text, I used a pretty common font (Copperplate Gothic) which I admit is already an overused and dated font, but I felt when used properly in tandem with the graphic can still work pretty well. I provided 2 versions of this concept. One with just the branches and the other populated with leaves. Here's the vector work:

Color options were limited, and using the colors of the brochure, which I assumed were the colors they liked, and besides, it works well with the logo, I worked on the logo. Dark green background brings out the golden yellows of the main logo. Here's the final design:

The client was satisfied with the final design, and this was one of the few projects I worked on which required little or no revisions at all. I don't know, but the tree in the design and all this Eden paradise idea, makes me sing "This Nearly Was Mine…"

When One Is Down…

2009-01-10T10:20:00.003+08:00

I have this corner with dolls and puppets staring at me as I work on my table... Here they are reminding me of a prayer:

Prayer When One is Down

I know, Lord, that you believe in me

Dear Lord,
There are decisions
that must be made
and obligations
that must be fulfilled.
There are deadlines to be met
and duties to be performed.
But I know, Lord,
that you will lead me
to the right path.

I do have bad days
and I make stupid mistakes;
I know I sometimes fail
to live up to people's expectations.
But, Lord, despite my shortcomings
I know you have not given up on me.

I am not as beautiful
as I want to be;
I am not as young
as I used to be;
I am not as talented
as I wish to be;
I am not as strong
as I strive to be.

But Lord, you make me feel
I am someone great
because you choose me
to be your servant.

I know I am special
and important in your eyes:
you gave up your life
to save me
and set me free. Amen.

by Msgr. Ruperto C. Santos, STL

ForgetfulRainn and Angel Dogs…

2009-01-07T00:48:00.005+08:00

I got interviewed by one of my friends from deviantArt, Nicolas (ForgetfulRainn), one of the most faithful and supportive readers of my Moleskine Art which I regularly post in my Flickr and deviantArt accounts. He classifies my art as representative of Remodernism, "a term promulgated in an attempt to introduce a period of new spirituality into art, culture and society." In fact, I'm currently working with him on concept illustrations for a novel. He gave me questions that are quite interesting, such as when I started drawing, my artistic influences, my relationship with God among others… So head over his blogsite to read it (click on the link below):

My Interview at ForgetfulRainn's Chapters

On other note, I'll just show you a very early preview of one of my upcoming personal projects. I doodled this while waiting at Starbucks, contemplating on what goes on in the minds of lost toy dogs…

Hehe, what is this pug thinking about?

A Creative Retrospective on the Year 2008…

2009-01-03T18:55:00.005+08:00

The Year 2008 was quite a special and exciting year for me. Not only did it mark a new venture for me professionally (from assistant professor to clinical director), but it also featured some achievements in my creative department. Most of my time of course was invested in clinical and administrative tasks in Quality Life Discoveries (which more or less had a successful first year since its soft launch), but I make sure that I devote time for my art. Most of my personal free time out of the clinic is spent in the "drawing board". If there was something really fantastic I could really wish for, I'd really wish I had the power to freeze time (or bend space-time continuum ala Hiro Nakamura), or be able to clone myself, and command each of my clones to do whatever I want them to… But we have to face reality: with the limited time that we have, we can only do so much…

Here are only some of the logos I produced last year. Quite a colorful bunch and full of variety, most of which I'm really proud of.

Sadly, I only produced 3 major ambigrams last year. I had to turn down or ignore a lot of commission requests due to lack of time. Although I was able to find solutions for some requests, producing them into final products will simply take too much time and energy. Hopefully, I will go back to these requests and make things work out. I'll make more ambigrams this coming year!

Most of my layout design work was done for Quality Life Discoveries, but I accepted some requests from other companies.

My Moleskine Art was able to gather some followers through my deviantART and Flickr accounts demanding I produce more regular entries. For year 2008, I was only able to post 13 entries (compared to more than 50 in 2007), so that's only almost one entry per month! I'm just past the halfway point, but hopefully I'll finish the whole notebook by the next year filling it up with a variety of conceptual sketches, introspection and dream logs.

I also worked on a 12-page comic entitled "Raisinhead: A Tale of a Modern-Day Tiyanak," a fantasy story about a baby's survival of an attempted abortion and his quest for his mother and purpose in life. It is quite introspective. I think I infused a lot of my own personality and insights on Raisin, the main character of the story. This was the first time I worked on a comic this long and I've worked on comic strips before (the short lived Goodness Bites, which managed to find its way in some Christian web portals) but I never thought it could be this difficult, especially if you want to fit your story within the panels of the 12-page. Sometimes, I feel the story could work as a serial, but it's something to think about. I also found this new found respect for local comic writers and artists, and found myself stuffing my library with works of Arnold Arre (The Mythology Class, Ang Mundo ni Andong Agimat and Martial Law Babies), Gerry Alanguilan (Elmer) and others, which I could proudly say is at par with international standards. Note… I'm just trying my wings in this media and it's quite far-fetched to rightly call myself a comic artist already. Anyway, let's see. The year 2009 will mark the development of comic-related projects.

The artwork for Spinning, an upcoming book dedicated to kids with autism and their families is already completed. Quite excited how it will look in the final lay-out. Hopefully, it will be published within February.

In music, I only found myself composing a very short psalm piece for the Mass celebrating the 1st Anniversary of the Community Health Development Program of the University of the Philippines Manila in San Juan, Batangas. There's already a wonderful "Ito Ang Araw" piece by Arnel Aquino, SJ but it was insisted that a new one be made. I got to sing it too. I'm really proud of the parish choir of San Juan because they were able to learn and sing the piece almost extemporaneously.

Of course, this only recounts achievements in my creative endeavors. The past year featured some of my most joyous moments but also the most heartbreaking – a subtle mix of successes and failures, advances and retreats, satisfaction and regrets. I just hope that the year 2009 be a more productive one both professionally and creatively, without frustrating and burning myself up. I may be scatter-brained and it always seems I need to do everything... should I slow down, when I feel I'm not moving fast enough? I realize I am my own worst slave-driver and critic, but I promise to respect my own limitations, stop beating myself and choose to be happier. I pray that all the projects brewing in my mind find themselves into fruition, and some of them materialize reasonably within the new year. I sincerely wish everyone success in all their own endeavors, and may 2009 be a good year for all! Happy New Year!

A Rose Among Weeds…

2009-01-01T14:31:00.004+08:00

I just thought of writing here this wonderful message that was sent to me, in the hope that someone else may be inspired by it…

"I noticed a beautiful flower standing in the midst of all the weeds. It was so colorful, so vivid and amazingly it had blossomed right there in the midst of those drab, dreary weeds. I thought that is exactly what God wants us to do: to bloom wherever we're planted. You may live or work around a bunch of weeds, but don't let that stop you from blooming. Realize that your environment does not prevent you from being happy. If you'll make the decision to stay faithful and be content, at the right time, God will change those circumstances. He'll get you out of those old weeds and put you in a better place. You may never know the answer. But don't use that as an excuse to wallow in self-pity. Leave it alone, get you, and move on with your life. Many of the "why" questions of life will remain a conundrum. But trust in God, and accept the fact that there will be some unanswered questions. Keep in mind, just because you don't know the answer doesn't mean that one does not exist. You simply haven't discovered it yet."

There’s a duwende in my house…

2009-01-01T13:57:00.004+08:00

Do you believe in duwendes? Have you ever seen one?

Lately, I had a recent brush with the paranormal when I invited a friend to visit my home and have a look at our cats. I was surprised to know that she had a "third-eye", meaning she has the ability to see the metaphysical which is otherwise mythological for some. Well, I've always had an obsessive fascination with the mythic, the mystic, the legendary and the folkloric, having had my own set of experiences: from personal to gathered anecdotes, from demonic possessions to exorcisms, from sightings to spirit quests; so it wouldn't come as a surprise when people would start claiming they see duwendes in our house.

My folks told me that when I was a kid, I used to play in the yard on my own, run in the open fields. One time when I was stricken with an unexplainable fever, an albularyo was promptly called and I was diagnosed "tawas" style to have been in association with the duwendes in our yard. I've always wondered whether duwendes was used as an etiological explanation by our forebears for children who apparently had autism or "a world of their own." Oftentimes, when my mom would drop objects on the kitchen floor, try to look for it and not find it anywhere, my Lola Isang would exclaim "Hay, tinago na 'yan ng mga duwende… (The duwendes already took and hid it…)!"

Interestingly, quite recently, my friend saw one of the duwendes living in our house and she described it in such detail, I was simply in awe. She mentioned that although she only saw one of the duwendes, there were many of them – a whole community, a kingdom for that matter! They were of the maharlika type, donning gold and white garments, of the medieval fashion. Interesting, I remember the old folks here in Cainta, Rizal mention that in the fields were our house was built (our house was one of the first in Ortigas Avenue Extension, which was an expanse of open fields then 30 years ago), there would be sightings of regiments of duwendes armed with pointy spears and swords even riding on horses which were interestingly in proportion to their minute size. And they were indeed small, only around 4 to 6 inches tall. I've heard that having such duwendes in the house would bring great luck and blessings to those living in the household. She says I have this special affiliation with this duwende who looked really fat ("bursting from his clothes") but regal. He has a name, but I won't tell here. He enjoys the same food as I do, and really enjoys it when I bring home delicious delicacies. Amusingly, she mentioned that when I find myself having a hard time putting down my midnight snacks, it is actually the duwendes tugging at me to eat more so they could have a feast (but I thought to myself, matakaw lang talaga ako, hehe). All this was verified when a respectable priest visited our house to confirm these sightings.

It is interesting to note, that the duwende has its counterparts in other cultures: it has the equivalent in the western gnomes, elves and sprites. I suspect that the anito of our ancient ancestors may have somehow been acknowledged as the duwende when the Spanish arrived on our shores. It still found its way into the popular mindset of Filipinos (Folk Catholicism), even among progressive modern urban dwellers. Though, I find the thought of having duwendes at home to be very intriguing, I can't help but take it with a grain of salt. At the back of my head, something tells me that all this may just be a meticulous product of an overactive imagination, but I still admit that there are some things that just cannot be explained and you simply have to believe with faith. I'm sure every one of us has our own set of stories of unseen housemates and there's this dreaded but at the same time uplifting sense of awe and wonder in it, that just prompts us to believe in their existence. But really, how I wish I could see them again the same way I did when I was a kid. But as my friend says, one can only see them with a pure heart. Oh well… nothing wrong in still hoping.

Vienna: Please Come Home…

2008-12-29T01:57:00.004+08:00

This is Vienna. She's a black/brown mini-dachschund who has been with the family for more than 7 years. We saw her grow up from a puppy to a cheerful dog. We allowed her to freely roam the house, hunting down the mice to her heart's content. She's intelligent in a unique way, and she would do almost the most outrageous things to get our attention. It seemed she envied the attention we gave the cats in the house to the point that she would even climb the chairs and table the way cats do, to our grave surprise when she would suddenly lick our lips during meals. She's the only dog I know who enjoys eating cat food. She's the only dog I know who doesn't bark at strangers but instead invites them to play with her. She likes being tickled on her belly, but be careful not to do it too much, because she tends to pee when she's at the point of ecstasy. She likes her face to be mashed up in your hands and doesn't mind a bit, as long as she can still breath. On one of her pregnancies, she suffered an hernia, where she needed to be operated on. The doctor said not to excite her so much so she wouldn't move too much to hasten her healing. But I guess with Vienna, that's impossible.

I guess we trained her to be too friendly and accommodating. One morning, she got out of our house without our knowledge (the garden and garage were being renovated) and when we discovered she was gone, she was nowhere to be found. Neighbors last saw her playing with a man. Our suspicion was that she has been taken away by this person. It could be anyone. Who could resist not owning such a friendly pet? Now, what I couldn't fathom is how people could simply grab a dog from a street without thinking that there could be a family looking for this dog. They could have asked around first, a little concern. This is basically kidnapping. We have lost a family member, and our family is grieving. We just pray that whoever took Vienna to please kindly return her to us… and if ever in your cold heart, you wouldn't do so, at least take care of her more than we cared for her.

Spinning: Coming Soon!

2008-12-08T09:48:00.004+08:00

That's the teaser poster for "Spinning" the children's book that Irene and I have been working on. We're glad that the Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP) will be helping out in disseminating information and buzz about this book.

I'm on the last stretch with my illustration for this project and it had been a wonderful adventure bringing the characters and colorful scenes of Irene's story to life… Anvil still has to do the final lay-out as soon as I complete the illustrations so we're targeting to release the book by February. Exciting!

Here's an alternate poster with our bios.

A Beautiful Day…

2008-11-20T23:30:00.001+08:00

I woke up early today a little disoriented. You know that feeling when you don't realize you've fallen asleep while watching a show and you wake up with the television still on. You try to figure out whether the dream you had was really a dream because it was so vivid, so detailed you'd think you just watched a movie! I'm no stranger to dreams with fantastic settings and film-like plots, but this is the first time I had a dream starring Colin Firth and Maria Bello… why them? I don't know with my overactive brain. It's about this girl (Maria Bello) who finds an anonymous diary while cleaning up her basement. Now, as she reads the diary, which is actually a recounting of a man's love to a woman, events in the diary coincide with her memories of her own failed relationship with her ex-boyfriend who left her for another girl. Colin Firth is a shy neighbor who is struggling to lead a new life after his wife's tragic death. Colin and Maria seem to relate because of their own personal baggage but at the same time, it is a huge obstacle to their budding relationship. I won't go further into details, but in the end, Maria discovers that it was actually Colin who wrote the diary… and there's a funny twist when Colin realizes that Maria has been reading the diary all along. Weird no? I don't know how original the story is (it somehow reminds me of the Korean movie "The Classic"), but it's worth documenting into a storyboard. It might be a good story to base a project on… I hope I had more dreams like these…

It was coding day, so I have to drive to work early to beat the 7 o' clock curfew. But waking up early is not such a nuisance if you see this beautiful sky smile:

I had an aquatherapy session where I found myself teaching my client how to say "The Prayer of Jabez"… and somehow I realized, it had been quite a long while since I had been of service to God.

I left work early to attend a "Comic Writing for Artists" lecture at the UP College of Fine Arts (which complemented the "Comic Making for Writers" lecture by Jonas Diego last Tuesday at the UP College of Arts and Letters). I arrived early, but I had a chance to roam around the campus, and even though it was my first time, there was a certain familiarity with the ambience there. I thought, "What if I followed my heart's desire 14 years ago and became an artist?" Thanks to Gerry Alanguilan, Elbert Or, and Jamie Bautista for their wonderful insights regarding comic creation. Gosh! College students were all around at the lecture… I felt like I was sticking out like a sore thumb in the classroom… ako ata pinakamatanda! But I thought, you can never be too old for something you like to do. Got this from Sir Gerry:

on my own Moleskine! I'll build an Elmer themed spread around this dedication. Thanks Sir Gerry!

I had to kill time so I drove to the Bahay ng Alumni to have a snack at Chocolate Kiss. But instead of eating there, I ended up watching the dress rehearsals for "100 Years of World-Class Music" featuring the Philippine Madrigal Singers, UP Concert Chorus, Indayog, and many more. It was a rehearsal, but it was almost like the real thing (plus, I get to see the workings behind such a production… including foul mouthed director and confused stage managers!)… The song and dance numbers were so well-performed heartfelt I found myself moved to tears. Gosh, I miss seeing and hearing things of beauty for a long time… I missed singing in the choir… haaay… ang tanda ko na.

And then I met with a new friend at Starbucks… such a beautiful day! Glad I could smile and be genuinely cheerful again… and now, back to spinnninnnnng…

Creative Project: “Raisinhead: A Tale Of A Modern-Day Tiyanak”

2008-10-22T23:13:00.002+08:00

There's a time when a story that you have been brewing inside your head ever since you were a small boy has to be told in one way or another. One such story that I have is that of Raisinhead. I don't know, what led me to create a story of a tiyanak and his quest for vengeance. Perhaps it were the nightmares (which mostly featured mangled aborted babies and other anatomy-related gore) that plagued my childhood slumbers or the late-night horror movies with deformed twins or the devil's spawn in unwilling mothers. But through the years, I was able to spin numerous versions of Raisinhead, and the most recent iteration has found its way on a medium I fondly love: graphic fiction or more commonly, the comics.

I've been working on Raisinhead for months now while interspersing my free time with logo design and ambigram work. But what really pushed me to develop this story into its graphic form is because I wanted to join this prestigious contest and what material to use best but one that has been close to my heart.

Here are previews of the art, and as you can see, I used the classic ink brush approach for the line work. I laid out the pages first with speedy sketches, and from there developed more complicated sketch work until I'm ready for final inking.

I scanned the panels and decided to place the text in via Photoshop since my handwriting is not legible enough to match the art (thanks to my De Quervain's!). Here's a preview of the 1^st page.

I have basically finished Raisinhead already and in the process of having it reviewed, and so far it's been creating some stir in my family and among friends. Here's how the unveiling of the work went during a family dinner. You can basically see my brother (left) pissed off while debating with my mom (right) on its merits and demerits. It's weird how Archie (beside my mom) can give harsh critiques even though he hasn't read it yet, and my ninang (center), intrigued with all the talk, who doesn't read comic books at all, decided to read it and join in the debate…

Hahaha, it was an amusing night! But, I was glad. If Raisinhead could cause such a controversial debate in my family who know me very well and be very very critical… how much more if it is read by the general public! Some of my friends who have read it called it "heartbreaking…". I'm just glad that its 12 pages can have that effect! But hopefully, I'm not priming any of you before you read it. Hmmm, I can't have it available online. But upon request, I can provide you with the link to the .pdf file I have of Raisinhead (50 MB!). I just hope it fares well. But whether it gets a nod or not, I'm just glad it's out of my system in a format I love. Hmmm, you'll never know, I might decide to work on a graphic NOVEL version of it. Actually, I'm already working on the storyline of another graphic work I'll be creating (Hint: "Magkadugtong na bituka…")(while finishing Spinning, of course…). Here are close-ups:

Does the boy above look like me?

Work in Progress: Spinning (Paikot-ikot)

2008-10-22T21:32:00.003+08:00

These past few weeks, I have been very busy working on two creative projects simultaneously, and with the available free time I have for creative work, you can say I'm progressing slowly but surely on these. I'll be writing about the other project in another blog entry, but for this one, I'll talk about "Spinning" first.

"Spinning" is a delightful short story written by Irene Carolina A. Sarmiento (Teacher Irene) about Kuya who has autism, his sister, Tin-Tin and their family.

"Like a giant top, he spins, and spins, and spins for fun. Tin-Tin wants to help Kuya so that they can play together and learn new things. In this story about love and understanding, Kuya also has plenty to share with Tin-Tin and with the whole world."

The book aims to highlight what children with autism are capable of being and sharing with others as whole human beings. It seeks to look beyond their handicaps and differences, and see how special these children truly are, with their own special gifts and abilities. As far as I know, this is the first story for children that Irene has ever written (or will be published – I'm sure she's written lots, for that matter). Having read most of her previous works, some of which have already garnered prestigious literary awards (Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards and Philippine Free Press Literary Contest), I'm more accustomed to her work on science-fiction and fantasy mostly using modern twists on Filipino folklore. But after reading "Spinning," I knew she has written a heartwarming tale that families and teachers can relate to, and when she asked me if I could illustrate her book, I was MORE than willing to agree!

First, I had to convince the publisher (Anvil Publications) that I'm qualified in illustrating a children's book. It would have been a lot advantageous if I was a member of INK (Ilustrador ng Kabataan), since most publishers get their illustrators from such organizations (mental note to join next time they call for members!). But thanks to my online gallery in deviantART, Flickr, and my (unfinished) website, and most importantly my personal experience in working with kids with autism, the publisher gave me the green light. Here are just some of the sketches I sent them.

And so after signing the contract, I'm now in the slow and grueling (but FUN!) process of setting into pictures the words that inhabit Irene's story. After receiving the specifications of the book, I laid out the needed illustrations based on these. I'll be creating approximately 15 to 20 individual paintings. Irene and the publishers imagined a dreamy (almost pastel-like look), but boldly colorful style for the art and somehow I was more inclined to use watercolors as base with pencil, pen or acrylic highlights for the paintings to achieve this look. Hmmm, I used the word slow, because the process I imposed on myself would require stages before the final actual artwork, and so far, I've only finalized three plates, and each required 3-4 stages, each an artwork by itself already! And with the limited time I have to work on these (I have a day job by the way!), it will indeed be a slow process. But I'm getting there!

The characters are the heart of the story and I have to get them right. For the character of Tin-tin, you will notice that I started out with the cliché girl with the pigtails look, but somehow I felt that I have to infuse the character with the author's personality and look (since she was coursing herself through this character, I think). I asked for Irene's child pictures which I could use as reference.

For Kuya, I had to use a variety of references, from my kids in Quality Life Discoveries to my very own kiddy pictures.

For the cover, which we also intend to use for the promotional, I decided to work on a special customized font for the book. I initially did sketches for the cover to feature Tin-tin in the foreground; however, finally, we decided to put Kuya in front. Also, during this stage, I still wasn't decided on how Tin-tin would look like, but finally settled on a straight hair look to maintain constancy.

Using my initial sketches and mock-ups, I worked on a potential promotional poster which hopefully will be run soon pending approval from Anvil. But, you've seen it first here!

And here's a preview of how another spread is coming about...

And this ain't the final version yet!

Wish us luck, and hoping for the best for the book!

Logo Design: Philippine Physical Therapy Association 2008 Logo Contest

2008-09-26T06:50:00.003+08:00

In celebration of the 10th National Physical Therapy Day last September 8, 2008, the Philippine Physical Therapy Association (PPTA) held a logo-making contest to promote awareness among PT students and professionals about the current and evolving practice of the Physical therapy profession in the Philippines. I really wasn't intending to join this contest because of numerous creative projects I'm currently involved in but as the deadline drew near I thought, "Oh well, I better create something as well, for old time's sake…" That's the reason why I told in my previous blog that somehow I wished I spent more time in creating this logo. But as other designers have shared, it's not the time spent on creating the logo that counts but the over-all impact it produces.

I said old-time's sake… and I really do mean old-time. I've been creating artwork for the PPTA ever since I became a member, ranging from conference logos, lay-out design, audio-visual presentations and even the first inception of the website. Below, you will see the original logo of the PPTA (not mine), and 2 conference logos I made (I have 2 others, but for some reason, I could no longer find them in my files) and an updated version of the original logo (I wonder why they stuck with the old logo).

PPTA Logo

Here it is, the winning logo of the PPTA 2008 Logo Contest:

"This logo retains the hand symbolisms of the original logo, representing the essential service-oriented theme of the Physical Therapy profession. In this rendition, the hands are arranged, open representing evolution of the practice; and emanating influence around the world (represented through the globe, another symbol retained from the original), which is the role Filipino therapists will take in the world scene. Within each hand and shape are embedded subtle symbolisms of the various fields and niches of the Philippine PT practice – pediatric, geriatric, sports (light green area - people), orthopedic/musculoskeletal (dark green area – spine symbol), neurologic, musuloskeletal (red hand – EMG, ECG signals), academics, clinical teaching, paramedical, pulmonary, etc… (blue hand – caduceus, with human figure, book)… The logo is arranged into a modern and eye-catching mark which can be presented in various formats and color schemes, ideal for many applications of this mark."

I wasn't really expecting this to win, but I enjoy good news, especially unexpected ones. I'm not sure if the PPTA will choose to replace the old logo with this new one, but somehow I feel I needed to work on this more (I still feel, this is not as distinct and compact as the original logo). But all in all, I'm glad this work was chosen (still creatively in service to the PT profession!).

Logo Design: Akande Music and Publishing

2008-09-26T06:02:00.003+08:00

Akande Inc. is a 12-year old company that has been immersed in artist development, songwriting & song production. Akande Inc. has most recently decided to include publishing to its list of services. With a publishing campaign slated to begin Summer 2008, Akande Inc. is developing a diverse catalog of songs targeted towards the following industries: Movies, Advertising/Marketing, Television and Gaming. Aside from continually looking for unique individuals to help maintain an interesting and diverse sound within their catalog and extending their genre (Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, Rock and Folk Pop) to also include Metal, Dance and Children's Music. In line with their ongoing expansion, they would also like to spruce up the logo they currently have... something that would ultimately sit well on a website, t-shirt and business card.

Here is their original logo, which is actually a guitar tablature with the A chord. The red dots match the color of the A in the text.

The logo is a very distinct one, and although they were open to significant modifications of the logo, I thought that drastically deviating from their branded image will be detrimental to their planned expansion. Here are versions showing a more dynamic representation of the tablature and text.

Thinking that the slanted 3d-fied version of the tablature looks slightly unbalanced (doesn't work well as an icon), so here are versions where the tablature forms the negative space in a distinct iconic shape.

And in versions in horizontal arrangement and "just the dots" configuration in a font similar to the original one.

Ultimately choosing my original icon proposal, but fine-tuning the size of the dots.

Looks good as black and white versions and a mock-up proposal of their website (how the logo will be used in the website).

Tristeza…

2008-09-23T23:28:00.003+08:00

Imagine being interviewed by GMA7 Emergency and you can't keep your head focused because you just realized something heartbreaking. Normally, I would be excited to watch my own TV debut but somehow I consciously tried to avoid watching it. And my friends who were able to watch the episode tell me that the network got my name wrong.

Then I review my notes for Watsu for an upcoming convention lecture and I wish to myself: "I wish someone would Watsu me…" suddenly realizing that I've given countless selfless hours of soul-enriching Watsu to others. I am a giver by nature, and somehow I find purpose in sharing and being needed. It's quite puzzling why I feel uncomfortable in receiving… perhaps somehow I feel unworthy.

I drove last Sunday to the PPTA convention for my lecture and I had the Eraserheads on my mp3 player plugged in. And when the song "Overdrive" played, I felt a profound emptiness… suddenly the song has lost its meaning… now that I know how to drive… and I suddenly remember the reason why I decided to learn how to drive. And the song "With A Smile" plays and it too has somehow lost its flavor. Suddenly the engine of the car sounded weird and after pulling over to check, I see that the muffler had collapsed and had been dragging along the road. Good thing I was already near the convention place, and dragged the muffler for at least 4 more kilometers. I then hired some boys to fix it up. Lecture went well but somehow I felt I needed more time (missed some points to discuss) but I ended up with some of the attendees feeling like they were Watsued already themselves. I guess my HeartMath practice worked. So nice to see familiar faces… friends, CAMPers, students (previous, now colleagues!)…

Left as soon as I finished the lecture, drove to Greenbelt to buy some heavy watercolor papers for an upcoming project ("Spinning!") and ink for my Raisinhead comics, and a fine brush that I need for an oil painting ("Puno ng Pangarap") I have yet to finish. I get text messages telling me my logo design for PPTA was chosen and how they liked it, and I'm glad but somehow I wished I spent a lot more time creating it. I don't know, out of the blue, while walking around the Ayala malls, I thought of this: "I'm not perfect. I can do a lot of things pretty well but I can be a bit of a stupid jerk in most other stuff… I'm weird and quite socially inept…" Oh well, I drove home as fast as I could (almost forgetting about the muffler. But the boys seemed to have done a good job… the muffler stayed… I stayed…)

Spinning Preliminary Sketch

Raisinhead - Tale of A Modern Day Tiyanak Panels

Puno ng Pangarap Work In Progress

By the way, thank you Diwi for saying "I love you Teacher Rev!" (I love you too), thank you Jared for treating me as the Mr. Bean of your life, thank you Ben for smiling at me whenever you see me, thank you Leslie for the wonderful time, thank you Irene for the Spinning opportunity (hoping for the best)… Good vibes to all…

Ambigram Project: Angel - Belle

2008-09-17T21:44:00.006+08:00

I was sent a sketch by Candice who wanted help with an ambigram that reads "Angel" and "Belle" in different configurations.

I really appreciate this attempt, and looking at her solution, I would say that she has found the solution for this ambigram: The "a" of Angel automatically forms the "e" of Belle; the "n" of Angel conveniently translates into the double "l" of Belle; the "el" into the "B"; the challenge here obviously is the "g" and "e" combination.

In creating ambigrams, the ultimate goal is to make the words as legible as possible. In this case, I decided to change the usual configuration of the "e" by flipping it making it readable as a "g" the other way around. With testing, I think it worked.

Upon request, I made the "a" and "e" more curved and feminine.

I just hope that this ambigram will be a worthy tribute to Candice's friend.

Click on the image to rotate...

Logo Design: Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department of Makati Medical Center

2008-09-03T21:38:00.002+08:00

In time for the National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week Celebrations last July, The Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department of the Makati Medical Center (MMC) commissioned me to create a logo for them. Candice, a staff physiotherapist sent me their initial concepts, which she described as something that looks so much like "The Incredibles":

They wanted a logo that would be used in pamphlets, official documents, lectures, embroideries – all official functions of the department. The logo then had to be simple, iconic and easily represented in all types of media, including clothing. Thinking about a representative symbol for a rehabilitation clinic is not easy especially if you want to be unique. Cliché symbols includes stylized humans in various dynamic poses, wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment and many else (and I've used so much of these in many previous projects!). I started with a particular symbol, that of a hand (which is a cliché symbol in itself). But then I added an ellipse above to make it somehow look like a person.

I then arranged three of these symbols into a composition, something I hope will be able to represent 3's in the rehabilitation profession: the rehab team of the physician, therapist and client, the allied professions composed of the physical therapist, occupational therapist and the speech pathologist, and their vision, mission and objectives.

The idea behind the logo drew an instant appeal from their staff and department head, Dra. Melissa Zamuco-Mercado, and was immediately integrated as part of their celebrations and department branding. As of this moment, the logo is already in use, and pending final approval by the administration of MMC.

And the simplified 3 color versions with the circular seal variation.

De Quervain...

2008-08-25T21:24:00.007+08:00

I remember talking with a colleague about the things required in our line of work and we ended up claiming that our hands are our most valuable tool. Come to think of it, almost EVERYTHING I love doing requires the use of hands. So, just imagine the inconvenience of having an impaired hand, rendering it almost useless because of pain! Yes, I've been nursing a severe case of De Quervain's Syndrome for more than 2 months now, and there was a week where the pain was so intense I couldn't do anything at all! It's so ironic that as a physiotherapist and ergonomist by profession that I would have one. It is my job to protect and heal people from such problems, and here I am afflicted with one. Well, a lot contributed to this... work (handling patients in and out of the water with unusual hand positions), trauma (I carry a heavy bag to work) and abusive thumb movements during cellphone, mouse and laptop use. In fact, I drew this page entry with pain in my hand... my left hand modeled as my affected right arm drew). Funny, how we can be our worse patients. But I'm greatly relieved it's healing now.

Brought a lot of reflections... such as the story of Abrecht Durer's "Hands of the Apostle" and how it came to be...

Back in the fifteenth century, in a tiny village near Nuremberg, lived a family with eighteen children. Eighteen!

In order merely to keep food on the table for this big family, the father and head of the household, a goldsmith by profession, worked almost eighteen hours a day at his trade and any other paying chore he could find in the neighbourhood.

Despite their seemingly hopeless condition, two of Albrecht Durer the Elder's children had a dream. They both wanted to pursue their talent for art, but they knew full well that their father would never be financially able to send either of them to Nuremberg to study at the Academy.

After many long discussions at night in their crowded bed, the two boys finally worked out a pact. They would toss a coin. The loser would go down into the nearby mines and, with his earnings, support his brother while he attended the academy. Then, when that brother who won the toss completed his studies, in four years, he would support the other brother at the academy, either with sales of his artwork or, if necessary, also by labouring in the mines.

They tossed a coin on a Sunday morning after church. Albrecht Durer won the toss and went off to Nuremberg.

Albert went down into the dangerous mines and, for the next four years, financed his brother, whose work at the academy was almost an immediate sensation. Albrecht's etchings, his woodcuts, and his oils were far better than those of most of his professors, and by the time he graduated, he was beginning to earn considerable fees for his commissioned works.

When the young artist returned to his village, the Durer family held a festive dinner on their lawn to celebrate Albrecht's triumphant homecoming. After a long and memorable meal, punctuated with music and laughter, Albrecht rose from his honoured position at the head of the table to drink a toast to his beloved brother for the years of sacrifice that had enabled Albrecht to fulfil his ambition. His closing words were, "And now, Albert, blessed brother of mine, now it is your turn. Now you can go to Nuremberg to pursue your dream, and I will take care of you."

All heads turned in eager expectation to the far end of the table where Albert sat, tears streaming down his pale face, shaking his lowered head from side to side while he sobbed and repeated, over and over, "No ...no ...no ...no."

Finally, Albert rose and wiped the tears from his cheeks. He glanced down the long table at the faces he loved, and then, holding his hands close to his right cheek, he said softly, "No, brother. I cannot go to Nuremberg. It is too late for me. Look ... look what four years in the mines have done to my hands! The bones in every finger have been smashed at least once, and lately I have been suffering from arthritis so badly in my right hand that I cannot even hold a glass to return your toast, much less make delicate lines on parchment or canvas with a pen or a brush. No, brother ... for me it is too late."

More than 450 years have passed. By now, Albrecht Durer's hundreds of masterful portraits, pen and silver point sketches, water-colours, charcoals, woodcuts, and copper engravings hang in every great museum in the world, but the odds are great that you, like most people, are familiar with only one of Albrecht Durer's works. More than merely being familiar with it, you very well may have a reproduction hanging in your home or office.

One day, to pay homage to Albert for all that he had sacrificed, Albrecht Durer painstakingly drew his brother's abused hands with palms together and thin fingers stretched skyward. He called his powerful drawing simply "Hands," but the entire world almost immediately opened their hearts to his great masterpiece and renamed his tribute of love "The Praying Hands."

...a story of love and sacrifice... Come to think of it, what if we truly lost the use of our hands?

Logo Design: Flex-3 Fitness Product

2008-08-18T19:35:00.003+08:00

I recently designed the logo that will be considered for a new fitness product, the "Flex-3" which stretches and tones the muscles and joints of the shoulder girdle, chest and upper back to improve flexibility and strength, decrease pain and improve posture. The device helps golfers improve their drive and overall game and practically "unleashes their A-Game." In a therapeutic setting, it helps patients with slumped posture, pain and stressed-out muscles in the upper back and shoulders, as well as pain and tingling down the arms and hands. A session takes only 3 minutes and greatly improves shoulder girdle flexibility and tone, hence giving it the name "Flex-3". John F. Carlucci, D.C., chiropractor and owner of a physical rehabilitation facility in New Jersey developed and patented the Flex-3 device. He wanted a logo to represent the product.

The product goes with the tagline "Super Flexibility in Just 3 Minutes." Specifications stated that fonts, graphics and style must be dynamic yet professional since it will be directed at financially and educationally upscale golfers and medical professionals. Some sort of stylized or abstract human figure can be incorporated into the Flex-3 logo text that communicates upper body flexibility, dynamism, vibrancy and life. John wanted the logo to be so visually striking and instantly compelling that when people see it on a T-shirt, golf hat or ad they think "that REALLY looks cool, what's that about?"

Initial ideas consisted of integrating a human figure within the text, and the most obvious way to do that is to replace the "X" with a human figure. I suppose this approach has been done in innumerable designs in various configurations, so this version should somehow be unique. Since the product emphasizes on flexibility, I decided to separate the human figure in two components, with each one using different colors. The two components met at each other's point, forming the apex or the joint of the figure. I think this suggested movement even though it is essentially a static figure.

Adding in the text, using a modified Microgamma typeface (connected capital "F" and "L", with a small "e", of the same height) and a dynamic "3" (using Scope-3, a typeface I developed), I completed the initial proposed logo. Since the "X" was the main focus, I made sure it was exactly in the center of the whole logo, adjusting the rest of the text to make it balanced. I made an enclosure that "bent" inwards, further placing focus on the human figure.

John commented that I tone down the "3", the same font as the rest. In a way, the "3" seemed too loud, taking away the attention from the "X".

The frame used before seemed to penetrate into the logo (the logo has to float on top of this frame), thus decreasing its legibility. I devised another frame that provided an ample enclosure, and with its design, also suggested "flexion".

After providing multiple color options, the final design was eventually accomplished and released.

The logo can now be seen in use at their website at Flex-3, Inc., and a video of the actual product can be seen below.

Logo Design: Dale Tu Photography

2008-08-16T16:47:00.003+08:00

Dale Tu was looking for a simple and elegant logo for the official website he's creating and business material for Dale Tu Photography. As in most photography studio logos, it should be simple but elegant, something that can work simply in black and white and can look good on both black and white backgrounds. He particularly likes the signature style or simple geometry or brush style as can be seen in some logos he actually likes.

The logo directly above was actually made by Dale himself. I tried to develop something from his creation, since I sensed he wanted a mark that would represent not just his initials but the craft itself, something that would be unique and would set it apart from other photography studio logos. I focused on creating a symbol. After a series of attempts (with a tablet using the brush tool in Adobe Illustrator), I finally made a mark that I think is able to represent a subtle "d" and a subtle "t". I wanted it also to suggest certain images… a subtle face... a subtle sensual human figure.

I then added the necessary text to match the evoked elegance of the mark.

Here's the final version.

Quality Life Discoveries: Inauguration Day

2008-08-14T11:15:00.003+08:00

Quality Life Discoveries was recently inaugurated last July 19, 2008. Attended by families, friends and representatives from various sectors of the medical/paramedical fields, the event was initiated by a Eucharistic celebration led by Fr. Anderson Monteiro de Rezende, FDP and Fr. Eugene Castilla. This was followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony and blessing of the center facilities. Welcome remarks were given by Ma. Theresa Mariano of Social Services Development Department of the Quezon City Government (in behalf of the Honorable Mayor Feliciano Belmonte) citing the need to provide quality services to the residents of the city, especially to those who are underprivileged. Mary Ann Cua, managing director of Quality Life Discoveries then gave a moving speech recounting her son Jared's ordeal with cerebral palsy, emphasizing the challenges faced while undergoing various treatments and therapies around the world. She also shared events inspiring her to establish a center which aims to provide fellow Filipinos access to quality services which was only available abroad before. A brief lecture about the status of leading pediatric conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, Down's Syndrome, Autism and ADHD in the Philippines was offered by Dr. Francis Xavier Dimalanta, one of the country's leading developmental pediatricians. The clinical director of Quality Life Discoveries, Christian Oliver Cruz, then gave a presentation of the various programs of the center and how these may provide solutions for its clientele. An open-house during the afternoon gave the guests and visitors a glimpse of the center's outstanding facilities and an understanding of its many programs and services. All in all, the inauguration was a success, a perfect landmark event commemorating the 30^th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week.

Logo Design: Abelardo’s Diner

2008-07-03T21:40:00.006+08:00

It's been quite some time since I updated my blog with discussions about my recent creative outputs. A few months back, Archie David commissioned me on a project to create a logo for his center's newest endeavor, Abelardo's Diner. Not a lot of people know that the logo of Independent Living Learning Center (ILLC), a center that aims to promote the optimum potential of children with developmental disabilities and to facilitate their community integration through contemporary and functional approaches, was one of my early creative projects. The logo indeed underwent a lot of revisions until we finally hit the final one. An obsessive-compulsive client combined with an equally obsessive-compulsive artist is not exactly a speedy project. Here are the iterations of ILLC's existing logo.

Abelardo's Diner started off as a canteen for their students, faculty and guests. Now what makes this dining place special is that their students are assisting as dining and kitchen staff, part of training them for community integration through gainful employment. The logo should be able to represent the mission of ILLC through this service. Since they have upgraded the diner to a full-pledged restaurant, the logo should also be able to evoke a touch of class. With a clear brief which also included the color and design limitations I will be working with, I knew that the logo should be a text-based one, with very minimal graphic elements. I first provided some font options. Here is just a sample selection of the actual list I provided. I had my own preferences, but I wanted them to choose first themselves, based on their preferences.

Archie allowed his staff to vote on their top 3 font choices, which somehow coincided with his personal preferences. I then provided him with my preferred choice which features the P22 Arts and Crafts Hunter font, which also happened to be one of their top choices. The reason why I found this font so special is that it has the right amount of balance between class/formality and casualness. Just look at the way the "a" and the "s" are formed, and you can say that this is indeed a special font… as special as the people who run the diner. With the font chosen, the next step would be the enclosure. Again, I provided some options with another font choice.

We went for the oval treatment. I then applied some colors and matching leaves as ornamentation. Here's the final design.

By the way, ILLC and Abelardo's Diner was featured by the Probe Team. Here's the video.

Half-Naked for Half of the Day…

2008-06-30T23:01:00.002+08:00

When confronted with the question, "How would you describe your job in Quality Life Discoveries?" I would usually answer: "Well, my work requires me to be half-naked for more than half of the day each day…" Seriously!

Well, that's just one aspect of my daily routine. Having a pool in the clinic you work in, means expecting to stare at your pruned fingers at the end of each session. When you work in the water for so long, you could almost honestly say that you could breath underwater (I think I already have scales and gills growing on my body). But kidding aside, I enjoy working with my clients, ranging from the very young and fragile (say 10 months old) to the very old and senile (record eldest 86 years old) in the pool. This and pushing paper, talking, supervising, designing and organizing. It gets overwhelming once in a while, but the challenge is exciting. The only sad thing is I always wish I have the body to flaunt whenever I'm in the pool.

Just recently, the center was featured in Expat Travel & Lifestyle Vol. 2, No. 1 2008 (I think it was released around March – June) which featured healthy living. Months before, we were interviewed by Jacky Ong who was able to experience some of our services firsthand. The article is "Beyond Health: Discovering Quality of Life" and it includes a picture of me half-naked. Biggify these scans if you dare. But seriously, it is a well written piece introducing our center. Take a look.

Gusto kong matutong magdrive…

2008-06-30T22:36:00.002+08:00

Something unique happens whenever I hear Eraserhead's Overdrive, especially when the song reaches its punchline chorus. My eyes begin to swell and tears start rolling as I prevent myself from uncontrollably banging my head while screaming "gusto kong matutong magdrive!" Yes, I don't know how to drive a car. Embarrassing I know that at my age, I would often cringe while confessing that I don't know how to operate the machine that congests the streets of Manila everywhere. With my overdeveloped thighs, one could easily see how I managed to rely on my feet as my main means of independent mobility. I only happened to learn how to ride the bike a few years back, but only because I was forced to cut up on my bus expenses while studying abroad. I don't know, perhaps I didn't learn how to drive the car probably because my dad didn't trust me enough (I was known as a "seraniko" as a kid… no toy could survive my dissecting hands… so he could just imagine what I would do to the family car!) or perhaps there was no need to. But really, it has been in my agenda to try out the driver's seat for many years, whatever means necessary. And guess what, the opportunity came.

Having more time and resources in my hands, with sound advices from my brothers and friends, I decided to enroll at A1 Driving School. I attended a 2 hour orientation course, which is a prerequisite before the actual driving. It was an informative orientation, and as they say it is designed to reduce the learning curve once we get our hands on the actual cars that we'll be driving. It was entertaining… too much I think. Thanks to a wacky instructor, who sprinkled his lecture with endless bits of corny ala-Bubble Gang jokes. There were also clueless students:

Instructor: Ma'm, saan nyo po balak magdrive? (Where do you intend to drive?)

Lady 1: Sa kotse?

Instuctor: Uhmmm… ma'm, di ko lang po matandaan pero alam nyo po, may tawag po sa inyo…

There was a point during a discussion which invited violent reactions:

Instructor: Bakit po manual ang inenrollan niyo?

Lady 3: Hmmm, sabi nila, pang-bading daw ang automatic…

What the?!?!!! I was enrolled in an automatic course! Now, I intend to convert some of my driving hour to manual driving.

I could never forget the first moment I stepped on the gas pedal and the car began moving. Woahh! I'm no longer an automobile virgin… and soon I was driving all throughout the streets of Quezon City. My instructor seemed approving of my driving technique because we spent most of the time talking about "boys stuff." There was a time when I was called by my instructor as a "kaskasero" because of my natural driving skills. I guess the Cruz driving gene is being unleashed after years of being dormant. By the way I was driving the latest Toyota Altis:

I felt like Orlando Bloom. Now, wanna see my car? Here's my car:

My dream car that is! Only in my dreams, haha! That's actually my boss' car (a Mazda MX-5 Roadster, just one of his cars) which I always see parked beside our center. Each day I go to work and see it, it seems to constantly tease me… "ain't I pretty? Too bad, you can't drive me…Bleh!" I can't drive you yet! But someday!

The only thing left for me to do is to fulfill the succeeding words to the lyrics… "Kahit na wala akong kotse…" Soon, I'll have my own car out of my own sweat and blood. But I guess by the time I have one, the gas prices might be so unaffordable, I wouldn't be able to drive it at all. Oh well… being a passenger still has its advantages.