I am a mad scientist!

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

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

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)

"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)

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.