Plate on Principles of Design
Project Description
The book covers have been heavily inspired by old Filipino noir movie posters like “Manila sa Kuko ng Liwanag” as well as a few comic book covers by artists like AJ Bernardo in his series “Patay Kung Patay”, and Bujette Tan’s comic book “Trese”. This has helped me to create a visual language that is used consistently all throughout the Trilogy, all the while giving the viewer a general feel as to what genre I’d want my story to be.With the design planning process, I’ve spent a chunk of my time trying to flesh out what the story is about and what I want my covers to feel like. In this part of the process, I’ve created mood boards, sketches and title drafts that served as the main guide for my designing process and a way for me to establish a consistent visual library all throughout the trilogy. In this part of the design stage, I’ve already placed in constraints that would allow my work to be more consistent and grounded.
This included a limited color palette for each book as well as an array of brushes and textures that would help me render assets that were consistent in both look and feel. I’ve also decided on what fonts to use for my final design where I ended up using something quite similar to the font structure of “Manila sa Kuko ng Liwanag”.As part of the design process I’ve already planned out the general flow of the story includes the scenes that I would frame for each cover. For book one I wanted to feature the Quiapo church an iconic symbol of the area and a way to represent the ringing of the church bells inside, a big plot point for book one. During the sketching process I drew inspiration from google maps screenshots of the area in search for any possible perspectives that I could replicate. For book two I’ve chosen to draw inspiration from the streets of Escolta, establishing a silhouette of the area where an event in the book takes place. Meanwhile for book three I’ve decided to zoom out from the city and create a new silhouette for the LRT-4 scene as the structure only exists within the book as an important part of the story.
Book One Summary
Sa Muling Pagtunog ng Animas
Book One starts with two kids running through the streets of Quiapo. The stakes are high as the two try to evade the cops that are after them, a golden necklace seemingly tight within their grasp. This comic follows the story of Elio and Kino, two orphaned children trying to fight for their place in the streets of Manila navigating between crime, violence, and poverty that the city has forced down their throats.The book focuses on fleshing out these two main characters as we explore both their bond as friends and as brothers, with them facing the challenges of day to day living in the harsh underbelly of the city. Through the course of this comic, they find refuge within a gang of local thieves that takes them in as part of their own; but good things don’t last for the two boys. At the recent wake of a friend of theirs, a fire breaks out when they hear the last church bells ringing out. The two are separated, Elio was left for dead when they couldn’t save him, stuck within the ruins of the gang’s old hideout. Kino was forced to relocate with the others to a faraway settlement in Cavite, having to carry the burden of what happened to his brother and not being able to do anything to save him.The book ends with Elio waking up in the ICU, miraculously surviving the tragic incident. With the daughter of the current mayor of Manila, having been known to have a kind heart, has agreed to adopt the kid, hoping that in some way, Elio may be able to fill her dead son's place who had died during the fire that separated the two protagonists.
Book Two Summary
Matinis and Ilaw ng Lungsod
Book two begins with a side-by-side comparison of the new lives that the two have been living, Kino has slowly risen through the ranks of their new established group within Cavite, while Elio slowly learns about the responsibilities of politics, hoping to one day continue the family legacy.Book Two is where we find the two main characters rise to power. They both learn the ins and outs of their chosen careers and understand the good and the bad that each path has in store. Here, Elio realizes that the fire that separated him from the only family he has ever known as an orphaned child, was a controlled plan by the government in order to force resettlement of the people of Quiapo. Kino on the other hand, has started to be more involved with the rebel cause, hoping to reclaim the land that was once theirs and realizing the suffering that the government has inflicted on its own people. The city of Manila in itself is a character for book two, interacting differently for both protagonists; as the latter part of the book builds up towards reuniting these two people.Unbeknownst to one another from the years apart and the different ways of life they've both been living, the two cross paths again, this time as strangers. An event takes place within the streets of Escolta where Elio is present as a government representative, while Kino as a spy for the rebel movement. As the night grows longer the two are able to talk to each other, not knowing the bond they used to share.
Book Three Summary
Nasusunog na ang Maynila
Book Three starts with a glimpse into the future, a burning manila is seen from afar and a shady figure holding a briefcase sits by the tracks of the newly established LRT-4, a train bounded for Cavite. In this book the two are fully matured and are at the peak of their roles. Elio ends up as the newly elected mayor of Manila while Kino becomes an infamous rebel leader, known to push out rebel attacks all across Cavite ending up as the most wanted criminal up north.Here the two play a cat and mouse chase of equal proportions, with the stakes getting increasingly higher after every move. Kino fighting for the rights of the people displaced in the governments frequent relocation projects and to avenge the death of his dear friend. Not knowing that the person he despises the most is the main reason he’s still fighting. Elio on the other hand believes what he’s doing is in the service of the city, fighting off the imminent threat of a revolution. The book reunites the two in a face-to-face confrontation scene leading up to the end of the comic where they both realize the chaos that they’ve inflicted over the city as they both fight for their own version of a better future.
miguellubagHi! I'm a student illustrator, artist and graphic designer based in Quezon City.My work mostly depict living spaces: rooms, houses, buildings, and landscapes each with their own unique narrative and style.Email: [email protected]