Dr. Jose Rizal

I finally got a chance to play with my very first Wacom. This is also my first time working on Corel Painter. At first I wanted to work on Photoshop for this piece but thought I wanted to challenge myself and try an unfamiliar workspace. I'm working with a new tool, I might as well work with an application that's new to me. I've heard so much good things about Corel Painter X when it comes to digital painting. And it is. The brushes are GREAT.

As for the Wacom Intuos 4, it's extraordinary.

Anyway, "Dr. Rizal" is an illustration I did to play with my new toy and for me to pay tribute to our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. I did the pencil sketch months ago and actually made a pastel painting. The digital painting I did took me approximately 8 hours to finish, thats including learning some of the basic tricks on PainterX and the electronic tablet.

Here's the sketch and the digital painting. I've also made a time lapse video just to satisfy my adventurous spirit. lol. (another first time app I used called iShowU)

Sketch: Gemma of Pines

Sketch: Mr. Foyer of Sawgrass

Sketch: Old Alexandria, VA

www.bongredila.com is online

As you noticed I changed the color of my blog and the head as well. It is because of my Website.

There are still some minor adjustment that I have to tweak such as the missing captions and some additional images on "Gallery 1". And for some reason there's a bit of a script problem that when viewing at Safari the gallery images opens up in odd sizes.

But for now, please visit my online portfolio at www.bongredila.com. Thank you.

Background by the way is a sketch I made called "The Selfish Giant: The Discovery" (by Oscar Wilde), the sketch of course was inspired by one of my favorite cartoons when I was a kid. Check its IMBD -> here.

A Collection of Poems by Brandon Avery Clarke

I enjoy doing illustrations and artwork to accompany a poetry - working and illustrating poems by Brandon Avery Clarke is a pure bliss... and a pain in the cheek muscles I must say. His work is so brilliant that you'll realize the ache on your face is caused by you smiling from beginning to the end. I started illustrating this project in the early part of September (I think). And all's well and dandy collaborating with the bright minded Mr. Clarke. You should watch out and remember this gentleman's name. Just a word of advice. Image below is when I worked on one of his poems called "O'Me O'My". I'm so much in love working at nights 'til dawn. The world is sleeping and peaceful, just me sipping hot coffee while listening to NPR podcast and perhaps Ennio Morricone. I always try to make sure I'm not that sleepy enough to dip my pen on my coffee cup instead of the inkwell.

 

The Dewgazer & The Dewdrop Fairy

It was in 2000 that I made this book for my girlfriend. The Dewgazer & The Dewdrop Fairy. It's basically a story about how we both met composed in fairy tale fit. Divided into 7 chapters, the book was originally written as a short poem, but due to my mind's constant bothering my goodnight sleep to add more spice, sugar and a bit of colored flavoring into it. And Boy, it went on like that for a couple of nights until the short verse transformed into a 175 line Children's Ballade. Handmade and book bound, artworks in each page were done in watercolor and ink including the written poem. I gave the finish book to my girlfriend's birthday on April of 2001. And in 2004 I was reading The Dewgazer & The Dewdrop Fairy as a bedtime story to our beautiful daughter.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Henson

I am 38 years old now and I proudly admit that I am one of the countless number of humans who had been thought how to sing, read, write and be creative by all kinds of friendly monsters.

I remember singing "G" with George and Grover under a tree.

I remember laughing when Bert was so annoyed while Ernie was counting firetrucks when counting sheeps to fall asleep won't work.

I remember when I was around 7 years old, I made my own sock puppet, hid behind the sofa and let my own monster sang.

September 24 is Jim Henson's birthday. And I thank him for crafting me into what I am today.

Sigh.


This is my daughter singing "Rainbow Connection"

Bayani Cafe: August 2009

Bayani Cafe: July 2009

I totally forgot to post this one. Please click on image for a full view.

Editorial Cartoon: August 2009

Know more about this sickening issue here. You may also sign the "Carlo J. Caparas is Not Qualified as a National Artist Petition" here.

"At the Park" - Watercolor on paper

Kuwatro Kantos, 1998, 40 x 30, Oil on Canvas

An old piece I did back in the late 90's. I believe I gave this one to my fellow artist, CJ Urquico.

Illustration: Tado and Pigsa, watercolor, 9 x 12

Editorial Cartoon: December 2008

Last December's Cartoon.

Editorial Cartoon: June 2008

I will be posting some old stuff this week. Here's the first one. A not so old cartoon for Mabuhay News.

A Visit to the Smithsonian

We are in Virginia this whole week for my wife's conference. Once again while my wife's at her meetings my daughter and I stroll around. Yesterday Oneng and I went to visit Smithsonian. I had to say I was awestruck at the National Gallery of Art. I felt like I was going to faint when I was looking at Renoir, Cassatt and other masters' works upclose. Seeing those brushstrokes and those canvas textures, as an artist, is one f**ng orgasmic trip, man.

Editorial Cartoon: July 2009

Click image for a larger view.

Bayani Cafe: July 2009

Click image for a larger view.

Editorial Cartoon: June 2009

Sketch: Editorial / Bayani Cafe June 2009

Editorial Cartoon: April 2009

Former Guam Governor Carl Gutierrez will be running AGAIN is one thing -- but running with Senator Frank Aguon? Aww... Best Friends Forever now are we? (Read)

Bayani Cafe April 2009

Sketch: Bayani Cafe April 2009

Bayani Cafe: March 2009

Bayani Cafe for Mabuhay News March 2009 issue is, somehow, my simple salute to comics. Salamat nga pala kay Gerry Alanguilan.

Editorial Cartoon: March 2009

This is the latest editorial cartoon I made for Mabuhay News. Introduced by Sen. Matt Rector, Bill 48, basically would require employers to pay $40,000 to GovGuam for every contract worker they hire from foreign countries like the Philippines. Presently, an employer only pays $1,000 for ever H-2 worker it hires. I will be posting the actual Mabuhay News Editorial article about the bill as soon as I have the copy. For now, you can read about Guam's Bill 48 here and here.

Orlando, Florida

Just a glimpse of our tiresome yet pleasurable trip to Orlando. I gave one camera to my daughter that actually took nice images. It's fascinating really. Handing camera to a child and giving them the opportunity to take photos can give you the chance to know what interest them. We were standing in the line for a carrousel ride then the next thing I know, I saw her walking away, stood before a safety sign and took a shot. The collage photo below is a sample of her shots.

Driving home at dusk with my wife and daughter, all worn-out, slept halfway through the 5 hour drive. The sun at the back offering its tender goodnight. On the way home, I drove to a wrong exit and as usual I made a u-turn. Typical. (Kawawa ako sa alaska ni misis)

Sketch: Oneng

This was taken when we went to Disney Orlando (3 years ago?). It was so damn hot. Tired and exhausted, you can sense that she wasn't enjoying every minute of our last hour in the park that day. We will be going back there this week and Oneng is now 5 years old. And boy, she's extremely excited. My wife, Arceli, won't be going with us to visit the park since she will be staying in the hotel for a conference. She's crossing her fingers that Oneng and I won't get lost driving because I will be my own navigator. She adores how I drive yet she knows how bad I am at going to where I want to go without making a lot of u-turns.

Bayani Cafe

Bayani Cafe is a comic strip I created way back in the late 90's for the monthly Filipino-American newspaper Mabuhay News based in Guam. The strip first appeared in the paper with Eli, Feli and Teri as the main characters slurring corny punchlines with waitresses and fellow barflies while drinking in a bar called Bayani Cafe.

Eli, Feli and Teri, (names drew out from the title of Dr. Rizal's El Filibusterismo) first appeared as the main characters of Bayani Cafe.

Presently still running together with my editorial cartoon, the scene now revolves outside the Cafe with my three old pals out of sight.

Panaginip ni Nanay at ni Oneng

"Panaginip ni Nanay at Oneng" - 17 x 30, watercolor & ink on paper

I visited a house once with a group of people and saw this brilliant original print by Mucha hanging on the wall. It was so strikingly beautiful that I spent almost the entire visit standing there while every one was walking around touring the huge house. I was absolutely impressed by this collection as a matter of fact jealous even. I was so jealous that I had to own one. But of course with a master piece like Mucha's the price probably is the same as the Porsche Carrera GT parked outside the house's driveway.

"Panaginip ni Nanay at Oneng" is way out of Mucha's brilliance but at least it's my own Art Nouveau pinoy style ready to be hung on our wall. Art Nouveau is not my style, I just wanted to own one but couldn't afford a Porsche.

Yes! I am Ryan Redilla

"Panaginip" study • pencil on paper

An old friend of mine asked me once, "when will you make your own site?" I have been working with computers as a graphic artist for almost 20 years now but for some reason I have been hesitant to make one. Ego maniacal that I am, still always had this scary thought of letting my identity read by a stranger.

Another friend of mine, and this time a high school classmate, miraculously stumbled upon me on a site. "Are you the same Ryan Redilla from Dagupan City National High School?" he emailed me. His name of course I remembered and I replied with such happy words: "Tangina mo!, Ako nga si Ryan Redilla. Kamusta na?! Booninam animal!" Ryan Redilla... I have never heard of that name for so long. With no facebook nor friendster account, it's really hard for some of my old acquaintances to track me online because back in the Philippines in my school days I was Jose Ryan "Bong" Redilla, with a double "L". Before my family moved to Guam we had to wait 8/10 years (can't recall) for all the paper works to be processed and waited another extra months for an extra paper to be worked on. And that extra paper works were to clear and prove all the necessary materials of our migration papers that we are same family written and being petitioned on the paper. Because for some odd circumstances our family name on the INS papers only has one "L". Not sure sure who to blame: The employee with a bad hangover who took care of the paper signing or perhaps it was my lolo, who signed the petition papers, that had sanmig bilog the night before (Never really asked my parents what the real reason was. Pretty sure my father will explain it on this blog).

What ever the reason is. Klasmeyts! Yes! I am Ryan RediLLa, Kamusta na? Bok-kitito animal!