Freelance work
Ukoy Mo
Ukoy Mo is a San Diego-based business that specializes in making ukoy, Filipino vegetable fritters, along with other Filipino street food. This family-owned and operated business operates as a catering service and can be found as a pop-up at farmer’s markets around San Deigo.
PROCESS
As a blossoming business, they wanted a logo and mascot designed to improve marketing and credibility while keeping their small, family-owned-and-operated vibe.
After meeting with the client we determined that the three main feelings that were driving the designs were FUN, NOSTALGIA, and WARMTH. They also wanted to have the mascot be a caricature of the owner holding a plate of ukoy. This would give a face to the business and make it fun and since Filipino food and culture aren’t mainstream it would give the general public an idea of what they make.
Logo and Mascot Lock-up
cypher queenz
Cypher Queenz is a local organization that creates safe spaces for females to network, build, and express themselves in the Hip Hop community. The organizers asked that I make a character illustration and a flyer template to advertise the monthly sessions. They didn’t have any branding before this project and used generic templates found online to create ads. They wanted something more expressive and unique to help build the organization’s reputation and boost the staff and community’s morale.
Process
I was given a color palette of red, gold, and black and pictures of the organizers dancing to create the character illustration. They wanted the character to be a BGirl because a majority of their program revolves around dance. My goal was to make the design accessible without being condescending or stereotypical to the female community. Through open communication with the organizers, we were able to gauge the staff and community's response and achieve our goal.
Creating the character illustration for Cypher QUEENZ.
Adapting to covid-19
Adjusting to the “new normal” in times of COVID-19 meant the organizers of Cypher Queenz taking their event to a 100% online format. This also made it so they could hold events more regularly. The design which was meant for physical flyers was changed to fit the social media landscape. The visual design was simplified to make it easier to view on social media. Changing the color of the character and supporting copy made it obvious that the flyer was for another month. The new flyer design was made with accessibility and ease of maintenance /editing in mind.
October flyer
December flyer
January flyer
February flyer (Black History Month Theme)
March flyer
April flyer
May flyer (AAPI History Month Theme)
June flyer
“vibes don’t lie” - DJ shonuph
Character illustration and hand lettering for local artist and DJ, Shonuph. It is for an upcoming project he building based on “cultivating a vibe we create as people of color.”
“cultivating a vibe we create as people of color”
This was the guiding star for the project. The only other criteria given to me was that there be two characters dancing together. I illustrated characters that are unapologetically Black and used a color palette of red, black, green, and yellow to pay homage to Dancehall, Hip Hop, Rastafarian, African, and Black culture. I wanted the characters to be identifiable with a wide age range, so the clothing and dance poses were intentionally picked as well.
Process
If you’re like me, you like watching the process is more than seeing the finished product. I love seeing pages of sketchbooks and time-lapse videos so check out my finished product comes together.
Hand lettering in Procreate
Character illustration in Procreate