“THE JUNGLE Book” poster
ARTIST Vincent Rhafael Aseo’s clean, sleek illustrations of filmic figures in the zeitgeist are so poster-worthy that many of his interpretations have become official merchandise of such popular movies.
The Quezon City-based Aseo, 30, was commissioned to illustrate a poster for the live-action version of Disney’s “The Jungle Book,” currently showing in Philippine cinemas.
“I’m involved with the project through Poster Posse, which is an international artist group with members from different parts of the globe,” Aseo tells the Inquirer in an e-mail interview. “Disney then handpicked the artists from the group whom they thought would fit the direction of the film.”
The digital artist, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in multimedia arts from Asia Pacific College, also has other film-related projects with Fox and Poster Posse.
ASEO’S “Mad Max” illustration
Aseo’s other drawings, which include creatively composed characters and concepts from films like “The Martian,” “Batman v Superman” and “Star Wars” can be viewed on his official website, vincentaseo.com
Excerpts from the interview:
Where are your foreign clients based?
Most of my clients are based in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdon and Azerbaijan. From time to time, I do editorial art for local and international magazines, like Top Gear, Esquire and Rogue.
Who are your biggest influences and how do they inspire you?
I’ve been following the art of Drew Struzan ever since [I saw] his work on “Star Wars”—his process of doing poster work, the likeness and composition. My other influences are Japanese character designer Tetsuya Nomura, renowned for the “Final Fantasy” franchise, and [another poster artist,] Martin Ansin.
“STAR Wars: The Force Awakens”
What made you choose digital over traditional methods?
I used to scan my drawings, then digitally color them on Photoshop, but because of the competition in the design scene, I went digital to speed up the process. It didn’t make the process easier; it just lessened the steps to finish the artwork… I just replaced my pencil with an optical mouse. I must emphasize that it’s crucial to still have a background in traditional methods as it serves as the foundation of the work.
What types of movies inspire you?
I’m very much into science- fiction movies, especially the “Star Wars” franchise. I also love Stanley Kubrick’s “A Space Odyssey”; “Moon,” starring Sam Rockwell, and the recent “Interstellar” and “The Martian” films.
How familiar are you with “The Jungle Book?”
I have always been a big fan of the animated classic. When I was a kid, I loved singing along to “Bare Necessities.” After seeing Disney’s live-action adaptation, I felt like a child again. In a way, it introduces the film to a younger generation of viewers.
VINCENT Aseo
What do you wish to accomplish, ultimately?
Back in the days when there was no social media, one of the primary ways to introduce a film was through posters. These days, most local film posters look repetitive. Doing alternative movie poster art is one of the many phases in my design career. I want to reintroduce the art of movie posters as it was treated in the old days—with great importance and artistic value.