MABUHAY! Hi Steemians 🇵🇭🙋

An interesting and covert part of Philippine History; Our old writing system called Baybayin or Alibata which was used before the spanish colonization (before the 1500s). I made an artwork on this ancient writing.

This is my reference picture for my art

Baybayin or Alibata

Source 1
The alphabet consists of 14 consonants and 3 vowels.
The letters have "kudlit" or a small mark or dot below a consonant character to change how it is pronounced.
It actually reminds me of hebrew alefbet (alphabet)

The Artwork

Title: Alibata

Medium: Cartolina paper, markers, gel pen, colored pencils, pencil and eraser

The Process

(1) I study the letters and try to memorize their form and shape 📝

This set of letters were used for Tagalog and other languages hundreds of years ago. Today, many have heard of this but only a handful can write it or fancy learning it.

I tried to write it as if it was natural to me

(2) i sketched the letters and then drew a person writing🔷✏️

I did this to emphasize culture and writing.

• The paper is smooth so layer colors carefully
• Base tone for skin tone is yellow, fleshtone and yellowgreen
• Midtone is orange and red
• Shadows are dark brown, dark green and black

(3) I draw the rest of the parts and then ink the pencil lines of the Alibata letters

This was a big artwork that I was not so familiar with, I felt a lot of pressure that I might mess it up. Decent progress was a milestone.

(4) inking the letters and putting effects around it

Inking with a fine tipped gel pen I had worries that i might run out of ink and might not finish it. Thankfully i made it!

I used red, orange and brown then an aura of yellow
I also had very little space but I managed to balance it equally.

(5) Inking the drawing to emphasize shadows🎨

This makes the drawing pop out more.

✔️And it is done!

I enjoyed exploring a part of my culture which is so old but new to us.
It was once erased from our culture but now I am glad it is gaining more popularity again.
Hopefully this can be brought to life again by my people. I hope my fellow steemians will appreciate this, @Deveerei 🇵🇭
Paki check nalang hehe 📝

Thank you for stopping by! 🐾

If you enjoy my art follow, upvote and resteem 🌹🇵🇭