"AI APAEC", is a Moche or Mochica god, sometimes is a being of wisdom and knowledge, like a father with their people, but is most represented as the god of war who asks for human sacrifices in his honour, the DECAPITATOR.
I was asked to work on a logo and illustration of AI APAEC for a underground rock project called "Ai-Apaec Fest".
This time I begin to work both at the same time: The logo and the character. The logo was pure hand drawed lettering solid logo, and the character was based on the concept of the god itself: It was always represented as a humanoid with king-crab lower body, a fiery face with notorius fangs and serpents as hair.
The Logo
Even I had no time to do this, I prefer to work the logo in a old school way. With a compass, squares, more like a technical drawing.
Over the base eliptical lines, I draw the letters with the help of the set of squares, calculating the kerning very carefully and the weights of each letter.
Once I have it done. I re-draw over it on illustrator, added some extrusion, some bloodstains texture and of course, a couple of skulls with Tumi-Knives!
The decapitator
At first I have an idea of the character from a lot of reference of ceramic and wall representations of Ai Apaec, so I decided to exagerate and turned into a demon with four arms, two of them holding tumi-knives, the other two holding decapitated heads, the face more like a skull with the medusa-like hair a big chain holding from his neck that will suppor the bands logo of the poster.
But this idea was rejected. And asked me to keep the line of the ancient Moche god. using more the concept of a humanoid head, etc.
So then, I made it more Moche, and did some inking.
Scanned and re-draw it on Adobe Illustrator.
Then draw some flat color shapes under the lineart.
Added some shadows and lights.
And of course, a lot of blood!
So, Ai Apaec was done, there was another think to make: Put everything togheter in a concert poster.
There is also patches and (coming soon) tshirts.
