Rafael Mena Illustration
@rafaelmenai
Mexican Archaeologist and Illustrator focused on Mesoamerica *Not American* rafaelmena432@gmail.com
Re. recent discourse on the Odyssey being a "woke victory", and basic appreciation for art direction.
Caquetios of the Plains of Venezuela (private commission) 🧵⬇️ (1/10)
Yo yo! New painting up on patreon! Finally a big one! If you're a patron check it out now as it's focusing on the civilizations of the Amazon. If you're not a patron you can support in the link below! www.patreon.com/Rafaelmena/p...
Little girls of the Remojadas culture (100-800 CE), graphite over paper.
Sketch of Head 3 from San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan, graphite over paper.
Sketch of beothuk woman's first encounter with norse colonists in Newfoundland (comission)
🇬🇧#PortfolioDay I'm Rafael Mena, Mexican archaeologist and illustrator doing Mesoamerican stuff, among others. 🇲🇽#PortfolioDay Soy Rafael Mena, arqueólogo mexicano e ilustrador de cosas mesoamericanas, entre otras. 📧 rafaelmena432@gmail.com #art #Painting #indigenous
Patreon request of an nahua man with a flower cloak carrying his young infant. I think it came out pretty nicely, but what do you think? www.patreon.com/c/Rafaelmena
Urimare Was commissioned to do a color sketch of the Venezuelan folk hero and semi-mythical chieftain Urimare.
I've been getting addicted to cookies made from tzoalli, an amaranth dough and honey admixture that was traditionally used in nahua festivities as an offering and material to construct the bodies of certain deities in said festivities. The deity would eventually be sacrificed and ritually consumed.
An important point made on the hell site is that there is a certain type of person that balks at the idea of calling the US an empire, and treats military bases and unincorporated territories as fundamentally different from what is traditionally considered empire, whilst ignoring... the US.
Another fantasy Nahua character sketch (comission) #sketch #aztec #dualwielding #jaguar
More of a transitional year than one of publishing new pieces. I finally started moving towards oil painting, changed places to somewhere more accommodating of that goal, started a fair bit of HUGE projects, which I'm excited to see come into fruition. Foundations set, lets go #artvsartist2025
Probably over did it at the time, but reconstructing the actual temple helped out quite a bit to dimension the interior of the chapel. Also ended up with a really cool model to play with for future illustrations including one I haven't yet finished :'(
🇬🇧#PortfolioDay I'm Rafael Mena, Mexican archaeologist and illustrator doing Mesoamerican stuff, among others. 🇲🇽#PortfolioDay Soy Rafael Mena, arqueólogo mexicano e ilustrador de cosas mesoamericanas, entre otras. 📧 rafaelmena432@gmail.com #art #Painting #indigenous
Saint Michael the Archangel Color sketch of the Archangel Michael depicted in Mexica attire (commission).
Hey guys, I'm having some troubles with the landlord and I might be needing to find a new place soon. I don't really want to beg for cash or anything so I'd appreciate if you guys could lend me some support over on the Patron if you're able ofc. www.patreon.com/c/Rafaelmena
Sketch of a Maya warrior wearing fantasy metal armor. Part of a series of commissions that re-imagine Mesoamerican warriors if the region had developed steel. The intention here is more focused on fantasy, revisiting cultural and iconographic elements of the Classic Maya -
The "Relacion de Michoacan" is under appreciated for these little gems; Like, get your shit together Zurunban, jeez:
WIP of an oil painting I'm working on depicting Cazonci Tariacuri, the king of Patzcuaro and the person who laid the foundations for the Tarascan empire. You can check out advances I've posted, and will continue to post, on Patreon, cheers! www.patreon.com/Rafaelmena
Isometric illustration of Sacsayhuaman (Fortress of the Royal Falcon), 2024. Citadel of Cusco, the capital city of the Tahuantinsuyo (Incan empire).
Currently working on an oil painting of Cazonci Tariacuri, king of Patzcuaro and founder of the Tarascan empire. You can support me, see photos of the painting as it advances, WIP's and other unpublished projects in the site linked below:
Not too long ago I discovered for myself this obscure XIXth century painting by Alejandro Casarín, that depicts Motecuhzoma II and Cortés inside one of the Great Temple's sanctuaries. It's interesting the way our depictions converge and diverge while tackling the same subject.
- Battle of Andahuaylas Private commission set in the Fallout universe illustrating a skirmish in post-apocalyptic Peru, between the Inka Awqaqkuna, a faction of Inca irredentists, and the Shining People's Liberation Army, descendants of the PCP-SL, somewhere near Andahuaylas and Abancay.
Hey guys, I know it's a hard ask but I'd appreciate your support if you're able. I have a lot of great ideas for paintings, from all around the Americas and outside of it, and it would be of great help if you chipped in with even a dollar. www.patreon.com/c/Rafaelmena
“The First City” of Skull Island Comission done for a fantasy setting by LegendofKong Skull Island, located somewhere near Southeast Asia, is a unique land where dinosaurs roam and Kongs, the greatest of apes, reign supreme. Yet, despite the inherent dangers, humanity thrives.
These sharpened wooden paddle structures with stone/glass/toothed edges are a weapon system within their own right! With spear, axe, haldberd and pike analogues, and more than a dozen regional varieties just within the "swords". Some designed for 1x1 combat, others for formations
It's odd that the Macuahuitl, famed sword of the Aztecs, is treated as this extravagant and esoteric weapon, when the conceit of the tech is not only common throughout the entirety of the Americas, but also Polynesia, with dozens of archaeological/ethnographic examples.