A ship caught in rough seas during a storm with dark clouds and a bright moon in the sky.

The beginning of globalisation

The China ship

This is one of those projects that demands considerable effort, both in research and execution. I found the subject of the Manila galleon and its voyages across the Pacific, trading with Asia, particularly China, incredibly fascinating.

Illustration of the historic China ship with detailed labels of its parts, construction, voyage route from Acapulco to Manila, and historical facts about its navigation and significance.

Print version published in February 2018.

Globalisation is thought to have its beginnings in the 16th century when the Spanish silver dollar went transcontinental. Its acceptance as common currency arose when Spanish navigators in the Philippines established a circular shipping route, known as the tornaviaje, between Asia and the Americas. More than 250 years of uninterrupted trade ensued between Asia and the rest of the world. And the ships playing this route were known as China Ships.

Collection of illustrated pages from a publication titled "The China Ship", featuring illustrations of ships, maritime scenes, and related articles.

Online version chapters published in May 2018.

This project has two versions: a spread-page print version and a four-chapter online version.

A sailing ship navigating open ocean waters with a whale's tail surfacing nearby, under a partly cloudy sky.

The discovery of the roundtrip and the beginning of globalisation

Following the completion of the print project, we embarked on an ambitious digital expansion to explore the profound impact of trade between the Americas and Asia in greater detail.

Drawing of a person dressed as a clown, wearing a ruffled collar, with a serious expression.

Black and white portrait sketch of a person wearing glasses and a high-collared jacket

For the digital narrative, I had the privilege of working closely with Marco Hernández. (See above the author’s portrait of the online project.) Over three months, we produced four comprehensive chapters:

The Discovery

The first chapter details Spanish navigator Andrés de Urdaneta's monumental discovery of the "tornaviaje"—the reliable return route across the Pacific Ocean.

A sailing ship in the ocean with a whale's tail visible in the water, under a blue sky with clouds.

Map showing the route from Acapulco to Asia, crossing the Pacific Ocean with details about nautical miles, currents, and historical voyage information.

Some of the visuals donde for this chapter

See the first chapter at South China Morning Post

Galleon of China: flagship of trade over two centuries

The second chapter is a deep dive into the technical details and construction of the vessel itself, known as the Manila Galleon or "The China Ship."

A drawing of a galleon ship's mast with a lookout standing in the crow's nest, with rain falling heavily.

All chapters are full illustrated.

Sketch of a boat or ship hull with structural lines, vertical supports, and perspective grid.

Process step-by-step of this illustration showing the Cavite’s shipyard.

See the second chapter at South China Morning Post

A journey of dread

To truly immerse the audience in the experience, we translated the first-hand account of Italian traveller Gemelli Careri into a gripping sequential art story.

With over 80 original illustrations, we depicted his gruelling, nearly eight-month voyage aboard a Manila Galleon. (And yes, my hand was aching for days after drawing the final panel!).

Illustration of a busy harbor with sailing ships and boats, including a large wooden sailing ship with white sails and smaller rowboats and traditional Chinese junks with yellow and red sails, all set against a bright blue sky with scattered clouds.

Some examples of the many illustrations that make up this story.

An ancient sailing ship docked at a port with crew members loading supplies; crew in period clothing, some shirtless, working on the ship, while some are on deck, and a man in white pants carrying a barrel on the gangplank.

A detailed illustration of a historic sailing ship with a vibrant cargo of vegetables, fruits, and chickens. The ship features multiple decks with sailors and farm workers attending to their duties, surrounded by intricate rigging and wooden structures, with calm water in the background.

A sketch of a ship caught in stormy seas with dark, cloudy skies and a moon in the background.

See the third chapter at South China Morning Post

How silver changed the world

The final chapter reveals the project's most surprising legacy: how silver from Spanish America fueled the global economy. We traced the journey of the Spanish real de a ocho (piece of eight), showing how it became the world's first truly global currency and laid the groundwork for the US dollar, Mexican peso, Australian dollar, and even the Hong Kong dollar.