Las aventuras de Mañongo
Project Focus:
Concept Art & Visual Direction
Year:
2024
Location :
Bogotá DC
The Adventures of Mañongo is an animated children's series written, directed and produced by Diana Carolina Suárez Gómez . It tells the adventures of Mañongo , a curious and brave bunny who leaves his burrow for the first time, without imagining that the outside world will transform his journey into an adventure of emotional learning. I was responsible for the visual direction , developing characters, settings and key props. The aesthetic takes up principles of classic cartoons —inspired by Disney and Warner— , reinterpreted from a current, sensitive perspective and adaptable to 2D animation. The visual universe reinforces the core values of the project: friendship, identity, creativity and emotional connection .
Main character design
Mañongo’s design focused on creating a clear, expressive, and animation-friendly silhouette. Its soft proportions, dynamic ears, and elastic movement allow for clear emotional expression. The hat—one of its main props—reinforces the character’s visual identity without compromising mobility or legibility in motion.
The hat , one of its main props, reinforces its visual identity without compromising its mobility or legibility in motion.
Animal cast: supporting characters and antagonist
A diverse cast of characters was developed, each with a distinct morphological and emotional logic. From friends to rivals, every figure was designed with visual contrast and gestural richness, reinforcing their narrative role and symbolic presence within the forest world. The main antagonist—a nervous, controlling, and highly expressive weasel—adds absurd humor and tension without disrupting the warm tone of the series.
The sets in The Adventures of Mañongo were conceived as emotional extensions of the character and each narrative moment. More than decorative backdrops, each environment reflects an inner state—ranging from the naive excitement of a childhood escape to the quiet wonder of nature. The farmer’s hill represents Mañongo’s first major escape into the forest, joined by other animals—both allies and antagonists—as they flee the farmer after a prank. Although danger takes the form of a pursuer, the tone of the scene remains light and playful: the prank is experienced as a game. For this background, variations in day, afternoon, and night were developed as a visual exploration of tone and atmosphere, in close dialogue with the director. Each version allowed for reflection on how light and color shape the emotional tone of the scene and the perception of the journey. The composition draws inspiration from the landscapes of the Boyacá plateau, adapting their rhythms and palettes with narrative sensitivity. The result is a broad, dynamic, and emotionally resonant setting—an ideal stage for opening the story from the naive and euphoric lens of childhood.
The luminous lake appears as a nocturnal haven, where childlike wonder gives way to contemplation and rest. The scene was built with a palette of cool blues and gentle lights, reinforcing an intimate, sensory atmosphere. The composition guides the viewer’s gaze from the dark surroundings to the lake’s central glow, creating contrast without tension. Mañongo lies asleep on his hat, hugging a rock—his posture a gesture of surrender and pause. This image is meant to evoke the moment when the world stops being a place to escape and starts becoming a place to inhabit. As visual director, I designed this setting to slow the narrative rhythm and create an emotional space where nature takes on an almost protective role, enveloping the character in calm and mystery.
As part of the art direction process, grayscale versions were created to analyze visual hierarchy, composition, and scene readability. This study strengthens the graphic narrative even before color is applied, ensuring emotional clarity and functional design for layout and animation. This project is currently in development. The visual proposal presented here constitutes the first phase of artistic and conceptual exploration, designed to support funding efforts, prototyping, and the coordination of production teams.