books/writing projects and editorial design
Below you’ll find my Books/Writing Projects and Editorial Design.
My self-published books are an exploration in prose/poetry, illustrated stories, photography, and non-fiction. I love to combine traditional mediums (embroidery, colored pencil, paint) with digital typography, photography & graphics. Not every project will utilize the same tools, a mixed media approach will be taken to realize each story to its full potential. Whether it's illustrating a story, or experimenting with comics to present your narrative in a new light, I'll use the power of images and text together to illustrate your idea, story or brand.
My writing explores poetry and fiction. Currently, I’m writing the first draft of my short story collection, The Crystal Seers. I’m also developing a non-fiction book on Nuyorican artist Jorge Soto Sánchez.
Jorge Soto Sánchez: An Homage to his Art, Life, and Writing, forthcoming in 2026, has been awarded a fellowship with The Center for Puerto Rican Studies at Hunter College (CENTRO) and received a grant from CENTRO’s Lydia García Author Fund in 2025.
Regarding editorial design, I have been developing a film magazine called Sequential Dreaming. I plan on writing articles about some of my favorite indie, foreign, and anime films. In the meantime, I have created some sample covers and spreads. I will also include zines and other book projects.
Skills:
Graphic Design / Digital Design / Book and Editorial Design / Illustration / Typography / Mixed Media / Photography / Photo Retouching / Embroidery / Poetry and Fiction Writing
Software:
Adobe Photoshop / Adobe Illustrator / Abode Indesign / Clip Studio Paint EX / Scrivener / Microsoft Word
books and writing projects
* Click on Image to Purchase or View Preview / Cover - Los Elementos Adentro de Mi Poetry and Prose Book (Colored Pencil Cover Art) / Los Elementos Adentro de Mi is a collection of poetry and prose that explores the elements of earth, air, fire, water, and spirit. The poems and stories refer to these elements in a conceptual way. Taking the elements out of their usual context, and digging deeper into how we relate to them. Exploring how they appear in our lives, looking at them through another light, and understanding the messages that we can receive from them.
Preview Page 1 - Los Elementos Adentro de Mi
Preview Page 2 - Los Elementos Adentro de Mi
* Click on Image to Purchase or View Preview / Cover - Red Soul Into the Dark Illustrated Poetry Book ( Embroidery Cover Art) / Red Soul Into the Dark is David’s first illustrated book. He uses poetry to explore and journey into the unknown with his heart ablaze, facing the fears, doubts and thoughts waiting in the dark. Freedom’s light and the comforts of joy and love, are a constant motivator to navigate through life’s obstacles no matter how scared you are.
Preview Page 1 - Red Soul Into the Dark - Black Ink Monotype and Digital Color
Preview Page 2 - Red Soul Into the Dark - Black Ink Monotype and Digital Color
* Click on Image to Purchase or View Preview / Yuuma: The Geisha Redux is my second photography book. In these images I am exploring breaking down and re-imagining the geisha aesthetic. Utilizing kimono fabric and traditional geisha props, I aim to show another way of looking at the geisha: a view that is unearthed one image at a time. Interspersed with these images are photos taken at the Chinese Scholar's Garden in Staten Island, NY. The landscape looks like it could be from somewhere in Japan, so I thought those images would complement the geisha photos nicely. The cover image (Geisha with a Dragon Tattoo) was a Finalist in the Photographer's Forum 37th Annual Spring Photography Contest. It was published in their Best of Photography Book 2018.
Preview Page 1 - Yuuma: The Geisha Redux - Studio Self-Portrait Digital Photography
Preview Page 2 - Yuuma: The Geisha Redux - Digital Photography
![* Click on Image to Purchase or View Preview / The [Masc] We Wear is a self-portrait photo series that explores the boundaries of masculinity within realm of beauty. I am attempting to show that men can retain their manhood while wearing body paint a](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63fb7cb16fb0b31ab04f19c1/ccda555e-0782-446f-a12d-5477430b744f/The+Masc+We+Wear+Front+Cover+Only+Web.jpg)
* Click on Image to Purchase or View Preview / The [Masc] We Wear is a self-portrait photo series that explores the boundaries of masculinity within realm of beauty. I am attempting to show that men can retain their manhood while wearing body paint and posing with butterflies. Masculinity exists within the mind of each man and is not directly related to one’s outward appearance. Due to the props I am using, you would expect to see a woman in the image, but instead you’ll see me. Men can be beautiful as well, and don’t have to sacrifice or give up any portion of their virility to prove it. The cover image (Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder) was a Finalist in the Photographer's Forum 34th Annual Spring Photography Contest. It was published in their Best of Photography 2014 book.
![Preview Page 1 - The [Masc] We Wear - Studio Self-Portrait Digital Photography](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63fb7cb16fb0b31ab04f19c1/878e0ddc-e1ac-47f6-8132-902d558eab8e/Masc_We_Wear_Page2_Corrected_Size_David_Arroyo.jpg)
Preview Page 1 - The [Masc] We Wear - Studio Self-Portrait Digital Photography
![Preview Page 2 - The [Masc] We Wear - Studio Self-Portrait Digital Photography](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/63fb7cb16fb0b31ab04f19c1/4f647aab-0c15-4bf5-bbc8-1c4936ce37fb/Masc_We_Wear_Page4_Corrected_Size_David_Arroyo.jpg)
Preview Page 2 - The [Masc] We Wear - Studio Self-Portrait Digital Photography
* Click on Image to Purchase or View Preview / (Colored Pencil and Hand-cut Collage Cover Art) / Red Soul Into the Dark is David's second collection of poetry. He explores journeying into the unknown with his heart ablaze, facing the fears, doubts and thoughts waiting in the dark. Freedom's light and the comforts of joy and love, are a constant motivator to navigate through life's obstacles, no matter how scared you are.
Preview Page 1 - Red Soul Into the Dark - Poetry
Preview Page 2 - Red Soul Into the Dark - Poetry
* Click Image to Purchase or View Preview / Lost + Found is David's first collection of poetry. He chronicles his journey from being unsure and lost to finally finding his way and being found. From navigating loneliness and desire to soothing heartache, he keeps pushing along keeping love alive in his heart. Defeating homophobia's debilitating grip he finds a path to new love and joy.
Preview Page 1 - Lost + Found - Poetry
Preview Page 2 - Lost + Found - Poetry
Cover for ...And Other Stories - Released On 04/10/18 by La Casita Grande Editores - Hand-cut Collage & Colored Pencil / This book cover was developed and revised with the editors. It was inspired by one of the stories in the book featuring a bullfighter. They gave me the concept and allowed me to run free in terms of what mediums to use. I chose colored pencil and collage because I wanted to create a one-of-a-kind image.
Cover for my short story collection (in progress) – The Crystal Seers (Embroidery, Colored Pencil, and Graphite Cover Art) / I wanted to try something different, and make the cover stand out with a hand embroidered title. I'm a big believer in combining traditional & digital mediums.
Mateo – Book Cover Concept - Colored Pencil, Hand-drawn Typography, Hand-cut Collage & Adobe Photoshop / This book cover concept was fun to make. I used colored pencil, hand-cut collage and hand-drawn typography to create a horror themed cover, green was an important color in the story, which I why I chose it over red.
MANGA AND COMIC Design
Self-initiated Manga Coloring Sample - Gundam Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko - (Self-initiated using Clip Studio Pro EX) I have loved Gundam since my teenage years, and this manga is a wonderful introduction to this story. The watercolor work is amazing and I can't stop admiring it. I added in the smoke in the background to highlight the drama of the image.
Self-initiated Manga Coloring Sample - Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahana - (Self-initiated using Clip Studio Pro EX) This series has one of the most original magic systems I have come across in a long time. The art is fantastic especially the watercolor splash pages. If you like stories with witches and mages, I highly recommend this series. I used digital watercolor brushes to mimic the look of the colored splash pages found within the manga.
Self-initiated Manga Coloring Sample - Opus by Satoshi Kon - (Self-initiated using Clip Studio Pro EX) Satoshi Kon is a master of the meta story. His work is intricately layered and as you read the story your sense of truth and reality begins to melt in a fantastic way.
Self-initiated Mange Coloring Sample - Mermaid Saga - Rumiko Takahashi (Self-initiated using Clip Studio Pro EX) This series is comprised of short stories that all involve mermaids and mermaid lore. It was interesting to see where the stories went, and I wanted to try a new technique of incorporating digital coloring with handmade embroidery.
Self-initiated Manga Coloring Sample - Gundam Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko - (Self-initiated using Clip Studio Pro EX) Another page from this wonderful manga, I chose this page because I know it would be a difficult one to color.
Self-initiated Manga Coloring Sample - Opus by Satoshi Kon - (Self-initiated using Clip Studio Pro EX) This particular page really intrigued me because of the complex paneling. I knew this one would be difficult to color, but I was up for the challenge.
Self-initiated Manga Coloring Sample - Witch Hat Atelier by Kamome Shirahana - (Self-initiated using Clip Studio Pro EX) I had to color a page featuring Coco the young heroine of this series. I'm always rooting for her and I admire her curiosity and tenacity.
Self-initiated Manga Coloring Sample - Gundam Origin by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko - (Self-initiated using Clip Studio Pro EX) Another page from this wonderful manga, I chose this page because I knew it would be a great challenge with all of those shrapnel pieces. I also chose to try a selective color approach only highlighting certain parts of the gundam RX-78.
Self-initiated Comic Coloring Sample - Illustration by J. Scott Campbell from the book Hi-Fi Coloring for Comics - (Self-initiated using Photoshop) This image was colored using the techniques for most superhero comics.
Self-initiated Comic Character Logos - I wanted to create my own versions of character logos used for stand-alone series. I used colors, shapes, and references to the character's costume or powers within the typography. These were made using Photoshop and Illustrator.
More Self-Initiated Comic Logos 2
More Self-Initiated Comic Logos 3
Self-initiated logo rebrand for Ghost in the Shell. This is such an iconic manga and anime that I wanted to try making my own version of the logo, one that alludes to the themes of the story. I used hints of bright pink to allude to the lights of Neo Tokyo. As well as computer chips and other computer interior materials for the cyborg aspects of the story. The hints of peach are for the skin that the cyborgs wear to mimic our own skin. This was created in Clip Studio Pro EX.
Self-initiated Lady Snowblood Logo. This manga and live-action film are very stylized works of art. I wanted to create a logo that captures the themes of violence within the story along with a tasteful depiction of blood. The circle shapes mimic the umbrella used by the heroine of the story. Her sword doubles as the handle of the umbrella. This was created in Clip Studio Pro EX.
Editorial Design
