Young Filipino doodler artist visits Sharjah Book Fair

Sharjah - 24-year-old illustrator and creator of the book Animorphia, Roseanes is from Manila, Philippines, and his drawings aren't easy to pull away from.

Whimsy is no stranger to Kerby Rosanes.
A 24-year-old illustrator and creator of the book Animorphia, Roseanes is from Manila, Philippines, and his drawings aren't easy to pull away from.
Besides the art, some of the pieces bear spot-on, lateral-though captions. There's a sketch called 'How to Train Your DragonFly' where a girl is not riding a fire-breathing monster.
Another is of a candle wick that extends into the leg of a ballerina. That one's called 'Keep your fire burning bright'.
In a piece called "Things are getting warmer', a polar bear ambles out of the page. His hindlegs having morphed into an iceberg, are melting.
Kerby loves owls. One of his tweets from last year reads: "My art starts at night with good music and some owls".
Excerpts from an interview with the doodler artist who happened to be at the ongoing Sharjah Book Fair, which will conclude on Saturday.
Owls, horses, foxes, lions, flamingoes - how come there are so many animals in your art?
Oh, I like animals. I grew up in the province (in the Phillipines). It's something that I always wanted to do - draw animals.
Tell us about your drawing process. It seems very intricate. How much time you take for one sketch?
Since I was 7-8 years old, but professionally only about a year and a half. I use a pencil to sketch, and there are two processes.
When I am doing a personal sketch, just for myself, it's always go with the flow, I draw whatever comes out.
But when I am doing something professionally, I have an initial idea, something of a plan. The time, it depends. If I am working for myself then I will do do 4-8 hours in one sitting. But if it's a commissioned work, it'll take more time. It could take a couple of days, up to a week. I keep returning to it.
Are you very disciplined with your drawing schedule? Do you follow any routine?
(laughs) I don't follow a routine. There is no time schedule I follow. I like that about freelance, actually. I draw when | want to draw. And if I don't feel like it, I do other things. I go out with friends, I ice skate, I climb mountains near my home, anything really.
Have you been to the UAE before? Do you travel very often?
No, this is my first visit to the UAE.Last couple of months, yes, because of the book (Animorphia)
Have you find anything in the UAE which you might use in art?
My impressions of UAE..well, Sharjah has an awesome sense of design, in architecture.
Really? Define it please.
It's so unique, it's so fascinating, I've never seen anything like it. Everything is just made of stone and rock. (After a pause) In Manila, buildings are mostly made of wood. That's nice. Yes. I'm used to seeing more wood in Manila.
In your art, there's a recurring motif of parts of a clock. Is there a special attachment to clocks? Do you wear a watch?
(Laughs) I don't know why clocks are recurring in my skethches. And yes, I do wear watches.
Why do you think you like clocks so much?
I don't know. I definitely like clocks. I like the sense of mystery attached to the pieces of clocks. I am just fascinated with clockwork.
A clockwork artist then. Why do you call yourself a doodler?
Doodle artist is something that my fans and friends have labelled me. I think it's kind of cool, too. I like the doodle art concept.
You combine random objects with other stuff to create single pieces that may or may not have meaning. I like that.
Are there any artist/ graphic novelist who have inspired you?
I'm not into the masters that most people know. I admire a lot of illustrators I see online.
What would you like to be called other than a doodler?
An illustrator.
nivriti@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah International Book Fair
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