With over 990,000 followers on Instagram alone, Kerby Rosanes is an established name on social media. The claim to fame of this Philippines-born artist is his inimitable doodle art. And it all started as his personal hobby that caught instant attention of the connoisseurs of art and various design blogs, international magazines, and online communities. Such attention prompted this 25-year-old artist to turn part-time freelancer.
For Kerby, his evolution as a doodle artist happened in the backyard of his home when he was around nine or 10. The backyard had a bespoke swing made of bike tires and wooden planks suspended from a mango tree. As a child, he used to play here with his friends and developed his sketching skills by drawing animals and weird creatures on the ground. This passion for sketching continued into adulthood.
The intricacy involved in creating doodle art is simply unbelievable. Kerby sketches each and every line in his works meticulously, mainly using ordinary black pens to create what he calls his ‘sketchy stories’ that have now become a part of his ‘doodle’ world. Although his line art appears a bit whimsical, every line, pattern, character, and little elements have a spontaneity about it that unfailingly expresses his everyday experiences and inspirations.
With overwhelming support from the art fraternity, Kerby bid adieu to his full-time graphic designer job in a local company in 2014 to pursue his passion. Today, he’s involved in creating art for personal projects of his unending line of clients. He also actively collaborates with other artists, global brands, and design agencies across the globe.
Though only in his 20s, Kerby has already authored five books, which includes Animorphia. This book, published in 2015, was on the list of The New York Times bestsellers. It has now been reproduced in 30 language editions in over 40 countries.
The success of Animorphia provided Kerby with the opportunity to travel the world and display his art in various events. He has even appeared live on TV on the BBC World News and ABC’s Good Morning America in 2016. Today, he boasts of appearing in over fifty magazines, websites, and TV shows.
Kerby also has a long list of clients, publishers, and collaborators that include Ford, Mazda, Nike, Netflix, Walt Disney, Amazon, and many more. He has participated in various exhibitions, such as Doodle Fest Exhibit, Manila, the Philippines; The Labours of Hercules, Bottleneck Gallery, Broadway, New York, etc. and many others. Besides this, he has been a guest speaker in various workshops, conferences, events, and talk shows.
Kerby Rosanes