More than doodles: The intricately detailed art of Kerby Rosanes

Like many of us, Kerby Rosanes drew doodles for fun on his notebooks.

Unlike many of us, his doodles are now published in Europe as adult coloring books.

Adult coloring books are all the rage right now (they're sold out in most bookstores, in case you're wondering). But few people know that one of the first books to come out was made by a young Filipino illustrator.

Kerby has been drawing doodles for years. But it wasn't until 2013 that he was commissioned by a European publisher to turn them into coloring books.

"Mahilig ako mag-drawing ng doodles, pero hindi ako mahilig magkulay. So yun siguro yung nakita ng publisher na pwedeng ako yung mag-drawing, tapos ibang tao ang magkukulay," says the 24-year-old illustrator.



His personal style consists of fantasy images, spontaneous drawings and, as he calls them, "doodle monsters." Each piece is so intricate and complicated that no child would have the patience to color them completely.

Kerby has already published two books, "Doodle Invasion" and "Animorphia." But these are not your typical coloring books. Kerby purposely left out some parts of the illustrations so that you can draw on them before coloring. There are also mini-games where you search for specific items in the drawings.

Currently, both books are sold in Europe and in online stores. A certified hit among art enthusiasts, there are already versions in Italian, Spanish, French, Polish and Korean. But if you're Filipino, don't fret because his doodles are on their way to Philippine shores this August.




"Nakakaproud kasi most of the artists na gumagawa ng coloring books ay from the Western side of the world. [Maiisip mo] wow may Asian, Filipino pa na gumawa ng books na ganito," says Kerby.

Adult coloring books come in all sorts of designs, sizes and themes. Aside from Kerby's doodles, there are books featuring mandalas and even actor Benedict Cumberbatch's face.

While it is undeniable that the colored pieces look amazing, adult coloring books are more importantly therapeutic. And that is one of the reasons Kerby makes them.

"Kapag adult ka na karamihan sa atin working everyday, maraming ginagawa, busy schedule everyday. Minsan kailangan mag-unwind, magrelax o maghanap ng mga bagay na nakakatanggal ng stress," he says.

Renowned psychologist Dr. Ma. Lourdes Carandang explains that hobbies like coloring are a need rather than a luxury.

"Kailangan natin ng hobbies kasi ang buhay natin ngayon mabilis, fast paced, lahat nagmamadali. Walang time at all for oneself. Parang rest yon eh. And ang rest ay necessary para di ma-burnout," explains Carandang.

"When you do hobbies like painting, dancing, playing sports or coloring books, nakakapahinga yung loob. Hindi lang [physically], kundi emotionally resting."

When you are not able to rest or do things for personal enjoyment, Carandang warns that you may become irritable and unproductive. Even the people around you become miserable.

Whatever hobby you choose to engage in, it's important that you do this regularly.

"If you have no time for hobbies, you can just take five minutes and do breathing exercises. That helps a lot in relieving stress," says Carandang. — BM, GMA News