Hello! Please introduce yourself.
Hi! My name’s Elbert. Your average awkward art b0i [laughs]. I’m a graphic designer and illustrator. I recently graduated from college in Cebu, but now I’m currently based in Manila. You’ll always find me on my laptop and/or phone because if I’m not working, I’m probably watching something on Netflix, scrolling through dank meme pages, or consuming content for creative inspiration from the Internet. Also, snakes are cool but I’m really terrified of them.
How exactly did you fall in love with art? Was it something you always wanted to do growing up?
I spent a lot of time doodling random things on my notebooks as a kid, but I was certain I wanted to be an engineer. I grew up with a few engineers in the family, so for me, it was the obvious choice. I was enrolled in a science and tech high school to prepare myself for college. But along the way, I got super interested in photography and graphic design. I started taking lots of photos and doing crappy typographic layouts then shared them online. I met a lot of creative people through my blog and eventually, thanks to the Internet, I learned that it was a legit career that more and more people are getting interested in. So like the black sheep in the fam that I am, I decided not to follow my parents’ dream for me and took up Fine Arts in college [laughs].
What was the turning point for you that made you pursue a career in art?
I guess it just slowly happened. The more I learned about art and design, the more I fell in love with it. And the more I wanted to do it for the rest of my life.
Doing what truly resonates with me and not trying to impress anyone made me a lot happier with my own work. But first, you have to put in the work. Don’t be afraid to try things out and mess up. Eventually you will find out what comes naturally and realize what you do or don’t like.
How did you manage to find your voice as an artist? Did you find it difficult or did you immediately know what kind of artist you wanted to be?
My interests are all over the place and changes a lot quickly, so figuring out what kind of artist I wanted to be wasn’t easy, especially finding my own voice. And even now, I’m still working on it. It’s the hardest part, but I think being authentic goes a looong way.Doing what truly resonates with me and not trying to impress anyone made me a lot happier with my own work. But first, you have to put in the work. Don’t be afraid to try things out and mess up. Eventually you will find out what comes naturally and realize what you do or don’t like.
How would you describe your personal style to someone who can’t see?
Oh that’s tough. My style is also all over the place, but I’d say that it looks like it would sound loud, like it’s screaming at you. It’s lively and busy, and probably smells kinda bad but also weirdly good at the same time [laughs].
Lastly, what’s the future like for you?
The future is uncertain, I guess, especially because I’m still trying to make it in the industry. Let’s just hope I’d still be creating whatever the hell I want [in the future].
