This teenager from Caloocan City wowed netizens after he drew 17 Philippine Presidents all at once within 10 hours!
“Nagsimula ‘yun lahat no’ng napanood ko po ‘yung kay Guhit Jess, gumawa [siya] ng 15 portraits ng mga NBA player. ‘Yung ganung type po ng art, scribble po kasi ‘yun, ‘yung ballpen, hindi ko po siya alam, wala pa po akong alam,” 15-year-old Emmanuel Dane Arcon Ventura told The Philippine STAR.
“Nung ready na po ako, almost one-week po akong nag-practice nun, nung ready na, nag-sketch na po ako ng mga portraits ng presidente,” he added.
Dane said he wanted to surprise his mother, Ronalyn, with his first-ever scribble art. Using an eight-foot bamboo stick, pens and paper, he started working on it on December 24, 2023.
At first, he was nervous about trying this kind of art for the first time. But he was determined to test himself as a young artist.
“Nung una po hindi ko po talaga siya sinasabi, parang gusto ko i-surprise na lang na magugulat nalang sila may ginagawa akong bago. Kaso nahirapan po kasi ako, hindi ko po alam saan ako hahanap ng mga materials, lalo na po ‘yung kawayan. Bumili po ako ng 17 na ballpen. Pero bago ko po siya sinimulan, nag-practice po muna ako ulit sa isang portrait, isang sketch lang po ganun. Nung ready na, sinimulan ko na,” he recalled.
Dane admitted that he is a newbie in this kind of art, as he is more into portrait and hyperrealism.
Noting, “Hindi naman po ako masyadong nahirapan since medyo may experience na rin po kasi ako kasi sa pagpo-portrait. Bale ang sinanay ko na lang po talaga ‘yung ma-balance ko po ‘yung mga ballpen kasi nakakangalay din, lalo na po ‘yung bigat din.”
While on the process of creating the scribble art featuring the 17 presidents of the Philippines, Dane said that he once thought of giving up.
“Pagkalipas po ng ten minutes, ‘yung unang subok ko po. Gusto ko na po talagang sumuko. Since first time, nangalay po talaga ‘yung balikat ko po nun and gusto ko na pong tumigil. “Tutuloy ko pa ba ‘to? Pa’no ba ‘to?” he said.
After 10 hours, Dane finished his artwork on December 26, 2023.
Said he, “Hindi po siya tuloy-tuloy, may pahinga po. Bale ‘yung 10 hours po, ‘yun po ‘yung kabuuan.”
Mommy Ronalyn, a single mom of two, is a one proud mom after she saw her son’s artwork.
“Masaya kasi naniniwala ako na kaya niya at magagawa niya talaga. Sabi ko “Nak, ‘wag mo lang i-pressure ‘yung sarili mo. Halimbawa abutin ng days ‘yan, okay lang walang problema. Ang importante magagawa mo siya.”Pero nagulat ako nagawa niya na parang first attempt po kasi ‘yun eh. Tapos inaano ko pa ‘yung temper niya, ‘yung patience niya kasi baka mamaya mag-give up siya. Pero thank God po kasi nagawa niya. As in nag-succeed po talaga,” Mommy Ronalyn happily shared.
Dane said that he plans to take fine arts in college. He is currently accepting art commissions to help his single mom and his older brother who has autism spectrum disorder.
“Ang nakikita ko po magiging mastery ko po ‘yung arts, so isa po ‘yun sa mga naging main focus ko po para mag-excel pa and para matulungan po ‘yung kuya ko po,” Dane said.
