Today, we’d like to introduce you to Antoinette Thomas. Antoinette was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Black Girl, Brown Girl Books LLC.
Hi Antoinette, we’re so thrilled to have you sharing your story with us today. Maybe we can kick things off by having you introduce yourself to our readers? We’d love to have you go into your story and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always drawn, from young. I got my bachelors in Studio Art, I worked with and around artists for years. Before the pandemic I was teaching as a sip and paint teacher while doing a residency at Arts East New York in Brooklyn (I made art and taught wood burning workshops).
The stipend from the residency allowed me to buy an iPad. Mind you the residency was for me to complete my paintings and wood burnings — but money lets you explore and try new things; so from there I began to draw digitally and create the comic strips people know me for today.
Please talk to us about your creative work and career. What should we know?
When my comic strips gained more visibility, people began to inquire about my other illustrating skills (children’s books, stickers, puzzles, portraits, etc) I throughly enjoy the process that comes with conceptualizing: brainstorming color palettes, character design, getting to know what makes a client’s eyes (and heart) happy, in the visual sense. What details are they drawn to, is there a childhood memory attached to a certain shape or color? I love collecting what I learn about people and translating that into an image.
Black Girl, Brown Girl Books has been a great friend to us and I know you’ve got a great relationship as well. Maybe you can tell our audience a bit about Black Girl, Brown Girl Books and your experience with them.
BGBG found me! They told me about their project, asked about my creative process and we went from there. I learned about their mutual focus on early child development and investment in literature specifically for Black and Brown children. Ingrid and Crystal want our communities to see themselves and their rich stories on the written (And visual) page. They’re a vibrant duo and aren’t stiff or inflexible, which is what I liked the most. People can be serious about their work, but having fun and being open to ideas make the work equally as vibrant.
Website: theantoinettethomas.com
Instagram: @theantoinettethomas
Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/theantoinettethomas
