Instagram: @coeursingulier 1. What's your story? Where are you from?Hello! My name is Thi and I work as an illustrator in Nantes, France. I grew up on a rather small island in the Caribbean. There, the beauty of the scenery always moved me. I just felt amazed by how colorful and impenetrable it was. I must say that being surrounded with nature in its wildest form definitely had impact in the awakening of my taste for drawing and the very expression of my art. Unsurprisingly, I started drawing when I was very young, reproducing the models on my sketching books. Unfortunately, I never imagined it would be more than a hobby and I never took drawing classes in school. Both travelling and meeting people greatly fed my inspiration when I became an adult, and I felt a need to translate these emotions and life experiences through the act of drawing. I worked as a freelance Social Media Manager for a long time, and my passion for drawing gradually started taking me more time. Eventually, I made a decision and quit my position to fulfil my passion and become a professional illustrator. 2. Tell us about your aesthetic.I usually like anything colorful that comes with a bit of character. Recently, I have been working a lot with colors, and learning the basics of using risography, a digital duplicator (printing equipment that is both more economical and more environmentally-friendly than traditional printing technologies). It involves working with a more limited palette of colors, but I am gladly taking on this challenge. I usually put a lot of details in my drawings, and I enjoy inserting small touches of humor. The desired outcome is a piece that feels light and simple to the eye. 3. What is your favourite medium and why?I essentially get my art done using digital mediums. I work very often on my iPad because I love the features and find it easy to work anywhere with. I use the Procreate software a lot, and I am currently trying out Adobe Fresco. Every time that I am required to do very detailed work, I feel that my Wacom tablet is the most useful of all. In other situations, I work on my Moleskine notebook with a Blackwind pencil and Posta felt pens. These felt pens are great. I just love how bright their colors feel, for some reason. 4. What is your artistic process like?I always keep a notebook close to write or scribble on, in case that something comes to inspire me. I’d hate to forget it. The process is simple: I picture the concept and think about the storytelling that will help me convey the feeling or message that I am willing to spread. 5. Who and/or what inspires your work?I find inspiration in my travels and encounters, and in the contemplation of nature. People always have interesting stories and experiences to tell. I mostly feel admiration for people who put work into making our world a better place. I also enjoy the works of other artists. In fact, I spend a lot of time observing the details of a piece and understanding the process behind it. Getting a grasp of what others do actually makes me much more creative because it gets me past the boundaries of my own know-how and imagination. 6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?Drawing enables me to take a step back. It draws me to take a moment to reflect in order to open a new perspective. Through my drawing, I attempt to convey a message the best I can. I feel a need to share, to express my feelings, and there is no better place than drawing for that. I just like opening up, whether it’s through speaking or drawing. I enjoy it a lot, and I believe that it makes the communication much more engaging. 7. Where did you study?Though I have not taken art classes, I have spent 5 years studying communication and marketing because I initially wanted to work in advertising and pursue a career that involved both coming up with a marketing strategy and using my creativity to carry it out. 8. Where do you see yourself in five years?I see myself keeping on drawing and conveying messages and emotions. Besides, I hope to get referenced in the communication, press, edition and advertising fields. My wildest dream is to take part in an exhibition because I am working on a project that I am really passionate about. It revolves around poetry. I can also picture myself travelling, meeting people, and sharing with other creative minds. There’s just nothing better to feed one’s creativity. 9. What about in ten?I am quite an active person and I love change. I like to explore new things, so I do not see myself just working as an illustrator. In fact, I also see myself achieving a project with social and solidarity impact with the intent to effect positive change on society. I also hope to travel with my daughter. 10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?I would like my illustrations to convey meaningful messages which carry hope. I want to bring a new perspective to the world and send to whoever my art reaches an invitation to reflect on the given topic for a while and to open up about it. But to achieve that, I need to spend time and I must demonstrate rigor to work on the message that I wish to convey. 11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?I love food. I really enjoy eating. It’s what I fuel myself with, both physically and spiritually. It gives me good temper. I like world cuisine a lot, and I enjoy meals that were elaborated with beer just as much. But above all, I prefer my food organic, and produced locally. I have a lot of fun adapting recipes with organic and locally-produced foods. 12. Favourite book?I’m having a hard time deciding, to be honest. There are so many that I’d like to recommend! So... though I am not a big fan of the manga genre, there’s one that I love reading over and over again: Love Hina. The series offers its readers with a lot of laughter, simplicity, adventure, and the characters are very endearing. I’ve been reading it for 20 years, and I still cannot get enough. 13. Favourite genre of music?I love Trip Hop, Rap Lyric, Reggae, the kind of music that makes you want to dance. But sometimes I listen to classics, such as Georges Brassens (French singer). Now, music is mostly for when I want to sing or dance but I find it hard to keep my focus when I turn it on, so I usually work in silence. 14. What are your hobbies?I have a lot of fun playing video games, and they really me relax. I play a lot of FPS (First Person Shooter) games. I also enjoy travelling and haute cuisine. When I am away, I feel a need to discover the trendiest culinary specialty or restaurant that exists locally. I really value the quality of a dish, and I personally believe that eating well plays a big role in staying positive. 15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?If I weren’t an artist... I’d be an explorer, or an activist. If I were an explorer, I’d use every opportunity abroad to inform the world as a reporter, and if I were an activist, I’d stand for causes that intend to have legitimate social and solidarity impacts. I strongly believe that my very existence revolves around leaving a legacy behind and conveying meaningful messages that will help make a difference. Comments are closed.
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