Illustrator Spotlight: Jacqueline Alcántara

Three Troupe 21 members are authors and illustrators - Anne Appert, Leah Hong and Neesha Hudson. You’ve seen their adorable art on our website and social accounts, including this graphic for new picture book YOUR MAMA!

You’ll continue to get to know all about their stories here on Troupe Tales! We also want to introduce you to the illustrators of the books by our other Troupe authors, through our Illustrator Spotlight feature!

This week, we’re featuring Jacqueline Alcántara, illustrator of YOUR MAMA, the debut picture book of Troupe member NoNieqa Ramos (Versify), which published April 6, 2021.

Jacqueline Alcántara is a freelance illustrator and artist spending her days drawing, writing and globe trotting with her dog Possum. She is fueled by dance music, carbs and coffee. Jacqueline studied Secondary Art Education and taught high school art and photography before transitioning to illustration.

Want to know more about Jacqueline and how she approached illustrating YOUR MAMA? You’re in luck: Jacqueline has stopped by the Troupe Tales blog for an interview to share exactly that. So give two snaps and a warm welcome to illustrator Jacqueline Alcántara!

Illustrator Spotlight

JACQUELINE ALCÁNTARA

What drew you to this manuscript?

I was hooked after the first line! “Your mama so sweet, she could be a bakery, all frosting powdered sugar and pastries.” Who wouldn’t want to illustrate that!?!? It’s such a playful, compassionate, fun manuscript. Also I just loved both characters and their relationships to each other. The mom with all her glamour, love, energy, brains left me with a flood of memories of childhood and I loved there was so much room for me to bring my experience and personality to it as well.

What qualities of character and/or concept did you want to convey in the cover?

For the cover, I chose a moment where the mom and child are dancing. This mom is the embodiment of a confident, beautiful, super cool mama and her child looking at her with admiration. I wanted them both to be filled with energy, reading each other’s next move. I chose to illustrate the moment juuuussttt before they touch hands because it is filled with so much anticipation and excitement, and it encourages readers to imagine what might happen next. It feels like the perfect place for this story to begin!

How did the text/story influence your color choices when creating the illustrations?

Well the color scheme started after I’d decided to incorporate this Tattoo Flash visual elements throughout. So I started by just using color from those traditional / old school tattoos. The pops of bright red, the pastel-ey beige backgrounds and then building from there.

What about the story did you most enjoy/was your favorite to illustrate?

I think just coming up with the overall look and vibe. The last line in the book is #truth and as I was playing with the sketches, I was asking myself the question, “ why did NoNieqa include this? What does it mean to the mom/ to the manuscript” And I just thought it must be a motto this mama lives by and what better way to show that than including it as a tattoo! But we only see this subtle detail on the last page - yet it informs the decision for including the tattoo motifs throughout the entire book. I just loved how well rounded the mom was - from flying drones, to road tripping, to baking, to hosting big family dinners. She’s such a great character, it was a joy to bring her to life.

What was the hardest part to illustrate?

From a technical standpoint, I hadn’t incorporated hand lettering into a book, or any artwork really since I have abominable handwriting. So that was actually a challenge for me but I loved working on that and experimenting with different materials / techniques to see how I could incorporate that into my style.

Do you have a favorite spread or illustration?

I’ve answered this differently every time because I really love so many of the moments in this book! But right now I’m feeling like my favorite it the first spread - “your mama so sweet”. My brother and I would sit on the counter and just eat so much cookie dough when my mom was baking. We are still both obsessed with it. That spread, along with a couple others, are straight shoutouts to my mom and I just love I was able to incorporate certain special childhood moments into a book.

What was the process like for illustrating this book? What medium did you use to create the illustrations?

I start most illustrations with pencil and marker on paper (prismacolor markers) - I love using markers for skin tones especially. Then I created different pastel backgrounds - to try to get the look and feel of tattoo flash art (a tattoo design printed on paper or cardboard) I collaged the pieces together in photoshop and then used procreate for the lettering and some other details / linework. I bring everything into Photoshop - have terrible disorganized files and just play around getting the right look I’m searching for.

Have you illustrated other books we should check out?

YES!

Jump at the Sun by Newbery Honoree Alicia D. Williams also released in 2021. It’s a beautiful biography of anthropologist and writer Zora Neale Hurston.

The Field, written by Baptiste Paul is a fast-past picked up soccer game on a Carribean island (and we have a sequel coming out next year called, “Climb On!”).

Freedom Soup by Tami Charles which follows Ti Gran and Belle making Soup Joumou, a dish that symbolizes the Haitian Revolution.

Where can we find your work?

All the usual places!

Instagram: @_jacqueline_alcantara

Twitter: @_jacqueline_ill

Website: www.jacquelinealcantara.com