Monique Wray is a San Francisco-based animator, illustrator, director, and the founder of Made by Small Studio. In this episode of Technically Speaking, we discuss Monique's path as a black artist and the challenges that come with it, as well as her art style, which is heavily influenced by her Jamaican roots. Join us to discover more about her introspective and creative journey, which resulted in some great projects with a wide variety of clients and content.
Monique Wray is a Miami-born animator, illustrator, and animation director living in San Francisco. Her work is typically character-driven with a touch of whimsy — all with a pop of color, bold lines, and even bolder subjects — always informed by her roots. She runs her creative practice, Small, where she creates commercial animation and illustrations for all sorts of clients.
(01:36) - Getting to know Monique Wray: the cartoons and books that inspired her to start a career as an artist, as well as her current studio elements, and the digital art technology that she uses in her work.
(9:45) - Monique Wray’s career journey: the challenges she faced as a part of a minority, and the start of her creative business.
(17:32) - Monique’s art style: a glimpse of her Jamaican heritage.
(19:40) - The people and events that encourage her to embrace her work's art and style while always having fun in the process.
(22:08) - Monique's favorite part of her job: the ability to work with a wide variety of clients and content.
(27:41) - Having a goal, while remaining flexible, and being open to discovering and trying new things are the elements that will lead to success.
