2025 | Longlist | Children's Publishing
| Professional
- pronoun
She/Her - Why did you create this work?
"Thanks, Blanket" is a touching ode to life cycles, growing pains and gratitude for all the things that keep you warm, when life gets chilly – beautifully written by Chris Vanderkooy. In my illustrations, I wanted the soft but vibrant color palette, playful backgrounds and rich textures to help convey a sense of warmth, while we follow our protagonist's journey growing up.
- How were your illustrations used?
The illustrations were used in the picture book "Thanks, Blanket", published in 2024, both in Canada and Portugal. - What materials and techniques did you use?
The illustrations for this book were created digitally, using Procreate and Adobe Photoshop. - Was this project commissioned?
Commissioned - Commissioner Name
Christopher Vanderkooy - Commissioner Company
Reasons To Live - Commissioner Instagram
@thanksblanket - Personal Website or Portfolio Link
littleblackspot.com/
- Instagram
@littleblackspot - Biography
Raquel Costa is an award-winning artist, author and illustrator. She made her writing debut with the picture book “25 Mulheres”, which she also illustrated. The illustrations for this book won a Merit Award at the 11th Hiii Illustration Awards and were juried into the Society of Illustrators 67th Annual.
"Noa" won the Bissaya Barreto Children's Book Award in 2022.
She’s also an Art Educator, and a co-founder of Little Black Spot Creative Studio, working in illustration, concept art and design. - Where are you currently based?
Portugal
