the history of the drawings that make Twitter fun

A real phenomenon since January 2021, the account @NBA_Paint on Twitter has made its way into the league locker room, where he now dresses some players in hoodies featuring his… particular designs. A look back at the fantastic story of a kid from the 90s who put his passion for the famous Microsoft software at the service of NBA fans to their delight.

It all starts in 2021, when an Aaron Baynes fan account – this story is definitely exceptional from start to finish – retweets a small Twitter account that made a horribly ugly but particularly funny little drawing on the player. This account in question is @NBA_Paint, and the fairy tale with pixelated sauce will begin very quickly.

What opposing defenders see when they run into an Aron Baynes screen.

(via @nba_paint) pic.twitter.com/TxpiQQpWlz

— Unofficial Aron Brisbaynes Fan Club (@BaynesFanClub) January 27, 2021

Multiple drawings of players, with a just hilarious dose of the first degree. The designer makes fun of common basketball expressions to transform them into crazy illustrations. A creator who specified to The Athletic that he also wished to remain discreet as to his true identity. Her name ? MisterPaint, point. Regarding his works, he describes them as the result of a childhood bathed in the famous Paint software and video games.

“I grew up in the 90s obsessed with Microsoft Paint, RollerCoaster Tycoon and all that bullshit. I’ve just always had this fondness and attraction to ways of drawing and doodling particularly ugly things. Our generation grew up with computer classes, and every time I was in computer rooms, I jumped at the chance to draw” – Mr. Paint

Success and explosion on the internet? No doubt due to the messy, ugly side of his works, which make them childlike and endearing. In addition to being often very funny, such as that of Cam Thomas following his fiery matches on the side of Brooklyn. The artist explains that a form of beauty is hidden in ugly things.

“I draw them with Paint because I have a lot of experience with this tool and I love how bad the result is. There’s something undeniably beautiful about ugly art and imperfect things” – M’sieur Paint.

Camera Thomas. pic.twitter.com/M1p0PqUyQB

— nba paint (@nba_paint) February 7, 2023

Today, the artist’s twitter account has almost 178 000 followers, and he regularly feeds the latter’s feeds with very primitive designs that still hit the bull’s eye. Honestly, we like the first-degree spirit in the creator’s humor. Originally, the artist worked in a technology company as a member of the marketing department, and commented on NBA games in group chats with his friends. It was when he wanted to open up to a larger community that he launched a small Twitter account, without expecting the current success.

Because yes, it’s good Derrick White who was spotted exiting the Celtics locker room wearing one of the NBA Paint line of hoodies. On textiles? The representation of the leader in Paint version, of course. To seduce and make laugh the players of the league, it has to be done. In any case, this can only make Monsieur Paint want to continue on his merry way. A man who is always ugly, always pixelated… but always appreciated.