P
osters are everywhere. They feature a
particular juxtaposition of word and
image (though it needn’t contain both)
that somehow sees them sum up the
zeitgeist like no other form of graphic design.
“A good poster demands attention,” explains
Neal Williams (www.epicproblems.com). “It may
have an intriguing or flowing composition or it
may have a juxtaposition of elements that tells
an interesting story. It doesn’t necessarily need
to put the information the poster is relating front
and centre, but the poster should draw the
viewer in so that the viewer wants to find out
what it is all about.”
Making the viewer active in ‘reading’ the
poster is key. “First, it should tell a story,” says
Mark Forsman (www.markforsman.com), “and
it should tell that story whether you’re 20 feet
away or right up in front of it. It should change
as you approach it and grow with depth and
detail.” Forsman describes his own as “nature
inspired... rustic with a dirty, handmade
feeling...” In contrast, Eric Nyffeler (www.
doe-eyed.com) says he “combines the flat,
geometric shapes and bright colours of
mid-century American illustration with the bold
typography and slightly psychedelic concepts of
1960s/1970s European (specifically Polish)
posters. The brightly coloured flat geometry of
my illustrations combine easily with large, bold
typography and work especially well in the
context of screen printing.”
Glen Brogan (www.albinoraven.com) looks
back to older designs, drawing inspiration from“old cartoons, illustrations, and the mid-century
modern design aesthetic, so I like to give my
work a retro feel. I think part of why I like that is
because most people have a fondness for the
look and feel of an older time. I also think it’s
because that retro aesthetic is genuinely based
on really good, solid design.” As someone who
has worked for Marvel and Disney, Matt
Ferguson (www.cakesandcomics.com) likes to
call his style “illustrated minimalism. By that I
mean I will boil down a subject into one idea or
scene but illustrate it fully.”4(%ď$%4!),˶2)#(ď349,%ď/&ď.%!,ď
7),,)!-3ď2%15)2%3ď#/.3)$%2!",%ď
02%#)3)/. ď"54ď4(!.+&5,,9ď(%ď(!3ď
0(/4/3(/0
3ď0%.ď4//,ď/.ď(!.$DEFINING DETAILS
“The Pen tool is definitely my go-to Photoshop
feature,” says Neal Williams. “With screenprinting,
you need to ‘trap’ colours under the linework, since
inevitably things will shift or the paper will expand
or shrink and you need a little wiggle room to keep
the colours in registration (lined up). So, when
creating colour fills in my poster designs, I’ll zoom
way in and make thousands of points inside the
linework to create the selections that I fill with
colour. Sometimes, if the linework forms an
uninterrupted outline, I can select areas or select
and then inverse other areas to fill with colour, but
other times the Pen tool is the way to go. I tend to
enjoy the monotonous aspects of poster design.”2/"ď*/.%3ď2%6%!,3ď(/7ď(%ď#2%!4%$ď4()3ď342)+).'ď
6)3)/.ď/&ď$!24(ď6!$%2ď&/2ď-/.$/!,!-/ď$2!&4(/53%A FRESH VISION OF AN
OLD FAVOURITE01
FROM IMAGE TO ENGRAVING
I started off selecting a straight image of Vader’s helmet to
guide image construction. Then I tried out images from various
collections of mechanical engravings. In the first few I had a weird girder
of sorts to define the outside edge of his ‘mouth’ that didn’t seem to
define that area well enough before switching it out for a heavier piece.02
BACK TO BLACK?
Too much metallic copper in this instance felt showy. Limiting
it to just the eyes made it feel like the Vader image was wearing hunting
shades. I decided in the end to limit the copper to the already-
established costume colours of the cowboy clones.03
WINDOWS OF THE SOUL
Vader’s eyes were a big issue. He looked too surprised with the
round portals used. I tried several options and flirted with making them
into windows with an exposed skeleton inside (the bare soul behind the
armour)... Here’s a fun fact: I took the kanji for ‘death’ and placed it five
times on the final image to form the points of an inverted pentagram. I
thought it would be funny way of having a ‘death star’ in there.qď.EALď7ILLIAMSSome poster designers have been lucky enough
to really collaborate with the artists their posters are
for, and that can be a great way to find inspiration.
As Rob Jones (www.animalrummy.com) puts it,
“I’ve been fortunate so far in that I’ve done most of
my work for Jack White and his various bands,
where my personal tastes appear in line with their
own thematic pursuits.” Some poster designers
come to the art because they love the
endeavours the posters are about, and others
have a style that just begs to be blown up and
hung on the wall.qď2OBď*ONESDESIGN ARRESTING POSTERS