For Ferguson, there are two main factors when it comes to poster
construction: “Number one, have a good idea. A poster needs to be
able to grab someone’s attention, and the best way to do that is with a
clever hook. Number two, composition is really important; the poster
should be pleasing to the eye and easy to digest visually. With those
two things a poster can be simple and easy to execute.”
But what if you’re not sure if you’ve got a great idea, or that you’re
working towards a pleasing composition? Brogan likes to save a
preview of his work and look at it thumbnail-sized on his desktop: “I
look at it and think, ‘Does this still look interesting when it’s this small?
If I had no idea what this piece was, would looking at this tiny icon
interest me enough to look closer and see what the drawing really is?’
That’s something I do to try and gauge if a piece is going to grab
people’s attention or not. If it has something that makes it stand out
when it’s that little, then that can be a sign of a strong design.”
A strong design is the goal of course, and many of the tricks and
techniques that poster designers use are no different to that which
other artists, illustrators and graphic designers would use. For
Forsman, the key to composition is balance. “If everything is competing
for your eye, there’s no way to tell any kind of story and it can
completely derail the idea.” And you can further use that balance to
attract people’s eyes, if you simply “have something off. Do as much as
you can with as little as you can,” adds Forsman.I always try and use colour to evoke a
sense of place and feeling. It’s one ofthe toughest things to do, but when it’s right
it can completely transport you
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˲˾˼ERIC NYFFELER EXPLAINS HOW AUTHENTICITY IS ACHIEVED IN A SKETCH TO VECTOR TO TEXTURED PROCESS
TEXTURE TALK
01
BOTTLE YOUR LIGHTNING
“I typically begin my posters with an
incredibly rough sketch,” says Nyffeler, “usually
scribbled in a notebook minutes after waking up or
on the back of a napkin while walking down the
street.” Then he scans his sketch and builds a
composition in Illustrator.02
BUILD IT UP...
“Every piece of the composition is printed in
black and white and then textured and distressed
using a variety of different processes. 1970s/80s
photocopiers are my favourite way of making shapes
look trashy and aged. Lacquer thinner and splattered
paint are two other common texturing methods.”03
...BREAK IT DOWN
All of the black and white chunks are then
scanned into Photoshop, where I apply Levels,
Brightness/Contrast, and very specific Burning and
Dodging to refine the shapes to a specific balance
of clarity and texture. The individual pieces are then
composited together into the specific layers
intended for screen printing.”© Eric NyffelerGRAPHICS AND WEB