Assignment three requires me to create a poster to advertise a music event. There is an emphasis on the developmental process during this project. I must provide evidence that I have brainstormed: through the creation of a mind-map, mood-board, and a variety of alternative thumbnails. I then need to choose my two most successful thumbnails, before creating two clear line visuals. Next, I need to select one design and generate a colour visual, picking colours from my mood-board. Finally, I need to produce my final piece. The artwork must be A3 (or proportional), and I need to consider where information such as the title, date, and time should be placed. The project allows me to choose one theme: ‘Early Music Concert,’ ‘Jazz Evening,’ or ‘Pop Group.’ I chose to explore ‘Pop Group.’
I started by deciding which musician to make the poster about. I considered whether to make something up, but thought basing the poster on the styles and sounds of an existing artist could be interesting; picking apart their album art, videos, and music to discover what colours and styles could represent them perfectly. I wanted to choose an artist that fitted the initial theme, but also someone that I was aware of and had listened to. I looked through my artists on Spotify before selecting an indie-pop, pop-rock band named ‘COIN.’ A band which I was slightly obsessed with during 2018 and had discovered as a support band at a concert a years previous. I thought my already existing knowledge of their music and live performances would help me greatly with this project. I remember being mesmerised by the band – particularly the lead singer’s big blonde curly hair as he energetically ’head-banged’ to each song. I thought this was perhaps a fitting detail that I could add to my piece; if it was something that stood out to me during their live performance then perhaps it’s a characteristic that could be eye-catching on a poster too! Either way, it was an initial idea that motivated me to choose the group.
Mindmap, Moodboard & Thumbnails
I created a mind-map exploring several topics: mood, colour, pattern, texture, and subject matter. The band uses quite an upbeat, bold colour palette with their album artwork, advertising, and videos; something I considered when creating my mind-map. I also thought of the term ‘Pop Group’ in a general sense; I asked myself what you’d often see on a pop poster. Following this, I created an A3 mood-board. I explored some of the words on the mind-map but also focussed on finding colour scheme ideas and reference photos related to the band; I collected images of album covers as well as photographs of the group members to help influence my piece. The mood-board displayed how the vivid colour palette could become too excessive if not used effectively; something I wanted to keep in mind going forward. I then created 12 thumbnail sketches, attempting to explore a variety of viewpoint and composition options. I employed some of the photos that I had collected on my mood-board – I wanted to make sure I could illustrate the musicians accurately. I mostly explored figurative subject matter; retrospectively, I should have considered a wider range of subject matter during this process.
Visuals
I chose to take ‘3’ and ’10’ forward to create two line visuals. I measured two A7 boxes to draw the two visuals within; this size allowed them to stay in proportion to A3. I drew out my designs in a simple style, avoiding being too distracted with details. I printed the title and a text box onto a sheet of acetate; placing it over the line visuals to indicate where the information may be positioned. I decided to take my second visual forward as I believed it was more likely to be successful when finished. I enjoyed the idea of positioning each band member onto the face of a coin – but I realised I didn’t have adequate reference. To create the coloured visual I printed out a title and a polka-dot-patterned image before sticking them onto the page. I used a navy Posca paint pen to create the line detail. I thought using red for the shirt would draw the attention towards the singer. Yellow is a subtle colour that was not overly evident in the bands work; though I noticed subtle touches of the colour here and there. I thought using it for singers hair would make it stand out and represent it’s blonde hue while avoiding being too excessive or overdone. I chose to use dark blue for the line-work as it fits the bands colour scheme well and has the lowest level of value. I thought red would work well with the text as it would stand out; I wanted to make sure the information was the most prominent element of the piece.
Creating an Illustration
I then created my final illustration. I used Adobe Illustrator to create two polka-dot patterns; one yellow and one red. I played around with the spacing of the dots until I was satisfied. I used a viewfinder to crop my chosen reference image, isolating and angling the lead vocalist to become more perpendicular. I sketched out the portrait, measuring areas of the referencing image and scaling them up by 100%. I printed the patterns onto two sheets of sticky back paper, before tracing the sketched lines and cutting them out. I used a navy Posca paint pen to create the line details.
Creating a Poster
After scanning my illustration, I corrected some of the colours and edges through Photoshop. I saved the image and moved it to Illustrator. I played around with the positioning of the elements, sticking to the general composition that I had initially designed. I duplicated the drawing, lowering the opacity of both illustrations and layering them over each other, slightly off centre. I enjoyed the way this looked as I thought it added an alternative, quirky factor that gave the piece a sense of movement.
I experimented with different backgrounds and borders – trying to find something that complemented the text and artwork. I used a thick white border, with a coloured block inside. I struggled to decide which colour to use in the background; I wanted something that matched the themes that I had previously explored, but also looked effective with the other elements on the page. I experimented with several options, asking others which one they intuitively preferred; the response was mixed. I printed my favourites out. I thought perhaps seeing them on paper may affect my final decision.
I used a selection of fonts; firstly I used ‘Futura’ (bold) when creating the ‘COIN’ title as I thought it was similar to the font that the band uses themselves. The title is huge and bold; it is noticeable but doesn’t ‘obliterate’ the poster. For the informational text, I used ‘Source Serif Variable’ (bold). I thought this font looked professional and was easy to understand. When adding information to the poster I looked at the band’s current posters that they have attached to their social media pages. I used real dates and locations, taken from one of their existing posters. I also noticed that their tour was named ‘Paradise of Thought;’ I added this title to the top of my poster using ‘Lao M’ (Bold). I tried several different fonts in an attempt to find a similar one to the one they used.
Experimental & Developmental Stage
Inspiring Images
Fig. 1 
Fig. 2
I found these images when looking for some dates and locations to add to my poster; I used most of the information from Fig. 1, as well as the website from Fig. 2.
Background Colour Options
As previously mentioned, I experimented with different background colours. This idea was slightly off-plan, but I think it improved the piece significantly. As shown, I tried to use a white background; I like the simplicity – it’s bright and straightforward. On the other hand, using a coloured background emphasises the illusion that the singer is leaving the page. I think the black background dulls down the bright colours. The contrast between the black and the white is interesting. I didn’t choose to call this poster my final piece as I felt it was too dark and didn’t fit the theme. The blue background made sense as it best matched the band’s album covers, but I believe this one is the least visually pleasing. I enjoy the appearance of the yellow background, though it feels too distant from the band’s work. I had previously mentioned that I didn’t want to use too much yellow, as it wasn’t a colour that was prominently used within their album covers. It also reminds me of a certain fast food chain! Regardless, I think each piece would be successful; some more than others.
Final Poster
I chose to use a pink background, after a long day of pondering. I asked others which piece they were intuitively drawn towards; many said that they quite enjoyed this one – though there was never a definitive opinion or average. I believe the pink background allows all of the colours to stand out on their own; it looks fresh, modern and confident, without overriding any of the other elements. My main issue with this choice is that it doesn’t meet my original colour scheme plan.
Evaluation
I tried to take each exercise on board with this assignment. I completed visuals and thumbnails, considering different viewpoints and perspectives. I used two ‘L’ shaped pieces of card to create a viewfinder and select an area that was appropriate for my ideas. I thought about the angles and shapes of the various elements and how they may affect someone’s interpretation of the composition. I mainly utilised horizontal and vertical lines, making the piece appear clean and organised. I allowed a section of the lead vocalist’s hair to leave the frame; I think this makes him appear as though he is escaping the page, talking directly to the viewer. I considered the hierarchy of the image; using bold red shades to describe the majority of the text. The illustration includes warm colours in the background; making the singer very apparent, but not as noticeable as the text. I think my use of pattern introduces a subtle abstract element to the piece. The circles could represent the beats in the music or perhaps reference the shape of a coin.
I think my final piece is relatively successful. The bold colours and pop-art influences appear energetic and lively. The singer’s stern expression references the bands ‘indie’ side; the piece is loud and colourful yet still has an alternative element that suits the group. I enjoyed creating the drawing especially the layering of colourful patterns with heavy lines and using a colour palette that is new to me.
I think the face could have been drawn better; perhaps altering the shape slightly and adding more details to certain areas. The piece could have been more interesting if I had experimented with more abstract elements – for example, I could have used textures or patterns to decorate the text. I believe the composition is quite simple and straightforward; possibly something I could have taken more risks with. I also went off the path slightly – I started being experimental and not sticking to my plan. If I was working with a client, I may not be able to do this.
Final Thoughts
I enjoyed this assignment; trying to merge my own style with another artist’s style was interesting. It demonstrated how each of the exercises I have been working through can be implemented in a real-life situation. Going forward, I need to continue developing my thumbnails and visuals, practising how to record my ideas in a spontaneous, yet precise manner. I also need to persist in developing my Adobe Suite skills; something I’d like to work on outside of university-related studies.
Marianne Williams 