Gig Posters: Battle of the Bands
Creating a Musical Design
Escaping Confusion:
As someone who had never actually heard the term “Gig poster”, I definitely had an interesting start to this project. It seemed as if there were too many options and direction that I could take. It all just seemed overwhelming and debilitating. Music is so broad and abstract has never really been my forte. But I took a breath, straightened up and got down to business. First, I did some visual research and I learned so many different things and the spectrum of examples was limitless. After I saw some examples of both professional work and other student work I had an “idea” of what I wanted to do. So, I moved on to sketching.
Time to Get Drawing:
1st Run Through: "Happy Country Sketches"
When I started out I did some word webs, which are awesome. They are a great way to spark ideas and just word vomit onto a page. Once all the ideas have escaped your head, it is easier to focus the creative energy. So, I started with genres of music and also with emotions I like to feel when I listen to music. I ended up stopping with happy country music. So, I kept those words in mind when I went for my pencil.
However, after a couple sketches I realized that this wasn’t really the direction I wanted to go. Deciding to take a break, I went outside and listen to my playlist while trying to think of a good band name. Soon I realized that my playlist although did make me feel happy and energetic didn’t actually have much country. Instead it was mostly techno, pop, or indie alternative music. So, I decided to switch directions. I still wanted to go the happy, energetic, and bright route but instead of country I thought more indie, pop or techno vibes.
Digitization:
From Rough-est to Rough-ish: the progression of the gig poster
Getting the ideas from my mind and sketches onto the computer were a little harder than I thought it would be. The typography kept giving me grief, I just couldn’t seem to get a font that I liked that gave off the vibe I was going for. Finally, I just decided to create the text myself instead of relying on ready made fonts. Although it took a while, it was a great decision. I really liked the idea of paint and paint splatters so I figured the band name and information could just be painted onto a brick wall which would give it good texture and background. My first draft wasn’t that bad but could definitely be improved. I realized that the texture I had added was just a little too much, the overlay was distracting and the colors were a little too bright for comfort.
Grand Finale:
In the end, I think that making the typography myself was the best decision I ever made. The way it stands out against the background brings attention the band name and venue information creating an easy, contrasting focal point for the poster. The rounded edges and hand drawn feel are just what I was looking for to give it a unique look. The bright colors, although slightly de-saturated, demand attention and give off the fun, bright vibes that I wanted the poster to convey. If the bright colors weren’t enough to send off fun vibes, the paint splotches tend to make the viewer think of fun times and maybe even add a hint of nostalgia. Overall, I believe this poster is a success!
