The concept behind this project was to design a vintage gig poster for a fictitious band and their upcoming event. Inspired by the iconic gig posters of The Beach Boys, the objective was to capture the essence of 80s beach culture and infuse it with my own personal style. The poster aimed to evoke a sense of nostalgia, enticing viewers to attend the fictitious event introducing the 'Beach Boyzz'.

I explored various ideas and compositions that would convey my desired vintage vibe during the initial sketching process. I drew inspiration from retro beach band posters and album covers, incorporating elements like waves, palm trees, sunsets, and musical instruments (all on hotel napkins). The sketches helped me visualize different layouts and ultimately come up with my draft design. I really took a liking to my beach watercolor idea, which you will notice in the design process.

After sharing the initial sketches with my peers, I received valuable feedback that guided the direction of my design. The feedback highlighted my need to enhance the details on the palm trees and suggested keeping the sun rays in my final design. Additionally, my peers recommended incorporating more surf-themed designs, as well as water to reinforce the event's theme. After these critiques, I decided to stray away from my original watercolor and idea and focus more on a flatter design.

I decided to completely swap the pastel pink and purple colors for muted blue and yellow. Doing this gave the design a totally different vibe. Additionally, I made the mountain in my draft larger, and more of a silhouette. I then started to add mountains in the foreground, with blue tones as shadows and brown tones as highlights. I struggled to get the effect I was hoping for, so I knew I needed to reevaluate what I was doing.

In the final design, I made sure every aspect matched the font style I chose from the very beginning. Doing this really helped me pull my entire design together. My final color palette included earthy shades of blue, orange, and yellow, reflecting the vintage beach atmosphere. I added silhouette surfboards, an additional palm tree, and a hill in the foreground, pulling the final design to where I wanted it to be.

My final design successfully meets the objectives of the project. It captures the vintage beach culture through its retro-inspired design elements, evoking a sense of nostalgia among the targeted audience. The vibrant colors and vintage detail effectively promote the fictitious event. Overall, the poster successfully combines vintage aesthetics with my personal style, enticing the audience to go see the 'Beach Boyzz' performing live on June 8, 1989!