Looking for some inspiration for the Always Summer Poster Show + Mixtape? Check out these artists as they explain their process for creating posters about their favorite summer songs. Learn more about AIGA Jacksonville’s Always Summer Weekend, and register your poster at aigajacksonville.org.
Nikki Haywood is the Junior Graphic Designer at BroadBased Communication. She has participated in many AIGA events throughout the years, including the last two years of the Always Summer Poster Show. Today she’s giving us an inside look on the process behind creating her poster for last year’s event.
“Last year I chose a Minus the Bear song “Steel and Blood” because their new album had just debuted and I had been playing it non-stop. It was a catchy tune with a sweet beat, so I decided it would be appropriate for the show. The lyrics are really metaphorical and I felt like I could interpret the song in an interesting way.”
“Initially, I just began sketching a few things. I knew I wanted the style to be illustrated in a somewhat whimsical, almost realistic way in Illustrator,and because the lyrics are centered around a car accident I didn’t want it to be morbid! I decided to play with the themes of the title…steel vs. blood, death vs. life, fabricated vs. real, hard vs. soft, machine vs. organic, plain vs. beautiful, night vs. day, etc. The imagery is of crushed car and a young couple in love laying on a blanket is separated by a tree. The tree causes the viewer to question if it is there symbolizing the life and excitement of the couple, or the cause of the dramatic accident, or both.”
“I entered the poster show the previous year (2011) during my poster design class at UNF because it was a requirement. Last year (2012), I entered because I really wanted to, and I really enjoy the medium of a poster. It is such a great way to make something someone will actually pay attention to– that is, if you’re doing it right. Plus, now I have a ton of awesome art hanging on the wall of my apartment.”
Join us on Saturday, September 28th for AIGA Jacksonville’s Always Summer Poster Show. If you’d like to submit a poster, sign up online to get a discounted entry fee with a free print of your poster. If you’d like to attend the event as a spectator, reserve your ticket today and save $5!
This year’s Always Summer Poster Show is sponsored by DXM Marketing, a leader in Custom Direct Marketing Solutions, Digital & Offset Printing, Wide Format, Print-on-Demand Collaterals, Bindery & Finishing, Web Display, and Email Broadcasting. Learn more about their mission and services at their website.
And check out their beautiful poster prints at the show!
