I was tasked with creating a fictional promotional poster for CapitolHillBlockParty (a music festival located in Capitol Hill that hosts local celebrities in their events) featuring Powell Aguirre, more famously known as Surf Mesa. He creates electronic music videos with relaxing, and somewhat nostalgic visuals that pairs well with the simple and relatable lyrics of his songs. I decided to create the poster with a visual style poster that’s easy on the eyes, and provides enough charm to get current and potential viewers hyped about attending.
With these details in mind, I created this poster in Photoshop that I believe would fit in perfectly with capitolhillblockparty’s previous line-up of posters.
I wanted to reflect the vibrant visuals featured in his music videos and the cover photo in the poster with a starry sky aesthetic that is easy on the eyes, and provides a high contrasting background with the other assets and information.
The color scheme features a dark to light blue gradient, with a subtle tint of yellow on the bottom with various “stars” in the sky to imitate a beautiful evening sky that evokes feelings of tranquility as an eventful day ends with an exciting concert that will soon begin.
The poster doesn’t compromise on providing relevant information by placing it easily-seen areas that don’t overcrowd the poster, which leaves enough space for every piece of information that doesn’t obstruct or distract from the main focus of the poster.
For instance, the trees in the foreground are a reference to his most famous music video, ily (YouTube) for fans of his music to associate with his image. They were placed in the corners to add a visual flair that doesn’t detract from the information for non-listeners to learn more about his music and the event.
A list of songs are listed on the sides of the cover photo to provide an easy to see list for current followers to be excited about.
A link to the festival’s website in bright, brand-themed colors, active social media links, the venue address, and event time are provided in case the viewer is interested in attending, learning more about the festival itself on their own time, or sharing the event details with their peers.
Overall, I believe that my solution is successful in translating the visual style of Surf Mesa’s image to a physical poster that covers every piece of information that both gets current fans interested in attending, while encouraging curious viewers into learning about or participating in the event.