SUMMARY
In this personal project, my challenge was to encapsulate the main characters from HBO's Euphoria in poster format in a way that defined each unique personality while unifying the group stylistically. My solution resulted from use of reference images, color palettes, appropriate typography, and choice of motifs.
YEAR
2020
PURPOSE
Personal
TOOLS
Illustrator
STYLE GUIDE AND REFERENCES
The design system for each character contained a color palette, a typeface, and a motif or shape. All of the character posters were unified with the repetition of the glitter pattern achieved using Illustrator textures. Ultimately, I designed 5 character posters, each with 5 colors and 1 typeface.
REFERENCE
COLOR 1
#DCA8B7
COLOR 2
#EAEAEA
COLOR 3
#D2E3FC
COLOR 4
#BB8884
COLOR 5
#96A2CF
MOTIF 1
RUE
MOTIF 2
JULES
MOTIF 3
CASSIE
MOTIF 4
KAT
MOTIF 5
MADDY
THE POSTERS
The posters incorporated facial details of each actress, mainly relying on lips, eyes and eyebrows to make the faces recognizable yet graphic.
The makeup in the show is popular and highly discussed. Upon researching interviews from the makeup artist, I learned that over-the-top colors and glitter were frequently chosen. As a result, I used a glitter texture in either the lips, eyebrows, eyeliner, or accessories of each poster to unify them with a common motif.
Each poster encapsulated the character by focusing on colors often worn by the actress, as well as objects or images relevant to their narrative. Rue struggles with drug addiction, hence the pills, and Kat explores her sexuality with a cat-shaped mask. Maddy often wears hoops, sharp eyeliner, and cotton candy shades of clothing.
THE PROCESS
I began the design process by pulling reference images from the show that best captured the aesthetics, colors, and motifs used by each character. I then began developing preliminary color palettes and exploring typefaces that matches these characters.
I traced out the most prominent features of each actress's face--eyebrows, eyes, makeup, and lips, and began experimenting with shape layers, transparencies, and hierarchy.
I also created a shape-motif that matched the character's actions, interests, or challenges. Pills for Rue because of her struggles with drug addiction, a star for Jules because of her astrological, head-in-the clouds depiction, blue hearts for Cassie to portray her polarizing relationship, a mask, collar, and leather-esque band for Kat to refer to her newfound freedom in BDSM, and hearts and psuedo-Chanel shapes for Maddy to display her self-expression as a tough yet ultra-feminine character.
REFLECTION
I loved creating these posters. To work backwards from complicated and interwoven characters and relationships to flat, simple graphics that reflected these varieties was an engaging exercise in thinking in visuals, and determining what motifs, colors, and shapes most clearly defined characters as well as the aesthetics of the show overall. I would like to continue this project and create further brand and print assets that use this flattened, graphic style while following the tone of the show.