Poster Design - You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Some projects require a lot of imagination, while others revolve mainly around technical skills and an eye for layout. And even though this poster design fell primarily in the second category, there were still a few creative hurdles to overcome.

The first thing to focus on was incorporating that iconic zigzag stripe of Charlie Brown’s shirt into the piece on a larger scale than just on the character himself. It felt like a good approach to not just flash the brand but also help draw the audience into the design in a more inclusive way. Once that was figured out it naturally informed where the main character would go, and that in turn led to the rest of the layout. It was also important to include the main characters of the play, so it was agreed to portray them in a silhouette style, in order to keep them simple but recognizable, and not cross any boundaries in terms of original artwork.  It was also key to include the piano and musical notes to help point to the musical aspect of the production.

I’ve been working with the Theatre Company for several seasons now, and it’s always a great help and pleasure to have the creative feedback and assistance they offer in putting their posters together.  This project was no different, and there's nothing quite like working hand-in-hand with an organization whose main focus is on bringing the arts to the public.  Helping them in that goal in even just a little way brings a sense of reward with it, one that extends well past the commission.