Bitburg Poster Project
Nov. 2021 - May 2022
Working together with 'Bohl Design & Kommunikation', a graphics communication company based in Bitburg, I illustrated a poster that captured the iconic features of the town. The world renowned beer, the historical landmarks and buildings, the folk stories and culture, are all aspects I aimed to feature in the poster design.
Outcome
The final poster was also rearranged into postcards, both of which were sold at the tourist information office in Bitburg. I also presented a signed copy to the major of Bitburg and this was featured in local newspapers.
Drawings, Ideas and Mock-ups
To create this poster, I first gathered photos of landmarks and important features of Bitburg. I included beer-related buildings like the brewery and pubs, the town hall, church and fountain depicting the goats from local folklore, drawing from my photographs to find a style that could fit the poster. I also looked at existing guides, maps and posters of the local area to see which features were considered significant.
Through my drawings, I found a style that could lend a friendly and playful element to the poster. I had to redraw some illustrations to fit this theme. Then came planning the layout, deciding on a format and arrangement of features. We settled on featuring beer as the central figure to represent Bitburg.
I tried some colour schemes, separating elements with cold and warm colours, but decided to print the poster out and colour it in traditionally with watercolour pens. Being a medium I am more comfortable with, this allowed me to balance colours and textures more effectively.
Vianden Poster
Based on the work I had done for the Bitburg poster, Herr Bohl invited me to create a poster of a nearby town, Vianden.
Vianden is across the border in Luxembourg and is famous for its magnificent castle. I visited several times, photographing and drawing the eye-catching features; the castle, chairlift, Victor Hugo hotel, fountain, and river among them. I began drawing these elements in the style I had established for the Bitburg poster.
I had begun to arrange the poster when I had to return to Britain to begin my MA. This, and perhaps other town-based posters, may be completed in the future. I am grateful to Herr Bohl and his team for this experience, giving me insight into the design world and the types of projects I am capable of achieving.
