Creating the "Circus Style" poster fan art for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK

One of my favorite illustrated movie posters of the last 30 years or so is the STAR WARS "circus style" design, done by artists Charles White III and Drew Struzan. It's retro look pays homage to the billboard-glued marketing campaigns commonly found on city streets. This was actually an unplanned design element that happened by necessity, when the artists realized there wouldn't be enough room at the bottom to hold all the necessary text. The faux wood background and ripped paper scraps actually added to the poster's sense of nostalgic charm.

White did the main body of the poster, and asked Struzan to come in and paint Luke and Leia. Struzan painted them in the style of the late illustrator J.C. Leyendecker, using bold, strong lines and bright colors. (Leyendecker was famous for his Saturday Evening Post covers as well as his ad campaigns for the Arrow Collar Man; he also was a friend and art mentor to America's other great illustrator, Norman Rockwell.)

I always thought it would be fun to see a similar design used for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, substituting the STAR WARS poster with "Indy" characters and situations. As much as I enjoy George Lucas' space opera/adventure, I've always held a stronger affection for RAIDERS, and Indiana Jones is a character I've painted many, many times throughout my childhood.

Additional changes were made to the painting after this video was edited. You can see the IMPROVED version at
http://adammcdaniel.com/art_technique_RAIDERS_Circus_style_poster.htm

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• art
• illustration
• poster
• indiana jones
• drew struzan
• raiders of the lost ark
• adam mcdaniel