Dia de los Muertos, which falls close to Halloween, has been celebrated more frequently in our area due to the large Latino population in the state. Admittedly, I had a passive relationship with the holiday until I was asked to support a robust, family-focused event that transformed a local neighborhood into a lively night of food, fun, and remembrance.
Using a pen-and-ink outline, this logo layers texture and muted transparent colors to convey a timeless spirit.
The event's founders, Claudio Cisneros and AnneMarie Beasley, injected me with a heartfelt mission for the project and then armed me with Jose Guadalupe Posada's work for historical reference. To create a fitting identity mark for the event, I aimed to go beyond the familiar sugar skull mask motif, the bright color palette, and simplified skeletons to represent this day of the dead.
Instead, I drew on memories from my visit to Mexico as a child, the warm people with sun-baked skin, rough hands, and bright white smiles who took us into their simple lives with kindness and spirit. From there, I depicted a couple who share eternal love. I imagined them as everyday people with timeless feelings for each other, the logo being a snapshot as they stare at each other, uncaring if anyone else sees them.
I used a digital pen-and-ink technique for the logo outline, a nod to Posada's brilliance, and then introduced muted colors like those of a bright dress worn and washed a million times. The colors don't fill the outlines in places; overlapping hues lend a playful, ghostly feel. The poster, postcards, and banners feature more texture and color high jinks.
The poster, postcard, and banners used additional texture, including traditional marigold flowers, to add a historical richness to the design.
Unfortunately, the weight and effort of the Oak Park Dia de los Muertos celebration lasted only a few years, but it burns brightly in my memories of genuine community accomplishments. The marketing materials stand as some of my favorite examples of my work.