The Art of Rock

Since I’ve talked about album covers in a previous post, I’ve decided you still need a second serving of creativity care of our rock and roll gods. In this second serving, we won’t be talking about the people who created album covers or gig posters (there’s too many good artists out there, today). Instead, we’ll discuss some fascinating trends in designing the proverbial rock poster, as well as processes that most graphic designers use today. Here we go!
Before starting this piece, I’ve had my team scour Google images and Flickr.com for different poster designs. Through the designs we found in those two sites, here’s what we came up:

Trends in Technique

There are multiple techniques in publishing and producing prints of gig posters, and graphic designers have their own way to express their creativity. Some mix and match influences, while some experiment with new media. When it comes to technique preferences here is what designers often choose to do, today:
Hand-drawn/-painted
There are designers who choose to go old school, they draw and paint their designs. Then they’ll have their designs scanned and reproduced digitally. This style gives the poster a rough and sketchy look that serves as its defining trait. Here are some examples:
(Source)   (Source)  Screen- Printed
The process may be arduous, but the end product is fulfilling and is always an achievement for both seasoned and newbie printmakers. Different designers explore this option to find their niche or, sometimes, to move away from their usual digital works and move to a more “human” approach to making prints. Here are some examples:
(Source)  (Source)Digital Art This is the most common way to create art for gig posters. It’s a streamlined process that allows graphic designers to edit and produce their work anytime they want. Digital art is possibly the cheapest and most practical way for graphic designers to produce their poster prints. Here are some examples:
(Source)  (Source) 

Trends in Style

There are various styles out on the web. But, as it seems, designers are a bit torn between being modernist and post-modernist. The styles that we’ve seen so far are a mix-up of different influences, but here’s what stands out among them:
Typographic
A lot of designers prefer to use typography in their design. There’s no arguing about typography’s functionality – it’s direct to the point and minimalist. It’s the best choice for designers who want to develop their skills in creating, or familiarizing themselves with typefaces.
(Source)  (Source)  Hand-drawn
I know I’ve mentioned hand-drawn earlier. But here it’s about the feel of the artwork, regardless of being digital, raw sketch, or screen printed. The most common style we’ve seen is crosshatching. Here are some examples to give you an idea:
(Source)  (Source)
Geometric The trend of creating outer space-themed and geometry-inspired poster designs is ubiquitous on the web. It’s a hipster thing, I guess. This style is commonly accompanied by typography and some hand-drawn characters. Here are some examples:
(Source)  (Source) 

Trends in Inspiration

There are different inspirations when it comes to creating gig posters. There’s your usual popular-band-inspired design, the musicfest-focused theme, and the usual band-name-only designs. These are the regulars in gig poster prints, but there are designers who go the extra mile to create their designs.

Pop Culture
Pop culture seems to recreate itself in most graphic designers’ work. Some artists use famous characters from our favorite shows to create a scene that’s appropriate to the event or gig. It’s also nice to see almost-forgotten characters come back to life in well-made gig posters.
(Source)  (Source)  Music Genre
Some designers utilize the elements that are normally associated within the genre of the band or the music production. It lets first-timers and regulars know what to expect from a music production or music festival.
(Source)