How did the poster come to be?
Fanshawe Graphic Design Student, Rita Harb, describes the creative process behind her winning design of the Home County 2023 poster.
For this project, we were asked to design a poster for the 48th annual Home County Music & Art Festival focusing on the theme of "Folk Evolution". Research is a huge part of my creative process so I started by reading articles and watching videos about Folk music. I learned about where it originated from, what it's inspired by, how it's evolved, and what makes it different than other genres. I learned that Folk music originated as a way to pass on traditions and stories through music over generations.
Once I made enough notes, I began thinking about how to visually show "Folk Evolution" while connecting it to London's longest-running summer festival. This was the more challenging part; how can I show the evolution of Folk music while making it distinctive to Home County? I focused on just the word "evolution" and wrote down everything that came to mind. Animals and trees were the reoccurring themes in my notes, which was no surprise as nature is my biggest inspiration.
I knew I wanted to incorporate nature in some way, so after some rough sketches I landed on showing Home County run by the animals of Victoria Park. After watching the humans participate in Home County, the animals now make it their tradition. The robins are decorating the trees while the squirrels are playing music with their traditional folk instruments and the chickadee sits back and listens. They sit at the gates welcoming anyone to join their festival. The evolution of folk music and tradition of Home County carries on to the animals of Victoria Park.
Using Procreate and Photoshop, I digitally painted with watercolour brushes and ink scribbles. Watercolour is my favourite art medium because it creates an organic and unique look. Using a warm summer colour palette, I wanted the design to give a welcoming and cozy feeling to fit the laidback vibe of Home County. I wanted to integrate my artwork with the artist lineup and festival information, so I made sure to leave space between the trees, under the gate, and in the grass for a seamless design. For the typography, I used size and colours from the artwork to create a hierarchy while maintaining balance. I really enjoyed working on this poster design and I am so excited for everyone to see it and read about my creative process behind it!
About me:
My name is Rita Harb. I am originally from Damascus, Syria but I’ve lived in Canada for most of my life. Art has always been a passion of mine but I always kept it to the side as a hobby. After high school, I went to Western University where I completed a Bachelor’s in Psychology and Criminology. While it was a very interesting program, it just wasn’t my passion.
After finishing my first program, I found more time to spend practicing art where I eventually began to grow a business in creating watercolour pet portraits. This made me realize how passionate I truly was about art and design, and led me to enroll in the Graphic Design program at Fanshawe College.
Besides art and design, I am a huge animal lover and tree hugger. I had a dog Spyk, a spunky miniature schnauzer who inspired me to start creating pet portraits, and Jimbo, a 2 year old goofy tabby. In my spare time, I like to try new recipes, do Pilates, or watch trashy reality TV shows.
