The Curse of La Llorona
A product poster inspired by movie poster design principles, particularly those used in horror films. The focus was on creating an impactful and atmospheric composition that captures attention, conveys key information, and aligns with the eerie tone of the subject.
Tagline: "She Wants Your Children"
Project Goal
Design Approach
I approached this design with a focus on visual hierarchy, contrast, and composition, while maintaining simplicity and clarity. The initial concept revolved around using a haunting forest background to establish the mood, pairing it with dramatic typography to emphasize the tagline, title, and key details.
- Create an impactful and atmospheric composition
- Capture attention and convey the horror genre
- Align with the eerie tone of the La Llorona legend
- Balance visual elements with readable text
Design Iterations
Iteration 1: Basic Structure
In the first draft, I focused on laying out the basic structure:
- Started with a placeholder background
- Positioned tagline "She Wants Your Children" at top
- Used white text for contrast
- Centered title "The Curse of La Llorona"
- Credits placed at bottom
Issue: Design lacked depth and text felt disconnected from background.
Iteration 2: Atmosphere & Typography
Second draft focused on mood and visual refinement:
- Replaced placeholder with high-quality misty forest
- Added eerie atmosphere with color grading
- Used Photoshop's Color Balance and Exposure Adjustment Layers
- Created dark, desaturated tone
- Updated tagline with distressed font and dripping effects
- Experimented with Gothic-style fonts and glow effects
Final Iteration: Polish & Details
The final version brought everything together with professional polish:
- Background: Blended with overlay textures for a gritty, cinematic quality
- Fog Effects: Introduced subtle fog using the Brush Tool with low opacity
- Credits: Mimics traditional movie poster layouts
- Color Accent: Added blood-red accents to release date "April 19" to contrast with desaturated tones
- Drop Shadows: Applied to text elements for depth and readability
Photoshop Techniques
Color Grading
- Color Balance Adjustment Layers
- Exposure Adjustment for mood
- Desaturation for horror aesthetic
- Selective color for red accents
Typography Effects
- Distressed font selection
- Dripping text effects
- Gothic-style title fonts
- Subtle glow and drop shadows
Tools & Stack
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