THE VACATION POSTERS!
Posters of beaches and dreamy landscapes …
Creating a poster for a tourist destination is not always easy. We are very far from the need for editorial illustrations that tell a story with characters or illustrates a statement in an abstract way. A tourist poster must open the door to a landscape and make you want to take a look, or even dive into it!
Characters may be present in the illustration as well as in the foreground like in this image of a beach in Cuba. They are especially there to enhance the space and the landscape that opens up behind them, to highlight an atmosphere, a temperature or a local spirit.
In this drawing, which depicts the beauty and charms of “Playa Ancon”, a beautiful beach of fine white sand that borders the Caribbean near the century-old city of Trinidad. We follow the look of 2 pretty young women who are sunbathing under the Caribbean sun. Their eyes follow the steps of a man at the water’s edge. Behind him, and following the glance of the 2 women, we can see an immense sparkling sea with warm and welcoming colors.
The two girlfriends are protected from the sun by the shade of a coconut tree as well as their local straw hats, this emphasizes the fact that we are in the tropics. Behind them is an old American car that gives the game away, we start to dream of a trip to this unique destination that is Cuba.
Bike ride on the Island of “Ile de Ré”
Let’s leave the Caribbean but stay on an island whose very different beauty, is just as good as Cuba. Let’s swap the Mojito for Pineau des Charentes! and the old Americans cars … for a bike!
Our heroine who’s on her own this time is roaming through the salt marshes on the bike path linking Ars-en-Ré and Saint-Clément des Baleines. We’re far from the overwhelming heat of the tropical sun, but we can still feel the soft, almost fresh air of the Charentes sun on the skin of our pretty cyclist. The marshes act as the backdrop and are very graphically represented, a blue color very similar to that of the sky, on which only the pale yellow of the sun contrasts. Even if the Atlantic Ocean that bathes the Isle of Ré is not visible, we still feel like water is present everywhere.
Our character proudly wears her Tote Bag emblazoned with a very visible “I love Ile de Ré” which makes her favorite touristic destination in France one of the markers of her identity.
Ile de Ré Island sometimes has a reputation of being a chic destination where the posh reigns supreme. I must admit I’m a fine connoisseur of the place, I’ve been visiting it for more than 20 years! And I find it extremely funny to watch! Moreover, it should be noted that this image illustrates the rhine bike paths during the months of April or May rather than mid-August … Like everywhere on all the beautiful coasts or islands of the world, in high season, the atmosphere is different. I’ll let you be the judge:
We can see in the background the bell tower of ars-en-Ré, but during a different season it’s a different atmosphere!
If you liked this article about illustrations in posters and touristic posters, I will write a new part soon because I still have a lot of destinations to show you: Yucatan, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam …
I’ll get started when the summer holidays are over, but for now, I think I’ll go off for a swim in the sea!
Good luck to all !
Marc Falco for Solène Debiès
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