Beach Goth is a 4 year old fall music festival that happens over the course of two days at the Observatory, in Santa Ana. The artists that are invited to perform there are all independent artists, who generally have a grungier or lo-fi sound. The poster of the event needs to pair with this auditory aesthetic, and speak to those who are excited about this niche genre of music. 

 

The overall style is inspired by the artwork of Claire Boucher, of Grimes, and how she spots her blacks in her pieces (that illustrate her albums and merchandise.) 

 

Hand-illustrating this poster with a black marker is the first step in speaking to the thoughtful yet unrefined style of music that plays at Beach Goth. The motif of the crab is a shout-out (topically) to the theme of the event, fall beach. The deeper meaning is to showcase this animal who lives inside a hard shell, but is truly a softy on the inside. The crab being highlighted for this event is a move that gives a sense of empowerment to these hard-but-soft characters that are in attendance at this event.