Dia de los Muertos Logo
Dia de los Muertos, which falls close to Halloween, has been celebrated more frequently in our area due to the large Latino population in the state. Admittedly, I had a passive relationship with the holiday until I was asked to support a robust, family-focused event that transformed a local neighborhood into a lively night of food, fun, and remembrance.
Using a pen-and-ink outline, this logo layers texture and muted transparent colors to convey a timeless spirit.
The event's founders, Claudio Cisneros and AnneMarie Beasley, injected me with a heartfelt mission for the project and then armed me with Jose Guadalupe Posada's work for historical reference. To create a fitting identity mark for the event, I aimed to go beyond the familiar sugar skull mask motif, the bright color palette, and simplified skeletons to represent this day of the dead.
Instead, I drew on memories from my visit to Mexico as a child, the warm people with sun-baked skin, rough hands, and bright white smiles who took us into their simple lives with kindness and spirit. From there, I depicted a couple who share eternal love. I imagined them as everyday people with timeless feelings for each other, the logo being a snapshot as they stare at each other, uncaring if anyone else sees them.
I used a digital pen-and-ink technique for the logo outline, a nod to Posada's brilliance, and then introduced muted colors like those of a bright dress worn and washed a million times. The colors don't fill the outlines in places; overlapping hues lend a playful, ghostly feel. The poster, postcards, and banners feature more texture and color high jinks.
The poster, postcard, and banners used additional texture, including traditional marigold flowers, to add a historical richness to the design.
Unfortunately, the weight and effort of the Oak Park Dia de los Muertos celebration lasted only a few years, but it burns brightly in my memories of genuine community accomplishments. The marketing materials stand as some of my favorite examples of my work.