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Palmer Illustrated Movie Poster
About the Project
This project is a minimalist vector illustration assignment on a movie that we chose, it needed to be executed entirely in Adobe Illustrator. In the case of the movie Palmer, the objective was to strip the characters down to their most essential forms and to focus on the emotional weight of the story. I made the deliberate stylistic choice to omit facial features, relying instead on silhouette, posture, and clothing to convey identity. This approach forces the viewer to engage with more than a characters’ likeness.
Challenges
The primary technical challenge was determining the exact amount of detail required for a minimalist piece. I had break past the overly simple flat aesthetic and give these characters humanity. Ultimately, I decided to focus the detail on the clothing and environmental lighting effects; this allowed me to create a sense of three-dimensional depth and mood without drawing unnecessary attention to the blank faces.
Motivation
This project was deeply personal, as the film’s themes of dysfunctional homes and identity resonance mirror my own experiences as a child and as part of the LGBTQ community. My motivation was to capture the difference between Sam’s innocence and Palmer’s hardened exterior as well as their relationship to each other within a single composition. I translated this using typography: using bold, serious letterforms for the title to represent Palmer’s past, but incorporating soft curves to mirror the tenderness he shows the child. In contrast, I utilized small, childlike typography for the quote to represent Sam’s perspective, bridging the gap between a cold adult world and the purity of a child.
Psychology Of Color
To further emphasize the composition, I utilized a strictly muted color palette across the background, clothing, and shading. By deliberately avoiding “bright or happy” colors, I ensured the visual tone remained tethered to the film’s heavy emotional reality
My Favorite Part
The most rewarding aspect of this project was achieving a sense of slight realism through the 3D-inspired shading of the characters and the swing they occupy. My favorite part of the execution was using the swing as a psychological bond that connects the two leads despite their differing worlds. By giving the figures physical weight while omitting facial features, I created a deliberate tension: the characters feel real and present, yet the lack of detail creates a distance that reflects their separate lives. This interplay of connection and disconnect is intended to be both intriguing and haunting.