BREWING ART + TRADITION FOR DIA DE LOS MUERTOS
I was thrilled when El Sueñito Brewery, one of my ongoing clients, invited me to design a label for their Dulce Muerte beer. This would be a collaboration with Kulshan Brewing to brew a Horchata Milk Stout for the winter 2023 season.
As a black and Mexican woman, I welcomed the opportunity to celebrate Hispanic culture and my own heritage through this art piece. Dulce Muerte aimed to capture the spirit of Dia de los Muertos with its decadent flavors: subtle sweetness, cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate. I saw the potential to create something mystical and imaginative that blended tradition with some of my own personal art styles.
CONCEPT SKETCHES Concept 1: Mariposa & Muerte | Concept 2: The Saint | Concept 3: La ofrendas | Concept 4: Marigolds
EXPLORING VIBRANCY
I explored various visual directions embracing the spirit of Dia de los Muertos, from bright sugar skulls covered in butterflies to a Saint with a gothic stained glass aesthetic. The whimsical concept selected features a character in the traditional Day of the Dead makeup, adorned with marigolds. For this character's face, I took inspiration from my own experiences with this tradition as well as other illustrations I've done for El Sueñito Brewery, such as the infamous mouth accents often seen in their logo. The ingredients - cinnamon, vanilla, chocolate - inspired a warm color palette.
To create this artwork, I employed my personal art styles with the use of Clip Studio through digital textures and thoughtful facial expressions. The earrings cleverly incorporate hops to give nods to the breweries while the candles gave nods to Dia de los Muertos ofrendas.
WORDS FROM THE CLIENT
"WOW, I am blown away by this label. So beautiful...I love where we landed"
- Kulshan Brewing Team
"I think this label is looking absolutely stunning! Wonderful work"
- El Sueñito Brewing
CELEBRATING THE LAUNCH TOGETHER
At the beer launch event, it was incredibly rewarding to see people savoring the flavors and appreciating the art that I helped bring to life. With more room and flexibility, I would have liked to explore adding intricate design elements and textures to the clothing. However, overall I'm proud of how this label blended the clients need's with my own personal art style for a commercial product. I'm always grateful as an artist when I can maker my culture and artistic identity shine.
Moving forward, I aim to continue finding opportunities to weave my heritage and aesthetics into client work. I appreciate these clients for inviting me to bring my full self into the design process. When I can leverage my culture, creativity and skills to craft compelling stories and experiences for others, it makes the work all the more meaningful.
LET'S MAKE SOMETHING GREAT TOGETHER
Lord knows it can be tough to navigate the everchanging landscape alone. Get the support and dedication your need from an experienced designer. Get started today and contact me on my portfolio: elexiajohnson.com
