These flyers represent a core part of my design journey during my years in the underground rave scene. Each piece began with hand-drawn Sharpie illustrations, capturing the spontaneous energy that defined our events.
Technical Evolution
My process combined traditional and digital techniques:
- Initial concepts sketched by hand with Sharpie markers
- Scanned illustrations converted to vector format for refinement in Adobe Illustrator
- Digital color application while preserving the hand-drawn character
Final designs adapted for both poster-sized printing and laminated commemorative necklaces.
The laminate necklaces became signature keepsakes for event participants—wearable art that served as both entry passes and collectible mementos of each unique gathering.
Design Language
These flyers showcase several consistent elements that characterized my early illustration approach:
- Bold, confident outlines inherited from my marker technique
- Vibrant color palettes reflecting the energy of the scene
- Playful character designs and visual storytelling
Seasonal themes and cultural references meaningful to our community
From Underground to Professional
Though created for underground events with limited resources, these pieces demonstrate fundamental skills that evolved into my professional design practice:
- The ability to communicate complex information through simple visuals
- Understanding of how designs translate across different scales and formats
- Development of recognizable visual branding elements
- Merging of conceptual thinking with practical production constraints
These early works represent not just nostalgia for the rave culture of that era, but the foundation of my approach to illustration and design that continues to influence my work today.