From pencil to digital canvas: Creating the ECHO poster with Naranjalidad

Hi! I'm Beatriz, but many know me as Naranjalidad, and today I want to tell you how I created the poster for the new Marvel Studios series, ECHO.

It all started when an agency contacted me to make the poster for this series that so many were waiting for. They were looking for illustrators from different parts of the world to create a unique poster, reflecting our personal style and vision. Of course, I didn't hesitate to accept the proposal because it seemed like a great opportunity to continue giving visibility to my work with a great series and a globally recognized brand.

They provided me with several high quality images so I could use them as a reference. After reviewing them carefully, I decided on the main character, Maya, to whom I decided to give the center and weight of the composition. I wanted to highlight her strength and determination, as well as give a nod to her past by including Kingpin's silhouette at the bottom, representing the tense relationship they share.

As usual in my creative process, I started with a traditional portrait. I used graphite and charcoal to bring Maya to life on paper. Once finished, I scanned the portrait at 600dpi to make sure I had the best possible quality and could adjust it to the size required for the poster (in this case, 100x70cm). Then, I did some retouching and converted it to black and white to have a perfect canvas on which to start adding details digitally.

I usually use Procreate and/or Photoshop to add details to the portrait until I'm satisfied, and then comes the fun part: adding color! I continue to use these programs to add the background and the different overlay layers to the portrait. Then, this is always in Photoshop, I add the logos and the final touches of color.

The fire that burns Maya represents her anger and bravery. In the background, I decided to add the urban environment. With these elements I had all the keys to the poster and, after some minor modifications, it was ready! I remember at the time I was very happy to see the final result and know that my art would help promote this amazing series.

Creating the poster for ECHO was an exciting and rewarding process. Every element, from the position of the characters to the choice of background and colors, helped me convey the essence of the series. Choosing a composition where the focus is on Maya and including subtle references to her past helped me capture the essence of the story and invite the viewer to immerse themselves in the series.

I have always felt that composition is one of the most important elements when creating any work of art. To help you explore different types of portrait compositions, I invite you to download some free examples to guide you and inspire you when starting a project.

If, like me, you are passionate about the world of portraits, I invite you to take part in my course "Portrait with Pencil, Color Techniques and Photoshop" where I will teach you how to make a classic style portrait by hand and add personality through a colorful print.

I hope you enjoy looking at the poster as much as I enjoyed creating it!