Recently in my Motion Graphics class we learned about graphic designer and painter David Edward Byrd. He was known for his incredible, vibrant and energetic poster designs for artists like Jimi Hendrix, the Who and the Rolling Stones as well as for stage musicals such as “Follies” and “Godspell”. But unfortunately he passed away on Feb 3 at 83 in Albuquerque due to pneumonia that was brought on by lung damage from Covid. He leaves behind a brilliant array of striking and almost hypnotic art which serve as brilliant examples of design for other artists.
I loved Mr. Byrd’s works. He makes such eye-catching and contrasting color choices, but still can maintain a sense of unity and balance in each of his works. I particularly liked his use of negative space in posters such as “Follies” or “God Spell”. It provides the perfect amount of space for the eye to take a break between the intricate details that he creates.
For our class project, we were tasked with making a poster inspired by Byrd’s hypnotic and bold style, and then animate aspects of it using Adobe Premiere Pro. I modeled my poster after Byrd’s Lemon Sky piece. I really appreciated the color palette that he chose and treated the poster as more of a study on color placement and shape. The shapes and color on the face were incredibly thought out and I tried to honor his style as best as I could. For my composition, I wanted to draw his head resting against the bottom of the arched frame I drew and bordered by colorful clouds. I planned to have his eyes begin the animation closed, then as he opens them the details of the poster come in. I wanted it to feel like his imagination and ideas are what bring life to the poster. Then I added a few subtle animations to the details on the frame, the sun in the background, and the clouds.
Overall I really enjoyed this project. While learning to use Premiere Pro was daunting at the beginning, it was incredibly interesting and beneficial to learn. I can now add another level of interest to my future works, I’m glad to have a basic understanding of it, and I’m excited to learn more. I appreciated learning about Mr. Byrd., I thought his works were visually stunning and I will undoubtedly reference his works for inspiration in the future!
If you would like to learn more about David Edward Byrd’s life and works, then I recommend reading this article from the New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/arts/design/david-edward-byrd-dead.html
This is the link to view the poster with the motion graphics!
Thank You for reading!
Emma <3