PAN’S LABYRINTH POSTER
PRINT, ILLUSTRATION, KEY ART
PAN’S LABYRINTH is a 2006 dark fantasy film directed by Mexican director Guillermo del Toro. The poster design is inspired by both the thematic and visual motifs of the film, such as fantasy, folklore, and the power of nature.
Decorative elements like the border of the poster reflect the charm of childhood, while the scratchy, rough details reflect darker themes like the loss of innocence and manipulation.
THE DESIGN PROCESS
This poster was designed by keeping in mind three key ideas from the film: myth, innocence, and manipulation. Each theme is seen in the poster through either type, border, or character illustration.
Existing posters for the film often miss its core as a fairy tale. This design emphasizes the first theme of myth through a border inspired by the decorative ornaments from American, Spanish, and Mexican fairy tale book covers—cultural stories the director drew from. The border pattern also references an architectural prop from the film’s first act. The title lettering evokes the whimsy and flow of a fairy tale, tying in the film’s connection with nature.
The second and third themes are seen in the character illustration of the poster. In this distinctly character-driven poster, the Faun’s pose powerfully conveys the theme of innocence being manipulated, a central thread throughout the film. The scratchy lines reflect this loss of childhood whimsy in favor of trauma. Handwritten notes from the director’s notebook are sprawled throughout the background, helping create this scratchy texture.
RESEARCH
rewatching film
studying existing/official posters
reading Guillermo del Toro’s inspirations for the film
reading about Spanish + Mexican fairy tales
SKETCHES
finding stills that reflect themes
roughly sketching characters
blocking out composition
FINAL DESIGN
finalized illustration, lettering, + border
LOGOS OR BRAND NAMES DO NOT IMPLY AFFILIATION OR ENDORSEMENT. THIS IS A PERSONAL PROJECT.