25 Russian Propaganda Poster Designs Analyzed

Welcome to a special post on Pxleyes where we analyze the style of communist posters. This can be a good starting point for creating a poster ourselves as we’ll explore the best examples, repeating properties and recommend a few tutorials explaining the technique. The purpose of communist propaganda was for the Communist party to connect with working class and market their ideas directly to people. Nowadays, its graphic style – constructivism – is used either as a parody or an art.

Big Letters, Short Message

One of these style characteristics is, of course, the message, which is short, clear and loud. Constructivism means graphic designers had to cut the elements out of paper by hand, so the forms aren’t very complicated. Find a typeface with little detail, preferably square and bold (Kremlin).

Red And White

Main colors we’re using while remaking the propaganda style are red and white. White is the color of background (although we can grunge it a bit with textures) while red is the main printed color. There are examples using shades of yellow and black and even green.

Depiction of People

Main motive pictured on the posters are people, mostly working class, because it could connect with the target group best. While this element of course doesn’t need to be included in your art, it’s nice to know something extra.

Simplified Forms

This is something that won’t interfere with the message you’re trying to send with your poster – make sure the forms you’re using are simple. Imagine cutting out every single thing out of paper and sticking it together (actually, that’s a very good practice and could turn out pretty well). You’ll want to make everything as plain as possible. Also, if the design is too loud, it might drown out the message – the principle many contemporary advertisers are often forgetting.