Brutalism in design is bold, raw, and unapologetic. It breaks traditional layout rules, embraces strong contrast, heavy textures, and expressive typography. And when done right, it creates posters that instantly stand out.

In this class, you’ll learn how to design a complete brutalist-style poster from start to finish using Adobe Photoshop. We’ll focus on practical techniques that combine texture, type, layout, and effects to create powerful, contemporary visuals with character and attitude.

Starting from a clean setup, you’ll work step by step through the process: building smart object workflows, applying gritty image textures, creating motion and depth, designing chrome-style elements, and establishing strong color and layout systems. You’ll also dive into brutalist typography, advanced masking techniques, and finishing touches that tie everything together into a cohesive final design.

This class is highly hands-on and project-based. By the end, you’ll have designed your own brutalist poster and gained a repeatable workflow you can apply to music posters, editorial graphics, branding visuals, and experimental design projects.

Whether you’re a graphic designer, digital artist, or creative looking to push your visual style further, this class will help you explore a bold design approach and build confidence working with expressive, modern layouts in Photoshop.

What You’ll Learn

How to design bold, brutalist-style posters from scratch in Adobe Photoshop
How to set up flexible smart object workflows for poster design
How to create gritty textures using halftone, grain, graphic pen, and motion blur effects
How to design chrome and 3D-style elements using layer styles
How to build strong poster layouts and color systems
How to apply expressive brutalist typography and integrate shapes effectively
Advanced masking techniques for crop-out and outline effects
How to polish a design using global textures and finishing details
A repeatable workflow you can use for posters, album covers, and experimental design projects

Requirements

Adobe Photoshop (any recent version)
Basic familiarity with Photoshop’s interface is helpful but not required
A computer with an internet connection
Images or textures to experiment with (you can also use your own or stock images)
A willingness to experiment and explore bold design choices

Who This Class Is For

Graphic designers looking to explore brutalism and modern poster design
Digital artists and creatives who want to push their visual style further
Students and beginners interested in learning expressive layout and typography
Creators working on music posters, editorial graphics, or experimental visuals
Anyone curious about bold, contemporary design approaches in Photoshop

Lexy Bouras

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