Criterion Designs
Joao Rosa’s Experimental Approach to Designing Gummo
The creative director of Miami-based studio EDGLRD, which he cofounded with filmmaker Harmony Korine, describes the process of creating the cover artwork for Criterion’s recently released Gummo edition.
Capturing Arsenic and Old Lace, in One Macabre Image
To capture the spirit of Frank Capra’s dark screwball classic, Criterion enlisted a longtime collaborator to create an image that combines the influences of Old Hollywood illustrator Jacques Kapralik and legendary pen-and-ink artist Edward Gorey.
The Artistic Synthesis That Gave Bloom to Our Exotica Cover
For this new illustration, Spanish artist David de las Heras combined his signature use of bold colors with the lush style of French postimpressionist Henri Rousseau, a key visual influence on Atom Egoyan’s 1994 film.
David Plunkert Shares His Passion for Color and Shape
The graphic designer behind our covers for Diabolique and The Tin Drum takes us inside his Baltimore studio and his idea-driven creative process.
Artist Sean Phillips on His Many-Sided Craft, from Comics to Criterion Covers
The man behind the artwork for Sweet Smell of Success, In the Heat of the Night, and several other Criterion editions discusses his career in narrative comics and the inspiration he draws from illustration styles of the past.
Chris Buck Brings His Off-Kilter Portraiture Style to Dick Johnson Is Dead
The veteran photographer’s gently surreal and comical sensibility drives the artwork of our edition of Kirsten Johnson’s documentary.
Designing Citizen Kane, Down to the Letter
How to encapsulate the spirit of the most celebrated film of all time in a single image? The artist behind our Citizen Kane edition reflects on his winding path to the minimalistic final product.
Revolutionary Artist: Emory Douglas on the Black Panthers and Melvin Van Peebles
The illustrator behind the cover image of our box set Melvin Van Peebles: Essential Films speaks with the edition’s designer about his history-making, boldly political aesthetic.
Caitlin Kuhwald’s Hand-Drawn Portraits Bring Iconic Faces to Life
The Los Angeles–based artist behind the covers for our editions of Amarcord and The Awful Truth discusses the evolution of her work.
Artist Victo Ngai Captures the Lush, Enigmatic Layers of Flowers of Shanghai
For the cover image of our edition of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s opulent masterpiece, the award-winning illustrator combined traditional Chinese figure-drawing styles with a distinctly modern approach to color and composition.
The Adventure of Illustrating Céline and Julie
The Brooklyn-based artist behind the look of our edition of Jacques Rivette’s masterpiece reflects on her playful yet meticulous process.
An Inside Look at Brooklyn-Based Artist Juan Miguel Marin’s Meditative Process
The man behind the artwork for our releases of The Cremator, Man Push Cart, and Chop Shop talks with us about how his Ecuadorian roots and his love of performance inform his enigmatic images.
The Intricate Portraiture at the Heart of Our Mandabi Release
New York–based artist Ify Chiejina walks us through the multifaceted process of creating four new pieces inspired by Ousmane Sembène’s 1968 satire.
The Problem-Solving Artist Behind Our Amores perros Cover
Internationally renowned artist Pedro Reyes shares his inspirations for this new piece, including a Mexican stone carving and the poster for Jaws.
The Brush Behind the Film: How Painter Hélène Delmaire Created Our Portrait of a Lady on Fire Cover
The artist’s intensive collaboration with director Céline Sciamma yielded a wealth of preliminary studies that came in handy for the cover image of our edition.
Introducing First Person Illustrator Xia Gordon
To illustrate our new series of personal essays, we’ve turned to this New York–based artist, whose gift for distilling concepts and emotions into compelling imagery was a perfect match for this ongoing project.
Gian Galang Summons the Kinetic Energy of a Martial-Arts Icon
The artist behind the images in our upcoming Bruce Lee box set shows us how he captured the legend’s most iconic poses.
A Dark Vision, in Paper Cutouts: Our Cremator Cover
The Brooklyn-based design studio La Moutique took the eerie, collage-style opening sequence of Juraj Herz’s film as inspiration for its wildly surrealistic cover design.
The Intricate Layers of The Cranes Are Flying, Captured in Collage
One of the designers behind our new edition of Mikhail Kalatozov’s masterpiece walks through the creative exploration that led to the final cover image.
Our Eye-Popping Tribute to Silver-Screen Magician Karel Zeman
The meticulously layered images in the Czech master’s fantasies inspired the pop-up artwork in our new Blu-ray release of Three Fantastic Journeys by Karel Zeman.
Farewell to Our Friend Jason Polan
Art director Eric Skillman pays tribute to the beloved New York artist, whose work has been an integral part of Criterion for over a decade.
Illustrator Josh Cochran Taps into His Dark Side
Known for his bold colors and humorous drawings, the Brooklyn-based artist took on the challenge of summoning a stark, ominous intensity for our covers of Wise Blood and Shallow Grave.
Yuko Shimizu’s Fresh Look for an Iconic Beast
The Tokyo-born, New York–based illustrator takes us inside the process behind creating her eye-popping artwork for our Godzilla collector’s set.
Danielle Mastrion Gives Spike Lee’s Masterpiece a Brooklyn-Style Tribute
To celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of Do the Right Thing, the Brooklyn-based artist painted a mural that served as the basis for the cover of our edition.