Mestizo is a contemporary mexican restaurant located in Davidson, NC and as part of a class project; I redesigned their menu. This was a project I did early on in my studies so my taste and style was... a little "different" than where I am currently at, but the element that was at the center of the design were the illustrations which featured a mariachi. So we're going to let the spotlight shine on the star.
The idea of the mariachi came when I was creating the front cover of the menu. I had multiple ideas but wanted something that represented the old-school aesthetic that the restaurant exudes and felt that a stoic mariachi was the best fit.
I made the illustration style old and rustic to give it a vintage feel. For the color palette, I kept things desaturated to keep with the aged look while using traditional Mexican colors like green, red, and a flat black.
Front Menu Cover
Mestizo restaurant location
After the cover, the mariachi turned into a mascot of sorts for the menu since I enjoyed drawing him and wanted to include him in different situations throughout the menu's layout. His inclusion also helped to fill some empty space with something interesting.
