Every travel poster by Alecse begins with a real photograph of an actual place. The creative process unfolds in three layers: a simplified line drawing, a hand-painted digital rendition, and the original photo itself. These three sources are then blended together through transparency to form a single unified composition.
During this fusion, Alecse removes visual distractions such as cables, signs, parked cars, or crowds, and enhances the elements that best express the identity of the location. When the scene calls for it, he may also add subtle easter eggs like a familiar silhouette, a humorous detail, or a personal reference, discreetly woven into the artwork.
Once the three layers are merged, the image is refined through selective blur, lighting adjustments, and reinforced lines to guide the viewer’s eye and recreate the way memory works: softer around the edges, sharper at its emotional center.
The final step is Alecse’s signature halftone finish, inspired by early 20th-century printing techniques. This texture of colored dots gives each poster its warm, vintage grain, not pixelation, but a nostalgic, handcrafted feel that bridges photography, illustration, and painting.