Semi Tough movie poster 1977

This is a poster for the film Semi-Tough by Robert McGinnis, who, from what I can see, used a technique that feels both illustrative and painterly. You know, you’ve got these figures in the foreground, rendered with tight, controlled lines, and then this kind of… dreamier, more atmospheric background. I'm really drawn to the way McGinnis captures light and shadow on the figures. The skin tones, for example, have this warmth and vibrancy, but there's also a sense of depth and volume created by the subtle gradations of color. The way he uses shadows to define the forms of the bodies is particularly striking, giving them a sculptural quality. Then you’ve got these little details, like the slightly blurred edges or the delicate highlights that add to the overall sense of realism. This poster reminds me a little of Patrick Nagel, particularly in the graphic treatment of figures against a flat background, but Nagel’s work is more stylized, more about the surface than about depth. Anyway, it’s a great example of how an artist can create a sense of depth and volume using pretty simple means.