Oct 25, 2021

Series Craft: Designing elaborate costumes for Maya and the Three

Friday saw Netflix launch Maya and the Three, a limited series with the production values of a feature and the rich design work by now familiar to fans of Jorge Gutiérrez.

The story follows Maya, a young warrior princess, as she quests through fantastical realms teeming with gods, royals, and other whimsical characters. The universe draws deeply on Mesoamerican mythology, though diverse visual influences are mixed in, from pulp sword and sorcery characters to Miss Universe pageants.

The whole is refracted through Gutiérrez's bold, geometric design sensibility that builds on his earlier works, such as El Tigre and The Book of Life. He collaborated on those projects with his wife, fellow character designer Sandra Equihua; they teamed up again to create the characters in Maya and the Three, Gutiérrez focusing on the men, Equihua on the women.

Below, the pair tell us how they designed five characters from Maya and the Three, focusing on the dazzling costumes - one of the show's most eye-catching elements. Their comments are accompanied by development artwork.