SHAPE OF WATER, THE by James Jean

Limited edition giclee print for Guillermo del Toro's 2017 arthouse fantasy The Shape of Water, created by artist James Jean. This officially licensed art print is a collectible piece produced using giclee printing techniques with a silkscreened enhancement.

Print Specifications

• Dimensions: 23 inches × 33.5 inches (58.4cm × 85.1cm)
• Edition: Hand-numbered artist edition of 1719 prints, signed by the artist
• Printing method: Giclee with silkscreened enhancement
• Paper: 310 gsm 100% cotton rag, embossed chop
• Release date: January 30, 2018
• Condition: Mint, archival quality

The Shape of Water tells a haunting, tender love story between a mute janitor and a mysterious amphibious creature held captive in a Cold War-era research facility, blending fairy-tale romance with Del Toro's signature visual poetry. James Jean's artwork was commissioned as the film's official teaser image, capturing its dreamlike intimacy in delicate, elevated linework.

About the process (via The New York Times):

Guillermo del Toro brought in James Jean to create an illustration for the teaser poster after admiring the covers Jean had designed for DC Comics' "Fables" series. As del Toro put it, "His drawings have a delicate nature to them and beautiful line work that is at the same time realistic and sort of elevated into a style of his own."

Working in charcoal on paper, Jean used screen grabs and photos of the creature costume as reference to accurately capture the merman's form, drawing inspiration from Gustav Klimt's "The Kiss" for how the two figures intertwine. He deliberately left the creature's face obscured — "It just seemed natural for me to hide the face because the form and silhouette of his body are so striking to begin with," he said. "I wanted the creature to stay more mysterious and have the viewer project their own idea of what he would look like." The final image's aqua tones were applied digitally, while Jean hand-painted the white textures and pinpoints of light for what he called "a more magical effect."

About the Artist

James Jean is an internationally acclaimed illustrator and fine artist known for his richly detailed, dreamlike compositions that blend classical technique with contemporary visual storytelling. His work spans comics, editorial illustration, and gallery fine art, earning him a devoted following for his elegant linework and evocative, otherworldly imagery. Jean's official film artwork, including this Shape of Water teaser piece, is highly sought after by collectors for its rare intersection of gallery-caliber craftsmanship and cinematic history.

Archival Storage and Shipping

Your print is preserved in museum-quality mylar sleeves with acid-free backing board and stored in climate-controlled flat files. Each poster is carefully handled and packed by our master shipper in a smoke-free studio environment.

Shipping includes heavyweight poster tubes with kraft and glycerine paper protection, then secured in tube boxes for safe transit. For complete shipping details, see our Shipping Policy.