patterns | Sheila's Corner Studio

This week my design time was drastically reduced. I participated in a Creative Live course with Bonnie Christine of Going Home to Roost. Her class was a blast. Really intense. Three full days on Illustrator and surface pattern design. More on that in a bit.

I only had three days to complete my designs for the MIID assignments. I was determined to complete them all, so I had to simplify. K.I.S.S. Keep it simple, stupid.

Make It – Beginner

Tribal Shapes, MIID. Beginner Brief 2, © 2014 Sheila Delgado

For the Beginner theme, Tribal Shapes, I came up with this basic repeat. I knew that I would incorporate it in the Tribal Collage for the advanced assignment.

MIID Beginner Brief 2 details

I added lines to mimic a woven fabric, and then I erased them partly for a worn look. I used a second brush to add splotches of color.

Make It – Intermediate

MIID Intermediate Brief 2, © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Animal Print was the intermediate theme. I felt the need for steed. My original thought was to do some sort of quilted pattern of just hides. But then I thought about those terrible 70’s patchwork purses, and I just couldn’t go that route. I am not sure this is better. Animal prints in general are just not favorites of mine.

Faux horse hide

I added the same texture details, thinking of nubby old blankets, or an old itchy rug. I do like how the details turned out, but they do not translate well on screen, and I am not really sure they are visible in MIID gallery pages. I also completed the required product mock-up for this, and I really like how it looks in use.

Mock up, MIID Intermediate Brief 2

Make It – Advanced

Tribal Collage, the advanced assignment, brought these elements together. I did this pattern in about six hours. Right up against the deadline.

MIID Advanced details

So tell me what you think. Did I take the texture too far, or not far enough?

MIID Advanced Brief 2, © 2014 Sheila Delgado

Design Surface Patterns From Scratch With Bonnie Christine

So amazing! Bonnie is a terrific teacher and she is so generous in sharing all she knows. To anyone interested in learning pattern design, I highly recommend this class. The instruction in Illustrator was geared specifically for pattern design. I have worked in Photoshop, honestly, because learning Illustrator seemed daunting.

Bonnie made it look so easy, she explained each step. I had planned on creating my MIID designs in Illustrator, because I was short on time I stuck with Photoshop. You know, learning curve.

But I am tackling Illustrator this weekend. Bonnie’s assignment is to create a six piece pattern collection. FUN!!

Enjoy your weekend!

Well I did it. Leave it to me.

I am taking part in the Make It In Design Summer School.

I signed up for all three classes, thinking they would run one after the other. Nope.

So for the next six weeks, I will be busy creating 3 designs a week, repeating patterns. I am not alone in taking all three at once. That is a relief. Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced. There are over 5000 total signed up worldwide, how fun is that!

Classes started on Monday, and I already have my first design, almost done. Done if I don’t add any texture. (But of course I want texture.)

And if that was not enough, I have 2 more classes during the month of August, and in September I will be taking part in Leslie Saeta’s 30 Paintings In 30 Days. Yikes! I plan on painting small, and will try to keep my pattern designs on the simple side. On of my goals for these classes, is to build up my portfolio.

I am not going to show you my design just yet. But I will say that it is based on a Native American rug motif. There is still a chance I will do a 180 with it.

The possibilities are positively prolific!