Here We Give You Some Essential Tips To Design Unique Surface Pattern Styles
- Have A Keen Eye On Things Around. You should develop the habit of observing the world around you so that you find...
- Collect Things For Inspiration. Inspiration comes from several sources. Apart from observing the nature around, you...
- Keep A Record Of Your Ideas. Surface pattern...
- 10 Tips to Make Your Surface Pattern Designs Look Good.
- Select a successful colour palette. ...
- Make sure your design is balanced. ...
- Add contrasting elements. ...
- Create a focal point. ...
- Try altering the repeat type. ...
- Ensure you create a seamless repeat. ...
- Add in areas of texture.
How to create unique patterns on a surface?
For example, under relief printing, blocks are created to print unique patterns. Screen printing is another kind for creating patterns on a surface. You can digitally repeat a surface design pattern to create many such designs in a unique way on a surface.
What does it take to be a surface pattern designer?
Being able to create seamless pattern repeats is one of the most fundamental aspects of being a surface pattern designer. It’s a little overwhelming, to begin with, but once you understand the basics you’ll find that pattern repeats are nothing more than mathematical formulas.
What is the field of surface pattern design?
In fact, the field of surface pattern design is vast. It covers almost everything — you can see patterns on cards and wrapping papers, gift products, wall art, home decor, children’s apparel, fabrics, book covers and so on. Fabric is the sector that uses surface patterns the most as people like to wear them.
What is a surface pattern repeat?
Another very commonly used surface pattern repeat is the half drop. It consists of the repeat unit being stacked vertically in a column format which is then offset by half in the next vertical row. Because of this, half drop pattern repeats are a great way at quickly allowing the design to look less formal.
How do you start a surface pattern design?
How to make a living as a surface pattern designerLicense your artwork. License your artwork to clients, who produce products with your designs. ... Sell at Print-on-Demand sites. ... Sell original artwork. ... Take commissions. ... Teaching. ... Sell digital design assets.
How do I create a surface pattern collection?
So how do you start designing your collection?Research: Understand your client and current trends. Decide on a story for your collection.Collect design and colour inspiration.Create a mood board. ... Start creating motifs and design elements to use within your design. ... Create your designs. ... Present your designs.
What is a surface pattern?
Surface Pattern Design is the act of creating art for the surfaces of mass-manufactured products. As the name suggests, in its most true form, this is primarily artwork that repeats in a pattern. For example, wallpaper, wrapping paper, upholstery, quilting fabric, apparel fabric, and floor coverings.
How do I make a surface pattern portfolio?
1:3323:18How to Format a Surface Pattern Design Portfolio | Elizabeth SilverYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd information you need to make the perfect surface pattern design portfolio for you. So in theMoreAnd information you need to make the perfect surface pattern design portfolio for you. So in the simplest. Terms your portfolio is a body of your original artwork that reflects your skill. Set.
How do you make a pattern by hand?
2:186:29How to Create HAND-DRAWN Repeating PATTERNS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipPaper as well once you've measured use your ruler and your knife to cut a straight line and cut theMorePaper as well once you've measured use your ruler and your knife to cut a straight line and cut the paper in half now you're going to take those two halves and switch.
How do you make original patterns?
0:355:21How to Create Patterns in Illustrator Tutorial - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd any changes that you do make in the pattern. Options will be updated to swatch. So now we get aMoreAnd any changes that you do make in the pattern. Options will be updated to swatch. So now we get a few options let's just zoom. Out. So we can see a little bit more of our pattern.
What is the best program for surface pattern design?
The Adobe Creative Suite is standard in the world of surface pattern design. Illustrator and Photoshop are the 2 most commonly used programs to create digital designs. InDesign is also great for creating mood boards and Adobe Acrobat is great for PDF documents.
How much do surface pattern designers make?
How Much Do Surface Designers Make? The average salary of a surface designer in the U.S. is $84,500, according to Comparably. Your location, experience, and skill level will all impact how much you make, as will the type of surface pattern design work that you specialize in.
What is the purpose of surface pattern design?
Surface Pattern Design - Defined Surface pattern design is artwork that is created specifically to be applied as surface decoration. This could include patterns, illustrations, hand-lettering, and artwork in all sorts of styles, as long as they're made to enhance the appearance or functionality of a product.
What is Surface designing?
Julie Booth: I define surface design as any technique that manipulates or changes the surface of a fabric. This would include: painting, dyeing, printing/stamping, stenciling, applying resists, stitching, embellishing (e.g. adding beads), collaging, weaving, etc.
How many patterns are in a pattern collection?
8-12 patternsQ: How many patterns should I have in a collection? A: Typically, a solid pattern collection will consist of 8-12 patterns.
How do I make a textile design portfolio?
1:434:22BCU Textile Design Portfolio guidance - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWith really light see sketchbooks because they show the inner workings of your design mind. But don'MoreWith really light see sketchbooks because they show the inner workings of your design mind. But don't bring too many make sure you bring two or three varied.
How do I design a fabric pattern?
2:059:46How to design your own fabric. Step-by-step fabric design tutorial ...YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd for example you can use a Photoshop Adobe Photoshop for that so there is different differentMoreAnd for example you can use a Photoshop Adobe Photoshop for that so there is different different ways but I personally use like vector elements. So I use Adobe Illustrator.
What is a pattern collection?
Pattern Collection This simply means a group of artwork that consists of more than one pattern. However, what's considered a “collection” varies widely in the industry. For example, in the bolt fabric market, a collection usually consists of 5-12 individual patterns in one or more colorways.
How many patterns are in a collection?
8-12 patternsQ: How many patterns should I have in a collection? A: Typically, a solid pattern collection will consist of 8-12 patterns.
How do you get a fabric design license?
0:065:52What is Art Licensing? License Fabric Patterns + Textile Designs - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipOur licensing is basically when you get to rent out your artwork to a company to put on productsMoreOur licensing is basically when you get to rent out your artwork to a company to put on products just like this fabric. Here. So all of the designs. You see on this fabric.
What is surface pattern design?
A surface pattern designer essentially is someone who creates pattern designs that are applied to a surface. That surface could be anything from a length of fabric to a product. Your job as a pattern designer to be able to create your designs print ready for your client. Your client will be purchasing your design to put onto a product, or you could potentially create your own product.
What is a collection of designs?
From them there, you know, pattern designers also come up with collections of designs. This is a group of designs that work together cohesively to form a range. Creating collections will give you the opportunity to potentially sell more than one design to your clients. Collections can consist of just a few designs or many designs but most importantly you want to ensure your designs work well together to form a collection. That is a group of designs that work together really cohesively.
Why do you need to repeat your design?
The reason that you want to bring your design elements into the computer to create your repeat is that most companies will require you to send them a digital file of your work . There is a technical process involved in creating your repeats, and it will differ depending on which program you use but you want to make sure that your designs are repeated seamlessly. That means taking the time to ensure your design elements are repeated technically to form a seamless pattern. You also want to ensure that you’ve thought about the way you’ve placed and chosen your design elements and your colour palette to ensure that your design is well balanced and pleasing to the eye.
What is stripe surface pattern repeat?
The stripe surface pattern repeat is a layout that has a strong vertical, horizontal or diagonal format. Stripes don’t need to be restricted to being made up of blocks of colour. Some other ways to use stripes include blocks of texture, patterns, repeated motifs, zig zags or wavy lines.
What is an ogee surface pattern?
An ogee surface pattern repeat is similar to the diamond repeat except it has rounded edges at the sides and points at the top and bottom, much like an onion.
What is a repeat pattern?
1. FULL DROP/BLOCK PATTERN REPEAT. One of the most common and simplest of all repeat systems is the full drop or block surface pattern repeat. The repeat unit is created by stacking the original repeat block in a grid format. Although it’s often created as a square unit, full drop repeats can also be rectangular. 2.
Surface Patterns: Inlaying a Slip or Underglaze
You could stop at this point to really highlight the two-clay technique, but I love the way different layers of texture and color combine to form the final effect of the serving bowl.
Finishing Touches on the Surface Patterns
After the bisque firing, lightly buff any remaining residue of the inlaid color off the surface using a scrubby while wearing a mask and working in a well ventilated area. Carefully wipe down the piece and glaze the interior. Allow the piece to completely dry.
Surface Pattern Design on a Budget: Which Tools Should You Get
When you are starting out in surface pattern design things begin to add up fast. Tablets, printers, scanners, etc. can get a bit pricey, but do you really need them? Here I will outline what I found useful when I started learning surface design and what tools are unnecessary when you are designing on a budget. So, let’s get started.
What You Need
This goes without saying but you absolutely need a computer. As far as which computer you should get, go with the cheapest. The one criteria you need to think about when buying a computer is storage.
What You Can Do Without
Tablets are probably the most mentioned necessity that every surface pattern designer thinks you need but to start out it’s not necessary. I recently was gifted a Wacom Intuos Pro and find myself using Illustrator’s pen tool way more often then I do the Tablet.
10 Tips for Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer
I’m passionate about being a surface pattern designer and sharing my story. I’m completely self taught and want to you to know that if being a surface pattern designer is a dream of yours, you can do it, too. Today, I’m sharing with you my top 10 tips for how to become a surface pattern designer.
1. Learn Adobe Illustrator
I know, that’s a big one! But you can do it. It’s big and scary but it’s just a computer program, right?! There are so many classes and resources around the web, and I’ll be teaching you everything you need to know about it during my course, surface pattern designs from scratch. Don’t let the learning curve stop you from following your dreams!
2. Make as many patterns as you can
Once you start designing, use this precious early time to make as many patterns as you can. Like, hundreds! these patterns are what will put your career in motion and many of them will end up being your all time favorites. Cherish this ‘pre-pro’ time and use it wisely.
3. Never throw anything away
Don’t delete files, don’t toss sketches in the trash. Someday they might just be exactly what you need!
4. Build a community around your design
Blog, tweet, facebook, instagram, pinterest. Reach out to other SPD-ers.
5. Be authentic
It’s easy to be incredibly inspired by looking around the web, but remember to never be ‘too’ inspired by someone else’s work. Find your own personal style and stick with it. We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
6. Do one thing every single day
This is my all time favorite motivational tip! Whatever your dream may be- start doing one thing, however great or small every single day to move in the direction of your big dream.
What happens if you secure your income with multiple streams of income?
If you secure your income with multiple streams of income, you will feel more safe financially, if one area of your business suddenly get a lack of income.
Can you make a living from surface pattern design?
The key is multiple income streams! Sure, you might have heard of those who only license their designs and make a living out of it. But my guess is that it’s much more common to have multiple streams of income as a surface pattern designer. Sure you might get by only by licensing your designs, but it take years to build your own brand and to get that steady amount of licensing clients that you need to make a reasonable yearly income.
Who is Maja Faber?
Hey, I’m Maja Faber, a Sweden based surface designer & online educator with a passion for simplicity.
Is it smart to have multiple income streams?
Multiple income streams is not only a smart move in the beginning of your creative journey, it’s also a smart choice even when you’re an experienced creative entrepreneur, with years behind you of owning your own business.
Is it easy to start a pattern design business?
It isn’t easy to start your own creative business, trying to make a living as a surface pattern designer. It’s much easier to have a full-time day job with a steady pay-check each month - that’s for sure. But if you do have a dream of starting your own creative business, it’s definitely worth the hustle, time, energy, ...
Is life unpredictable?
Life is unpredictable and so is being self-employed. One month, or year, you might do really well selling on for example Etsy, and then all of the sudden you hardly make any sales anymore - and you have no idea how to turn it around again.
How to Communicate your rates like a Pro
It’s important to spend time developing a pricing structure you feel comfortable with – one you can stand behind even when clients question your rates. Check out this post for tips to get you started (includes a free downloadable rate sheet template!)
Textile Design Pricing: Licensing Your Work
I have done a little research and compiled my favorite resources into this popular blog post. Such as this book from the Graphic Artists Guild (this is an affiliate link). This blog post is for those of you who are interested in licensing your textile and surface pattern designs.
Choosing a direction for your textile design business
Sometimes it is difficult to know how you want to grow your business. You know that you want to be out in the market, selling your pattern designs and earning a living, but what is the best direction for you to take? Learn how to sell your designs in this post.
Are You Ready to Quit Your Day Job?
Do you think you’re ready to start your own textile or surface pattern design business? Or, is this something you are interested in pursuing? Here are a few ways to help prepare you for the big day and take away some of the uncertainty.
The Design Process
Research
- The way that I would usually suggest working, particularly if you’re getting started is by just researching and coming up with lots of ideas and inspiration that you can potentially use to start creating your pattern design or collections. You should then select one of those ideas to further refine and develop into an inspirational mood board. A mood board is a collection of images tha…
Develop Your Ideas
- Once you have created your mood board you are going to use it to start developing your design ideas. These can be developed in any way you like e.g by hand or digitally. A question I often get asked is whether it’s okay to create designs by hand. My answer is that you can absolutely create your design elements by hand (in fact it’s one of my favourite ways to create my design element…
Create Your Designs and Collections
- The reason that you want to bring your design elements into the computer to create your repeat is that most companies will require you to send them a digital file of your work. There is a technical process involved in creating your repeats, and it will differ depending on which program you use but you want to make sure that your designs are repeated seamlessly. That means taking the ti…