Work in progress... Just started diving right in and started drawing mushrooms doodles directly into illustrator. I already knew I wanted to do a mushroom themed print based on some gouache illustrations I did recently. I am working on getting an iPad to help speed up my process and productivity- tricky with a 5 year old and 6 month old at home!! I am really excited to play around with this project, make a full collection and starting my path as a surface designer! Thank you Elizabeth for the great course- really dig your style (teaching and aesthetic!) Scroll down to see process and different colorpaths I am playing with :)

I decided (for now) to work with this more monochromatic blue/teal version to base a collection from, and added a few more elements and a flowing asian inspired background:

Finessing the pattern, cool tones:

Original color palette:

Further reduced (how do you pick!? This will for sure be the hardest part!

Repeat: (can anyone give me any suggestions to help unify more? I feel my eye catches the tile too much still....

Trying to finish digitizing this guy (so many lines!) ...does he fit in tho? Not sure if he's too fancy for the fun playful vibe I have established w/ the hero pattern...also for some reason the lines look way thin in this jpg...not sure whats up with that...I am also learning the hard way that I should have started with a mood board (i know I know) as an artist I am familiar with the creative process but now that I am looking into options for secondary and blender prints I know I NEED to do this step next before I go any further!!

I based the mushrooms on some of these gouache illustrations I had previously completed... These are scanned black paintings that I bumped the contrast just to use as tracing reference...would still like to do a pattern in pure black/white with these maybe?