(Published Oct. 2021) This class focuses heavily on the technical side of creating a repeating pattern in Adobe Illustrator. I put a lot of time and effort and care into making it a truly comprehensive introduction to surface design in the program. I go over all of the essential tools that I use for drawing, coloring, and assembling motifs to make patterns, and then some. In addition, I cover common beginner mistakes and how to fix or avoid them. I’ve also created some downloadable PDFs, including an Adobe Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts quick reference guide, among other things, for you to print out and reference along the way.
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I’ve taken many pattern classes from many different amazing surface designers over the past six years, and consequently, I’ve picked up a ton of useful tips and tricks and pieces of advice along the way. So I thought that it was about time that I start making my own pattern design classes. I hope to see you there!
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Adobe, and Adobe Illustrator are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe in the United States and/or other countries.

Introduction

What is Surface Pattern Design?

Class Project + Materials

Setting Up Your Workspace + Keyboard Shortcuts

Artboards & Layers

Zoom In & Out

Functional Tools: Selection, Direct Selection, Lasso, Duplicate, Scale, Rotate, & Reflect

Drawing Tools: Pencil, Pen, Blob Brush, Eraser, Smooth, & Puppet Warp

Blob Brush Pressure Issue

Building Shapes: Pathfinder, Shape Builder Tool, Scissor Tool, & Offset Path

Stroke & Fill

Isolation Mode & Align

Color and the Swatches Panel + The Magic Wand Tool

Inspiration & Sketching

Scanning & Taking Pictures of Your Work

Vectorizing Your Artwork

To Expand or Not To Expand?

Building a Simple Repeating Pattern

Building a Complex Repeating Pattern

Adjusting & Testing Scale

The Recolor Artwork Tool

Exporting Your Pattern

Common Mistakes & Concerns

Closing Thoughts

Adobe Illustrator Keyboard Shortcuts.pdf

What Is Surface Pattern Design.pdf

Pathfinder & The Shape Builder Tool.pdf

Installing a Wacom Driver For Use With iPad Pro.pdf

Anatomy of Adobe Illustrator.pdf

Expanding Quick Reference Guide.pdf

Surface Design In Adobe Illustrator: A Beginner's Guide to Pattern Building

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Surface Design In Adobe Illustrator: A Beginner's Guide to Pattern Building

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