Transcripts
1. Introduction : Looking to take or surface pattern design skills
to the next level. As a designer, creating
collections is essential when pitching your
work to potential clients. But where do you start? If you're feeling overwhelmed, I want to streamline
your process. You're in the right place. Hi, I'm capturing a
watercolor artist and surface pattern designer, online educator and
a busy mom of two pitching to collections earlier for home textiles this year. That was where I found
out that I really didn't have much time and I needed to streamline my work process. That's why I created a collection creation
notebook to help me plan my collections
even with limited time. And now I've turned
that notebook interests simple workbook for this class to share my process with you. In the course. I'll be sharing my
step-by-step process to create collections that
clients will love. Even if you're not
a pattern designer, you'll find some golden nuggets
and the initial process, which is similar for
creating a watercolor Clifford set or a
greeting card collection. We'll brainstorm keywords,
create a mood board, and start sketching ideas by
the end of it, this course, you'll have the skills
and knowledge to confidently start creating
your own collections. Whether you're a beginner
or an experienced designer. This course will help you refine your skills and create
something beautiful. So let's get started.
2. Class Project: In the project and resources
section of this class, you'll find a
workbook that you can download and print as often as you like and fill out during the lessons
of this class. Completing the project lays the foundation for
your next collection. Through participation, you'll gain hands-on
experience and the opportunity to apply
the skills you have learned in the course to
a real-world project. By the end of this lesson, you will have a solid
foundation for your collection. The workbook will serve as a guide to help you get started. But actually filling
out the worksheet, you'll gain momentum and be on your way to creating
your patterns. Remember to post an image of your worksheet mood board in the student gallery
of this class.
3. Collection Checklist: So what is a collection? A collection is a
group of designs, the chair theme, color,
palette, and style. Working on collection is crucial for surface pattern
designers because it helps to tell a story and
create a cohesive body of work. A collection of surface
pattern refers to a set of designs that compliment each other and create a
cohesive ranged. The number of designs in
a collection may vary depending on factors such as
the intended product type. But generally, collection consists of
eight to 12 patterns. Mini collection usually
has six to seven patterns, but a large collection
can have even more. Overall collection
should typically have six to 16 colors
or possibly more. It should reflect the style and mood you want your
patterns to convey. You should have a good contrast between light and dark hues and median values that all go well together
in a collection. So collection you
want to pitch should also have name and logo and name each pattern in a
way that makes sense and is easily recognizable and memorable so that you and your potential client
can communicate it easily and you will find it in your folders
on your computer. A balanced collection typically consists of two hero prints. One hero and the
sister here print four coordinates and
four to six blenders. For a mini collection, you can include one hero, one or two coordinates
and maybe to blenders. These proportions ensure
that their collection has enough variety to pee
on heat cohesive, while still providing
facility in design. To broaden the appeal
of your collection, consider creating two
or three colorways. This will give your clients more oxygen to
choose from and help your collection
fit a wider range of products and markets. Next lesson is about
choosing the topic.
4. Design Brief & Story: Choosing a topic for your
surface pattern collection is an important first step
in the design process. Whether you're working
on a brief from a client or creating your own collection based on a personal story, it is helpful to
have a clear idea of the intended market and
any specific requirements. You can either choose
from a list of topics provided in the workbook, or you can create your own topic that resonates with
you and your style. It is essential to
have a story behind the collection as it makes more personal
and unique and ties all the patterns together. So consider your target audience and what they might be
looking for in a collection. Think about what imagery
you want to include, what style your
patterns will have, and what overall mood and feeling you want your
customers to experience. Are you designing for
children or adults? What is the demographic
of your target audience? Understanding the market
will help you create designs that are relevant and appealing to your
customers, e.g. children's apparel. If your target market
is children's apparel, your end product
could be aligned playful and whimsical patterns that appeal to
children and parents. Your brief might include
words like toys, cute animals, or bright colors that evoke a sense of fun
and playfulness. If your target market
is home decor, your end product
could be a line of sophisticated and
elegant patterns that elevate rooms aesthetic. Your topic might
include the idea of images of high-end furniture, minimalistic design, and
a muted color palette that creates a sense of
calm and relaxation. Also, the hero here might
be a placement print. Once you have chosen the story and topic for your collection, it's time to give it a name that captures the essence
of your theme. Consider the tone and
mood of your collection, and choose a name
that reflects it. You can use an existing
font that fits the mood, and you own the
corresponding license, the commercial license for it, or create your own
hand lettering for your collection name. Next, consider creating a logo that represents your collection. So the name and the
logo would be one item. A logo can be as simple
or complex as you like, but it should be easily
recognizable and consistent with the theme
of your collection. You can incorporate
elements from your patterns or use symbol that
represents your theme. E.g. floral can flower. Or it might be a sailboat
for nautical theme. So remember that
your collection name and we'll go on all the
marketing materials. So it should be memorable and attractive to your
target audience. Take your time in creating these elements and
experiment with different options until you find the perfect fit
for your collection. This as well. It can be like the
very last stage of creating your collection. By now you should
have a clear idea and vision where your
collection will go. And this will make
it easier to create a cohesive and
appealing collection that will resonate with
your target market. In the next lesson,
we will talk about brainstorming to generate
ideas for your collection.
5. Brainstorming Keywords: In this lesson, you will
learn about the importance of brainstorming ideas and keywords for your surface
pattern collection. By doing so, you can refine your collections focus,
style, and mood. Step one, consider
your target market. Before brainstorming,
consider your target market. Who is your customer? What are their interests
and preferences? What kind of products are you creating for your
patterns, e.g. quilting. Knowing these details can help you create relevant,
appealing patterns. Step two, think about the imagery you want to
include in your collection. This could be inspired by
nature, geometric shapes, or any other source that alliance with your brand
and target market. Think about the
types of motifs and elements that could be
used in your patterns. Step three, determine
your style. Consider the style you've
won two patterns to have. Will they be modern
and minimalistic, or more traditional and ornate? Are you drawn to a
certain color palette or specific techniques? Like watercolor
determined the style that resonates with you and your
brand and your audience. Step four identified the
overall feeling or mood. What kind of feelings or mood do you want your
collection to convey? Do you want it to be playful
and whimsical or elegant? Use adjectives to describe the overall vibe you want to
create with your patron's. Step five, brainstorm keywords. Now that you have
a clear idea of your target market,
imagery, style, and mood, start brainstorming keywords that captured the
essence of your collection. Write down adjectives that describe the feeling
you want to evoke, as well as nouns that
relate to the imagery. This will help you
generate ideas for patterns that are aligned with your brand and target market. By following these steps, you can brainstorm ideas
and keywords that will help you create a cohesive and appealing surface
pattern collection. Remember to stay true
to your brand and target market while exploring new ideas and possibilities.
6. Thumbnail Sketches: In this lesson, we'll create rough and quick sketches to
bring your idea to life. I like to do this
quick sketches before gathering inspiration online in order to reduce
the risk of being overly influenced by
the work of others, review your list of keywords and refine your ideas based
on your intended market. The imagery you
want to include n, The overall feeling or mood, combine different
adjectives and nouns to create unique and
memorable patterns. Don't over think it. Aim to sketch at least ten
to 15 thumbnail patterns. Consider how each pattern could fit into your
collection as a whole. Remember that these sketches are just the starting point and will be refined later in
the next lesson, we will gather inspiration
and create a mood board.
7. Collect Inspiration & Create a Moodboard : Now that we have our
initial ideas sketched out, it's time to gather our inspirational material
and create a mood board. This step is important
because it will help us refine our tears and create
a cohesive collection. Start gathering inspiration from nature and everyday life. Take photos of your
flowers, leaves, animals, seashells, and anything else that
catches your eye. Look for interesting
patterns, colors, and textures that you can
incorporate in your designs. In addition to taking pictures, start collecting physical items that will support to collection. This could include
fabric swatches, flowers, seashells, feathers, or anything else
that fits with your theme. This tangible items
will help you to better visualize and develop the overall style
of your collection. Remember, inspiration
can come from anywhere, so keep your eyes open
and stay curious. Next, create a real pin
board or a virtual one on Pinterest tried to
focus on images of the end product you have in
mind are the surrounding, you could see your patterns in or the feelings your
pattern should evoke. It's important to limit the
number of patterns you pin so you don't become overly
influenced by the work of others. It's okay to have
like the main idea of a pattern if it's really
loose or really complex, and creating a mood board, keep in mind your
target audience and the overall mood you want to evoke. So if you're creating a
nautical theme collection, e.g. you might want to
include images of ocean, sail boats and beach houses. Remember to also include images that inspire you and reflect
your personal style. Your mood board should be
a visual representation of the direction you want
your collection to go in. Once your mood
board is complete, review it and
analyze the colors, textures, and patterns
that stand out. This will help you refine
your ideas further and create a cohesive collection
that is both visually appealing
and marketable.
8. Color Palette : Now that we have our mood board, it's time to create
a color palette. Look at the colors and the images and items
on your mood board. What colors stand out to you? Which ones do you see repeated. Often. Choose a few main colors that will be the foundation
of your collection. These should be the colors that appear most frequently
on your mood board. Then choose a few
complimentary colors that will accent
your main colors. The number of colors needed for a cohesive collection can vary. Some may only require six, while others may need
up to 61 or more, limiting your colors to
only like six colors, but already make a
cohesive collection. It's important to ensure the collection includes
a mix of dark, medium and light colors, as well as both contrasting
and neutral colors. The key is to provide
a variety of colors without overwhelming the
collection with too many colors, resulting in a busy
and chaotic design. Remember to consider the intended audience
for collection. If it is for kids
beach where you may want to use bright
and playful colors, if it's more sophisticated, market like women's
fashion or home decor, you might want to use more muted and
sophisticated colors. You now have a color palette
for your collection. In the next lesson,
we will begin our more defined sketches for our patrons based on our mood
board, and color palette.
9. Simple Marks & Refined Sketches : Now refer back to your
quick thumbnail sketches. Start to refine the
ones that are the most fitting and
complex and become your hero and coordinate prints when creating a
surface pattern collection. One important aspect to consider is the complexity
of your patterns. Your hero pattern, also known as the focal or primary pattern, should be the most detailed
and intricate and decide it serves as the central piece and should be eye-catching
and memorable, setting the tone for the
rest of the collection. So take your time on
creating this hero print. Makes sure to consider theme
moot, and target audience. When designing your hero. While your hero pattern
should be complex, your blender patterns can be simpler designs like stripes, polka dots, or plates. However, don't be afraid to add your own unique
twist to them. You can experiment with
variations like wobbly lines or hand-drawn polka dots
arranged in different repeats. This adds interests and
uniqueness to your collection. To further add variety, try using different repeat
styles for your patterns. You can experiment
with brick repeat, half-drop scattered, or any other repeat style
that pick your interest. This not only diversifies
your collection, but also showcases
your creativity and design skills now
fulfill or designs, you can start by playing around the simple marks and shapes
on a blank piece of paper. The best is to use a black ink or a marker
that then you can transfer in to Illustrator
and recolor them easily. So these simple
marks can be used as fillers and the
more complex hero or coordinate prints, or even make out the whole
blender print itself. Remember, adding small
variations to a patterns can make them more
interesting and unique. By completing the worksheet, you have successfully branded your collection and created
a clear guideline to follow. Now, it's time to
refine your ideas and create your actual patterns
in your preferred medium, whether it's with watercolor, ink or pen digitally in
Procreate Illustrator Photoshop, just have fun creating. Remember to refer back to your worksheet throughout
the design process. Just stay on track
and ensure that your patterns aligned with their collections,
beam and mood.
10. Final Thought & Thank You: Congratulations on
finishing this class. I hope you enjoyed the
journey of creating your own collection brand
worksheet from start to finish. Remember this work, but only just the starting point
for your creative process. Use the techniques you
learned in this lesson and continue developing your own
unique style and decides. Don't be afraid to experiment
and try new things. Play around with
different colors, repeat styles and textures to create something
truly original. And most importantly,
have fun with it. Creating patterns should be a joyful and fulfilling process. So take a step back and admire your hard
work and creativity. Thank you for joining
me in this class. And don't forget to snap an image of your
completed workbook or even a finished pattern
collection and shared with us in the student gallery of this class for feedback
and inspiration. I can't wait to see the amazing collections
you'll create. If you like, follow me here on Skillshare or say
hello and Instagram. Now have a great day.
Katrin Kamides Studio, Watercolor Illustrations
