Welcome to Exploring Colour, Contrast & Pattern

In this 2-part Mini Series, we'll create beautiful hand - drawn decorative designs as we learn how to combine colours and patterns successfully, collating them all together into a unique Colour & Pattern Resource Book.

In this first class we’ll be using Ink Markers to create small sample papers, giving us the opportunity to feel more confident in playing with colour, whilst understanding how to create visual interest through contrasting elements, using black & white Acrylic Pens and a black Fine-liner.

Add Visual Interest to Your Art: Exploring Colour, Contrast & Pattern; Part 1 - image 1 - student project

We will explore the different combinations that can easily be achieved using the colour wheel as our starting point. In a fun and relaxed way, we’ll create:

Samples using a single colour (monochromatic)
Samples using two colours (analogous and complementary)
Samples using three colours (split complementary and triadic)
Samples using four colours (tetradic)
Contrast with colour and textures

Add Visual Interest to Your Art: Exploring Colour, Contrast & Pattern; Part 1 - image 2 - student project

Is this class for you?

Do you sometimes stall on a project because you don’t know what colours will work well together?
Is your work sometimes flat and uninteresting because you don’t know how to liven it up?
Maybe you just need some fresh inspiration?
Or would like to have a go at using Ink Markers and Acrylic Pens?

Then this class will get your creative juices flowing!

Suitable for complete beginners and anyone needing to get back into their expressive groove!

Why Ink Markers?

They blend well and are so easy to use, plus they cover the page with colour very quickly.
They are double ended with a thick blunt nib and a thin fine nib, enabling you to create many varied patterns.
You can buy ready made, cost effective starter packs of harmonious colours, which is helpful if you are new to these ink based pens.
They take up very little space, don’t need water or brushes, so coupled with a small sketchbook you can get quick results whether you’re at home, on your lunch break, inside, outside, on a bus/train etc.
THEY’RE FUN! Loved by artists, illustrators and graphic designers around the world.

Why Acrylic Pens?

They are used to great effect over the Ink Markers to add patterns and texture.

Why Fine-liners?

They add even finer details to the overall design, giving it more depth and interest.

Final project

Once you’ve got all your sample papers together, you can then collate them to create the first part of your own Colour, Contrast & Pattern Resource Book. This can become your go-to reference for future creative projects, i.e. painting, surface pattern / graphic / textile design, printmaking, illustration, embroidery, quilting etc.

Materials

Small sketchbook (A5 is a good size)
A selection of Ink Marker pens (at least 6 different colours)
Black Acrylic Pen - medium nib (size 3M)
White Acrylic Pen - medium nib (size 3M) and /or small nib (size 1M)
Black Fine-liner ( I use a 0.7 any brand)

Resources

Downloadable Colour Wheel template
Downloadable Circles template
Downloadable Rectangles template

For your class project you’ll create the first section of your own Colour, Contrast & Pattern Resource Book, using easy to follow steps as I guide you through the process:

Using Ink Markers, Acrylic Pens and Fine-liners, you’ll create small samples of different colour and contrast combinations
You’ll collate all of your contrasting colour samples into the different categories i.e. complimentary, triadic, analogous etc.
Next, you’ll attach them into a small sketchbook (using a glue stick or blu tack)
And finally, you will add the category descriptions to each page and any reference notes.

Add Visual Interest to Your Art: Exploring Colour, Contrast & Pattern; Part 1 - image 3 - student project

You will now have the start of your own personal design book that you can add further samples to as you create more complex designs.

This is a valuable resource that you can refer to time and again, not only in this Mini Series, but for any future creative projects.

Visit my website to see what else I get up to and to find out about future classes:

https://www.dawncawthra.co.uk

Video Lesson Planning

1. Intro; Exploring Colour, Contrast & Pattern Part 1

Format: Talking Head, Demo, Music

Visuals: Image with title text

Est. Length: 2 Minutes