If you love textures, hands-on printmaking and creative experimentation, you’ll love printing textures with upcycled materials for both analog and digital projects.

This fun and easy process is perfect for printing collage papers, notecards, or any project of your choice. If you work with Adobe Illustrator and are looking for a way to bring a unique printmaking process with surprising results into your workflow, upcycled textures is the class for you, too!

Betsy has spent decades designing and teaching programs for hands-on art projects that incorporate easy to find and upcycled materials. In 2020, while working on her first digital fabric collection, she scanned a handprinted texture into Adobe Illustrator, recolored it and created one of her bestselling patterns! Since then, Betsy has gone on to experiment with using upcycled textures for many analog and digital projects.

While no art experience is necessary for the analog lessons, you’ll need a working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator, image trace, color palettes and the recolor artwork tool for the digital portion.

In this class you’ll learn:

How to find and identify free and low-cost upcycled materials for textures
How to set up a printmaking space for success
Which papers and paints to use for different effects
Easy steps to create a single or multicolored texture for analog projects
Techniques for adding interest through layering of textures
Going Digital:
- Effects of black vs grayscale image tracing
- Steps to recolor digital textures for a single or multi-colored texture
Inspiring ideas for using your analog and digital textures

Materials:

Upcycled packing materials: Use what you have! I’ll demonstrate bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard, rubber textured shelving material, and textured packaging materials, with the opportunity to experiment with any other material you choose.
Scissors
Favorite writing tool, pencil or pen
Paper: drawing, mixed media, sketch paper, construction or other heavier paper for printing will all work. I encourage you to use what you have and experiment.
Newsprint or something to protect your workspace
Optional: gloves, apron, ruler, cardboard for texture backing
Paints: Opaque and translucent paints. Experiment with what you have.
- Opaque paint: for example tempera, acrylic, gouache, or craft paint
- Translucent paint: for example watercolors
- *Digital: Opaque paint for single color texture. Watercolors for multicolored texture.

Inexpensive paint brushes, foam brushes, a brayer (roller) optional if you have one
Water jar
Paper towels

For Digital textures:

Supplies above: *Opaque paint for single colored texture, watercolors for multicolored texture
Adobe Illustrator, a scanner or smartphone

I can’t wait to see what you create!

Project Description

Handprinted upcycled textures is a fun, creative process for analog and digital projects.

You’ll be creating:

Analog project: One-of-a-kind single or multicolored textures for handprinted collage paper, decorated notecards, or a creative project of your choice.
Digital project: A single or multicolored digital texture file in Adobe Illustrator that can be used as a texture in a print, a repeat pattern, or a creative project of your choice.

Following along with this class you’ll be able to:

Choose upcycled materials for handprinting textures
Print with a variety of upcycled materials, paints, and papers for single and multicolored textures and patterns
Analog: Create a set of printed texture notecards, collage papers, or use in a creative project of your choice
Digital: Vectorize your handprinted texture in Adobe Illustrator and create a texture file
Use Adobe Illustrator image trace settings and the recolor artwork tool to create single and multicolored texture files
Incorporate the digital texture into a print, repeat pattern or any of your Adobe Illustrator projects!

I can’t wait to see what you create!

The analog process is designed for beginners and no art experience is necessary.

The digital process builds on the analog lessons. To create the digital project you’ll need a working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator functions: placing a scan or photo on an artboard, image trace, creating a color palette, the recolor artwork tool, saving and exporting a file.

Outline:

Intro Lesson Title: Upcycled Textures: Analog to Digital

Time: 2:30 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

Surface Pattern Designer, Teacher for decades, Art Degree, love experimentation, analog and digital. Inspired by nature. 2020 - created a design gone on to be my best seller.
Define Analog and Digital
Love Digital but I also love to work with paint, paper and all of the materials
Hook: A. If you love texture, sustainability, creative experimentation, a way to expand your process for surprising results and no art skills needed for analog.
Hook B. You work digitally and enjoy combining a hands-on process, want to stretch yourself, and discover how image trace and color palettes can give you unique results.

In this class you’ll learn (brief overview):

Where to find free materials to upcycle for printing
How to set up a print work space for success
Steps for no fail printing patterns and images with a variety of packing and other materials
The best techniques to use with various paints for different looks
Analog: Tips for printing upcycled materials to print on different surfaces, types of paper with a single or multiple colors
For Digital: Learn my steps to take the print from the analog process, scan or photograph, place into Illustrator, image trace and recolor for single or multiple colors with the recolor artwork tool.
How to upload your project onto Skillshare

Who is the Class For:

Analog - no art experience necessary. Anyone interested in experimenting with hand printed texture. Love working with paints, etc.
Digital: Working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator. Scan or photograph texture, create a file, place texture into a file, image trace, work with color palettes and the recolor artwork tool, save and export a file.

(Not sure if this is necessary to repeat - would phrase is a more positive way)

Who is the Class Not For:

Digital: Not familiar with Adobe Illustrator. Digital portion needs Adobe Illustrator experience with scanning or photographing a texture, placing in a file, image trace, color palettes and the recolor artwork tool, and exporting a file. I share my steps but you’ll want a working knowledge to enjoy the process.

Requirements:

Analog, no art skills necessary - a list of materials in lesson and on PDF in Resource Section
Digital: Internet connection, smartphone or scanner, a good working knowledge of Adobe Illustrator. I’ll be demonstrating in the latest version 27.9.

Transition: In the next lesson we’ll look at analog and digital projects ideas from collage papers to a digital texture print. I can’t wait to share them with you - See you there.

Project Video

Time: 3 minutes

In this class you’ll learn creative experimentation, printmaking skills for textures that can be used in creative analog projects and digital projects. While our printed or analog project I’ll be showing collage paper and printed cards, you can incorporate this technique with many materials and projects.

One of the exciting things is this process can be used in many different projects.

How to set up a print work space for success
Steps for no fail printing patterns and images with a variety of packing and other materials
The best techniques to use with paints and inks for different looks
Analog: Tips for printing upcycled materials to print on different surfaces, paper, cardboard, with a single or multiple colors
Analog:examples of uses including collage papers, note cards, etc.
Digital: Learn my steps to take the print from the analog process, scan or photograph, place into AI, image trace and recolor for single or multiple colors with the recolor artwork tool.
Digital: Examples of ways to use the digital texture file - print, repeat pattern
- How to upload your analog and/or digital project onto Skillshare

Final deliverable:

Analog: Upload an image of your hand printed texture or take it a step further and share how you’ve used your texture: hand printed collage paper, note cards, or a creative project of your choice.

Digital: Digital texture file or share your file in a digital project such as a digital art print or repeat pattern, or a creative project of your choice.

Transition: Now that you know how versatile upcycled textures are, you can use this process in anything you can imagine, let’s get started collecting our upcycled texture materials. You probably already have many of these around the house.

See you in the next lesson!

Lesson 1: Title: Choosing Upcycled Texture Materials for Printing Success

Time: 2:30 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

Use what you have and experiment
Let’s hit the recycling bin and saved shipping materials
What makes a good printing material for upcycled textures
Show examples: bubble wrap (loose vs envelope), corrugated cardboard, rubber shelving materials, other packaging.
Upcycle and purchased at times
Show examples of materials and textures made from them.
Don’t be afraid to experiment - show some things that didn’t work

Transition: Now that we’ve collected some materials for printing let’s head into the next lesson and go over the basic supplies. You’ll find a downloadable PDF under resources with the list and a place for notes.

Lesson 2 Title: Basic Supplies to Get You Started

Time: 3 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

Downloadable PDF under Resources with room for notes
Supplies needed, how to use Analog - use your analog print for digital
- Upcycled materials
- Newsprint for work surface
- Variety of paper - explain differences
- Paints, opaque and watercolor
- Some kind of palette
- Foam or inexpensive brushes
- Water container, paper towels
- Pencil, scissors, ruler
- Cardboard and glue stick for making stamps
- Optional: gloves, apron

Digital
- Internet connection, smartphone or scanner, Adobe Illustrator - I’ll be demonstrating with the latest version Adobe Illustrator, 27.9

Transition: So We have got our materials and we’re ready to set up the print area and make our first prints. In the next lesson we’ll experiment with different paints, texture materials and paper. . I’ll share my tips for working with different materials and paints to achieve different looks.

Lesson 3 Title: Set-Up Your Work Space for Success
Time: 3 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

A few quick tips:
- Flat work surface - I like to stand for even pressure, but that’s up to you
- Show how I set up my print area so water doesn’t get knocked over, paint palette handy but not in the way, paper towel, and upcycled textures.
- Paper on my work surface
- Paper or cloth towel
- Water
- Brush, foam, palette
- Paint
- Scissors
- Paper to print
- Gloves, Apron, Cardboard cut in squares (optional) glue stick
- Can modify to suit personal work style. This is one idea

Transition: Our setup looks great! I can’t wait to start printing! See you in the next lesson and let’s make some upcycled texture prints.

Lesson 4 Title: Time to Print Textures!

Time 6:30 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

How to apply paint and ink with paint brush or foam brush
Opaque paint and watercolor will print differently
The benefit of a ghost print
Printing with one color, printing with two or more
Make a stamp or not
Printing on paper, tissue paper for collage
Printing on an object like a box

Idea: Sometimes I have an idea of how I want to use my patterns - maybe I’m making collage papers, or a texture on a card. There are other times when I’m experimenting and decide later.

Transition: We’ve done some fun experimenting and you can see that there are always surprises! The more you experiment the more you’ll see all the different looks you can get from the materials. Now that we have an idea of what the materials and textures can do, let’s get fancy!

Lesson 5 Title: Specal Effects, Metallics, and Combined Textures

Time: 3:00 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

It’s your art so I encourage you to experiment: Here are two ideas and some tips:

Demo: Adding multiple textures by combining different materials
Demo: Metallics or other special paints
Tips for success: Testing and letting paint dry between layers

Can’t wait to see what you’ll come up with!

In the next lesson we’ll look at several projects using hand printed textures. These are just a few of the ideas: textured note and gift cards, collage paper, wrapping paper, and a few extra surprises! You can use this process for any creative project you choose. I can’t wait to see what you create.

Lesson 6 Title: Hand Printed Project Ideas: What Will You Create?

Time: 3 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

Upcycled texture hand printed process can be incorporated into a variety of projects. Here are some examples and tips for printing ocollage papers, note cards, wrapping paper and even printing 3 dimensional objects.
Hand printed collage papers or papers for other projects
- Tips for using multiple colors and variety of papers
Hand printed note cards, paper products
- Tips for printing multiple looks
- Using paper to create a resist
- Wrapping paper, etc. Printing larger pieces of paper
Printing 3 D shapes

If you are using the Analog process for your final project, now is the time to upload a photo of your project and share so we can all enjoy your creativity. To upload a project (show steps)

Transition: In the next lesson we’ll dive into how to use your hand printed textures for digital artwork. I demonstrate the steps I use in Adobe Illustrator. Even if you don’t work digitally I think you’ll enjoy discovering the possibilities! See you there!

Lesson 7 Title: Taking it Digital - Single Color Texture

Time: 5 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

Single color print - image trace B & W
Show examples, scan/airdrop photo of bubble wrap, cardboard, rubber shelving materials - it’s the same process.
Open AI - file already have a color palette that I made earlier
Scan or photo, bring it into the computer desktop
- Place in file, Embed
Open Image Trace. Version 27.9 no longer has ignore white, ignore color
Many different methods, but these are my steps
- B & W - I don’t use the presents
- Advanced
- Ignore Color
- Adjust Threshold, Paths, Noise
Preview
Simplify anchor points
Expand, Ungroup, Clean up, Group again
Depending on your end use you might to use this as background texture or an actual print Art board, and then I’m going to put a color behind it -
PNG for texture on transparent background
Single color, or multiple solid colors
Digital textures can also be used for repeat patterns

Transition: In the next lesson we’ll discover the magic of combining a print made with water colors and the power of grayscale setting in Image Trace, combined with the Recolor Artwork Tool.

I can’t wait to show you my favorite trick for making multicolored textures!

Lesson 8 Title: Digital: The Magic of GrayScale and MultiColored Results

Time: 8 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

Overview: Single color print created with watercolor, image trace with gray scale setting
Select the number of colors - I have a color palette with 8 colors so I’m going to choose 6 so I have some extra -
White paper works the best
Show examples, scan in bubble wrap, corrugated cardboard, rubber shelving materials - same process.
Open Adobe Illustrator - file already have a color palette that I made earlier
- Scan or bring photos into the computer
- Place in file, Embed
Open Image Trace - new version - no longer has ignore white - ignore color
Many different methods, but this is how I go about it.
- Settings: Gray Scale, Choose # of Grays - Palette
- Advanced
- Ignore Color
- Adjust: Threshold, Paths, Noise
Preview
Simplify anchor points
Expand, Ungroup, Clean Up, Group -
Put a color behind it
Color Palette, Recolor Artwork Tool
Let’s have some fun recoloring this pattern -
If you like something, save it - I make a copy of everything - because you may never get it again! This is how I use the recolor artwork tool
I’m not teaching repeat patterns in this lesson but I have included some Skillshare classes but you could definitely do that, too.
Show texture file, export file

Transition: We'll take a quick look at the digital project possibilities we worked on in the next lesson. I can't wait to share!

Lesson 9 Title: Digital Projects: A Closer Look

Time: 2 Minutes

Talking Points and Key Concepts:

Digital Project Ideas to share:
- Texture file b & w or grayscale
- PNG - added texture for layering
- Repeat Pattern or Art Print
- And anything you want to try!

Transition: Meet me in the next lesson for final thoughts and how we can stay in touch!

Conclusion Video:

Title: Final Thoughts

Time: 2 Minutes

Thank you for taking the class
Review of Process, Projects and Skills learned
A reminder to upload project, follow, write a review
How to reach out to me on Skillsare and a final Thank you!

Betsy Mitten

Surface Pattern Designer, Artist

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