9464f574

ASSIGNMENT

Your assignment is to design a complex half-drop repeating pattern using Adobe Illustrator.

Your inspiration can come from any variety of sources – the natural world, travel, a favorite memory, your kids' artwork, a theme / type of object you love / type of image (for example: circus, ocean, kitchen, geometric, folk floral, butterflies, mermaids, robots, etc), or anything else you feel called to create!

When learning the techniques and beginning to design a project, I encourage you to start simply. Learn the half-drop technique with one or two motifs, and then adding complexity to your designs as you continue to practice and gain confidence in the process.

DELIVERABLE

Upload a completed repeating half-drop pattern. Please show us your pattern tile as well as your pattern repeated in a larger 20x20" square. Please share as much as you like about your process in creating your pattern; for example: sketches, inspiration, mood boards, color palettes, and alternate colorways.

RESOURCES:

I hope these resources will be useful and inspiring. Find the downloadable resources to the right!

PDF guide: Download my step-by-step visual guide to creating a repeating half-drop pattern.

Downloadable Color Palettes: use as is or customize to your liking

Materials: Adobe Illustrator (you can start a free trial here), black pen, sketchbook or looseleaf paper, scanner / or smartphone with CamScanner app or camera / or digital camera. Other optional/helpful things to have: iPad Pro/drawing tablet and/or a Wacom tablet.

Inspiration: Check out these inspiring, colorful, and pattern-filled sites!

Pattern Camp blog

Print & Pattern Blog

Art Gallery Fabrics

Jessica Swift portfolio

Other helpful resources:

Adobe Illustrator Tools Primer – note: this video is for Illustrator CS5, but almost everything is the same as in the CC version of Illustrator. It'll still help you learn the program! The password to watch is illustratorisfun .