I’ve been drawing, painting, tearing and scanning a variety of textures to make digital collages.
I spent a long time retouching scanned torn paper, then I layered and arranged them into colourful collage backgrounds like this.
I’m looking forward to experimenting with some more varied colour combinations now I’ve thoroughly explored the monochrome palette options. These will be for sale within my stock image offerings.
I opened an etsy shop to sell my patterns as printable craft papers. It’s a surprisingly time consuming process but I figure once each listing is up there it’s done and can be used repeatedly in the future. Here’s an example.
I’ve been going through some more of my older hand-drawn patterns and making vector versions of them. It is pretty time consuming but I really like the results.
I love the pattern making tools in the latest version of adobe Illustrator, they are an efficient way to create complicated and accurate pattern repeats. I’m having a hell of a time getting the pattern tiles not to explode when the file is saved in a legacy version though. Stock agencies like Shutterstock want the file saved as an Illustrator 10 eps so it’s a problem I need to solve. I have some ideas on how to do that which will keep me busy.
I think this one will be good as a fabric pattern too so it will eventually end up on my Spoonflower collection too.
Here’s an inverted version of the lino textured concentric circle pattern.
It’s my definition of inverted because the white on blue version came first but it could be argued that this is the positive version really.
I love the scanned lino print texture. I printed multiple versions of an uncut A4 lino sheet to get an authentic and convincing effect.
I’ve had a blogging hiatus but definitely not a creative one. The last few months I’ve been mainly focusing on pattern designs. I’ve opened a shop on Spoonflower with my first ten uploaded designs at https://www.spoonflower.com/profiles/quirkymundo
It’s what happens when you cross a vector pattern with a scanned lino print texture and a nice blue colour.
I remember way back when I was doing a BTEC in Graphic design I did a project that needed a design for a Windsor and Newton Gouache box. I painstakingly painted a complicated circles pattern using said gouache. 27 years later and I’m back to drawing circles.
I was so happy with the result of that project that it was the turning point that convinced me to be a graphic designer. In hindsight I think it was actually the circle pattern I was happy with, more than the graphic design elements that surrounded it.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing.
I have spent lots of time making colour charts for my different brands of markers. I find this oddly relaxing.
I also spend huge amounts of time working out colour schemes for my patterns.
Quirky Mundo - Pattern & Texture 