Hey, First name / friends!

For this week’s #CreateWithCatCoq challenge, I thought it would be fun to start a little series! We’re going to build off of our strawberry challenge from a few weeks ago and create a mini-collection of summer fruit illustrations.

 

I’ll share some tips on how to build a cohesive mini-collection in a bit, but first, let’s take a look at some of the submissions from the #CreateWithCatCoq strawberry challenge!

This week we’re focusing on another summer fruit - cherries! 

 

Summer fruits like strawberries and cherries are a great seasonal trend for summer products like beach towels, paper goods for picnics, and more. But they’re also a fairly evergreen trend that can work on products like stationery and home goods. 

 

It’s a win-win to have motifs like these in your portfolio!

This week, let’s build off of the strawberry illustration from two weeks ago, and create a cherry illustration in a similar style. (If you missed the strawberry challenge - that’s ok! You can catch up this week!)

Quick update: Instagram has changed the way that we view hashtags on the platform. If you want a chance to be featured on my Instagram Stories and in this newsletter, there is an important new step to follow when sharing your challenge submissions. 

 

In addition to using the hashtag #CreateWithCatCoq, Make sure to tag me @catcoq in the post (not just mentioning me in the caption). This way I can find your illustration and like, comment, and share it! 

We’re going to have a total of three fruit illustrations in this mini-collection - stay tuned for the third prompt coming next week! 😊

 

Here are some of my top tips for making a cohesive mini-collection:

 

Use a similar color story for all of the illustrations in the collection. Your illustrations don’t have to be perfectly “matchy-matchy”, but they should use a similar color palette and look like they belong together.

Build variation into your collection. While it’s important to have cohesion in your collections, you also want each design to be able to stand on its own. Make sure that the designs in your collection look like they belong together but vary the size, color, and subjects so that not everything looks the exact same.

Bonus: Blender Patterns: If you want to take your mini collection to the next level, consider adding some blender patterns in addition to your fruit illustrations. A blender pattern is a simple pattern (think polka dots, stripes, and other simple geometric patterns) that can be pitched alongside the main motifs as a full set. 

 

The blender patterns in this collection are the geometric patterns in the middle!

If you want more collection tips, check out my collections deck where I give you a behind-the-scenes look at the collections in my portfolio!

I can’t wait to see your cherry illustrations! Make sure them on Instagram with the hashtag #CreateWithCatCoq and follow the new step of tagging me @catcoq on the post so I can easily find your work and share it!

 

Have a fabulous week!