Last week, we illustrated “Hero Designs” aka the main focal point of your collection.
This week, we're going to work on a complex pattern. A complex pattern is also called a supporting pattern, and it simply means that it's a pattern that complements your hero design and ties the collection together. But it has more depth, movement, and variation than a simple blender repeat (more on those types of patterns next week).
Here's why supporting patterns are useful:
The hero illustrations from your collection will be front & center on greeting cards. But the patterns could act as a cute accent for envelope liners. You could pitch the hero illustration on its own, but if your potential licensing partner was looking for accenting artwork, they might pass over your work if it doesn’t include supporting pieces like patterns!
And the best part? You don't have to start from scratch with these!
I often take elements that I've used in my hero illustration and rearrange them to create a complex pattern. In this example, I took the donuts from the hero and arranged them into a seamless repeat in Photoshop! It's all about working smarter, not harder!
Take a look at your own hero illustration, and see what elements you could turn into a fun repeating pattern!
I can't wait to see what you make!
