Hey First name / friends!

 

We're keeping the trend momentum going this week with a hot trend that's been growing in popularity: Harlequin Patterns.

 

This trend takes classic argyle or harlequin grids and fills each diamond with a small motif. It’s been showing up across high fashion and is now trickling into surface pattern design. The appeal is the contrast: you get this structured geometric layout paired with something softer and more organic inside the shapes. It’s an easy trend to reinterpret because the structure does half the work and the motifs allow the personality to shine.

 

One thing I talk about a lot is how you can tap into trends without losing your own style, and the harlequin pattern is a great example of this. 

 

My students inside of The Art of Collections have been creating some incredible harlequin patterns and I think these are all fantastic examples of how a trending motif can be applied across a wide range of styles! Here are a few of their fantastic patterns!

Olena is one of our incredible scholarship recipients, and her harlequin pattern just got some serious love on Spoonflower! She placed 53rd out of 1,538 other artists in a recent Spoonflower challenge. This is a fantastic way to gain exposure and get more eyes on your art. Getting that close to the top 50 is a HUGE accomplishment! Olena's herb/floral themed harlequin pattern is so classic and beautiful. I especially love the textured linework on the background and the lines of the diamond itself. 

 

Tracy included this fun pattern as part of a Cowgirl/Horses collection. She capitalize on multiple trends (horses, paisley, and the cowgirl aesthetic) in her collection, and this harlequin design was the perfect trend-forward supporting pattern. I love her unique scalloped diamonds! (Scallops were a trend last year, so she really brought all the strategic angles to this pattern 🤗)

 

Elsie shared this adorable baby animal harlequin pattern as part of a larger collection. I just love the sweet little characters she created! She made some seriously strategic movies with this collection by taking motifs from her hero illustrations and resizing them so that they'd cohesively fit into this cute little harlequin pattern.

 

Luana has been incorporating the harlequin pattern in a few of her collections. Both of these patterns are doing double duty in terms of trends. You've got the harlequin motif, but you've also got charms and frogs (current trends) inside! This is exactly the kind of strategic thinking that will make your artwork shine! And, I mean, how cute is that little frog with her glass of champagne??

 

As you can see, each of those artists clearly have a unique style, but they were able to incorporate the trend in their portfolio without losing their artistic voice. 

 

Now it's your turn! Create a harlequin pattern of your own and share it with me on Instagram!

 

To make sure I'm able to see and share your work, use the hashtag #CreateWithCatCoq and tag me @catcoq in the actual photo so I can see! I can't wait to see your personality shine! ✨

Here are a few of the amazing submission from last week's challenge!

 

Make sure to click on the photos to see each artist on Instagram and give them some love! When we help each other grow, we all rise : )

 

Have a fabulous week!