Hey First name / friends!

 

Week 1 of the free mini collection challenge is off to an incredible start. If you haven't joined us yet, you've still got time to jump in!

 

Quick reminder if you haven't heard: For the next few weeks, I'm running a four-week challenge where you'll create a mini collection with me from start to finish. (Yep, I'm doing the prompts each week, too! 🤗) 

 

Everyone who participates in all four weeks will be entered to win a scholarship to my signature program, The Art of Collections (which opens on August 11th. Get on the waitlist for surprise bonuses, raw and unfiltered business advice in my Art Licensing Insiders email series, and early access to join!)

 

I put all of the mini challenge information together on one page, and you can check it out here. This will be your go-to spot for past prompts and all the juicy resources I'm sharing each week! Make sure to bookmark it and follow along!

 

Before we dive into this week's prompt, an exciting announcement! 👇🏼👇🏼👇🏼

To wrap up the mini collection challenge, I'll be hosting a free workshop where I'm I'm pulling back the curtain on how art licensing actually works. 

 

 

 

If art licensing has ever felt confusing, overwhelming, or out of reach, this workshop will clear things up. I'll show you what art directors are actually choosing, who really buys licensed art (hint: it's probably not who you think), and the smartest next move you can make to start landing deals no matter where you're beginning from.

 

You'll also meet a few of my students who were exactly where you are before they got their work licensed this year.

 

Bonus!! 🎉
I’ll also be giving away one scholarship to my signature program, The Art of Collections, to one lucky attendee. At the end of the call, I’ll share details about The Art of Collections and what’s coming next, since enrollment officially opens on August 11 for anyone curious about taking the next step.

 

Seats are limited, and you'll need to register in advance to save your spot and secure the replay. It's totally free to attend, but registration is required. Click the button below to let me know you're coming! 👇🏼

 

When: Tuesday, August 11th at 10am EDT
Where: On Zoom - RSVP Here to Get the Link!

Last week, you started your collection off strong with a hero design. This week, your challenge is to design a blender pattern! Bonus challenge: Create it in multiple coordinating colorways to bulk up your mini collection.

 

A blender pattern (also called a simple coordinate, simple pattern, or filler pattern) is exactly what it says on the tin – a simple pattern related to the theme and subject of your collection. 

 

Adding blenders is one of the quickest and easiest ways to make your collection more strategic and enticing for licensing partners. (More on that  in the challenge resources below!)

 

Here's a little behind-the-scenes of how I designed my abstract leopard blender patterns this week. 

 

At first glance, leopard print might not seem like an obvious companion to a crane, but I loved the story these pieces were telling together. The crane, magnolia branches, and the tropical palms I have planned for next week, all create a lush, wild atmosphere, so an abstract leopard print felt like a natural addition. 

 

I’m showing two versions because the pattern itself is so simple. Filling the entire space with just one variation felt a little repetitive, so instead I split the space to showcase two different colorways. The first is a classic black-and-white version, with the black matching the magnolia branches in the crane illustration. The second feels much more modern, using unexpected colors that you wouldn’t normally associate with leopard print.

Want to display you mini collection like this? Download my tear sheet template here!

This week, I've got three fantastic resources for you. First and foremost, here's a super helpful blog post I wrote about blender patterns to help you understand how to make them and the strategy behind it. 

Next, check out this mini collection blog post and steal my exact strategy for designing mini collections!

And last but not least, the free tear sheet template! This is the exact template I'm working off of as I design my collection along with you. You can download the tear sheet below 👇🏼

The Challenge Hub: Bookmark This Page!

Share all 4 prompts on Instagram by August 8th at 11:59pm EST to be entered to win a scholarship to my program, The Art of Collections!

Week #1: Hero Design

Week #2: Blender Pattern

Here are some of the incredible hero design submissions from last week. 

 

Don’t forget to share your blender patterns this week on Instagram with the hashtag #CreateWithCatCoq  and tag me @catcoq in the actual photo of your art for a chance to be featured in this newsletter and on my Instagram Stories.

I can't wait to watch your collections come to life!