How to find inspiration as a surface pattern designer

Overcoming challenges in Surface Pattern Design: Part 1

There's nothing worse than staring at a blank canvas, not knowing where or how to start! And this can happen to us at all stages of our creative journey; from beginner right through to experienced artist!

As surface pattern designers there is so much to think about when we start a new pattern or collection. We need to consider:

• The style of the pattern (is it based on a historical movement, or an artisanal technique)

• The colours we're going to use.

• The composition of the pattern (eg how the pattern works, whether it's trailing, symmetrical, non directional etc).

• The theme of the pattern or collection - how we're going to tell a story through the art

• The motif choices and how they will fit together.

Even if we are clear on one of these issues, sometimes we lack inspiration in another area so it's still hard to get started!

So when we feel like we are lacking inspiration it doesn't always simply mean 'I don't know what to draw'. Sometimes we know what we want to draw we're just not sure how to put it together in a pattern with a strong composition, colour palette and theme. Or sometimes we have a composition in mind, but have no inspiration for theme or motif choices.

There's a lot to think about!

In this post I wanted to tackle the challenges of finding inspiration by breaking it down into sections so you can easily see the tips that correspond to your personal situation.

But as there are so many overlaps, I hope you will find all of these tips helpful in your creative process!

1. Finding inspiration for the style of your pattern

Style could relate to an artistic movement (such as Art Nouveau) or it could relate to a specific artisanal technique you are replicating (such as block print) or it could refer to the painting style you are designing in (such as painterly, watercolour or gouache)

• Research an artistic style

Researching a current or historical artistic style can be a great way to give yourself ideas, and this is something I love to do if I am feeling uninspired.

I predominantly look on Pinterest, but you could look through art books, or even take yourself to an art gallery to pick up ideas!

Last year I created a blog series on different artistic styles and how we can take inspiration from them into our patterns. I covered block printing, retro florals, William Morris and Cottagecore, so do check these out if you'd like some specific direction on any of these specific styles.

Another great resource I often pick up if I'm looking for inspiration is 'The Complete Pattern Directory' by Elizabeth Wilhide. This is a beautiful book featuring 1500 patterns from all from different historical periods and cultures.

Having a selection of patterns you have saved on Pinterest or bookmarked in a directory can be helpful to flick to if you're stuck on style.

• Experiment with the Procreate brush library

Sometimes just playing around with different brushes can give you inspiration for a particular painting style you might like to try.

The new brush library in Procreate has sections on all sorts of traditional painting and drawing mediums, so give yourself time to experiment with the brushes and see which ones you connect with.

Here are a few of my personal favourites:

2. Inspiration for the colours of your pattern

Colours can make or break your pattern so it's important to get this one right (I know that's easier said than done!)

• Take pictures of colour palettes when you're out and about

I am always taking pictures on my phone of palettes that inspire me. Whether that's a shop window, a book cover, or a beautiful sunset. Having a dedicated folder on your computer or iPad to upload these photos to is important so you can access them in the future when you need a spark of inspiration!

• Make use of free palettes

Many artists give away free palettes or include them with classes so if there's one you like the look of, don't hold back from importing it into your Procreate palettes to use later. I include palettes in both my Procreate Patterns Class and my Trailing Patterns Class.

• Spend time making your own colour palettes

There are a number of ways you can make your own cohesive palettes, and I have previously written a blog post on this, so if this is something you struggle with, be sure to check it out: 3 Ways to Create Your Own Colour Palettes in Procreate

• Embrace the monochrome!

A monochrome pattern is one that uses one colour plus white. That could mean just the one solid colour plus white but it could also mean using tints of that colour (adding white to get lighter versions) That means you can start with your favourite colour, add a couple of lighter versions and you have a palette to get started with!

There are some great ideas to browse through in this Monochromatic Spoonflower Design Challenge

3. Inspiration for the composition of your pattern

Composition refers to how the pattern fits together. For example, it could be trailing, symmetrical, scalloped or tossed. The possibilities are endless, but it is always good to vary your compositions. If you only ever create tossed, non directional prints, you may find it hard to put together a varied collection!

• Research composition styles

I have a whole blog post outlining 10 composition styles, filled with resources and ideas for each one. Start here if you're looking for ideas on new compositions to try.

• Study past Spoonflower challenges for ideas

One thing I love to do when I'm stuck on layouts is study the entries of previous design challenges. This will give you so many ideas for different layouts. Here are some past challenges that focus on a specific composition, or feature many designs with striking compositions:

Delft Tiles

Art Deco

Sophisticated Stripes

Minimalist Cheater Quilts

Non Directional Ditsy Holiday

Cheerful Checks

• Use a pattern sketch template

A great solution when you're stuck on composition is to use a sketch template. I have two packs of templates, each of which are designed to help you with your pattern creation process in Procreate.

Take a look below at a couple of templates from my second pack. You can see firstly a non directional, tossed template. And secondly a mosaic style template. With templates, the layout and composition are already planned out, you just need to add your own motifs over the top!

If you'd like to have a go with a free template first, I have one you could try out:

4. Inspiration for theme and motif choices

I've grouped theme and motif choices together as there are lots of overlaps between the two.

• Keep a sketchbook or notebook handy at all times!

It's a good idea to get into the habit of sketching a motif or writing down an idea when you're out and about so you don't forget it later. It's also helpful to have your phone handy to snap photos if you see something you'd like to base your work on.

If you make a habit of collecting ideas in one place, when you are lacking inspiration you can always take out your notebook and brose through your ideas.

Last summer I wrote about different ways to gather inspiration over the summer which you may like to revisit to get some ideas.

• Generate theme ideas

In a notebook or new canvas in Procreate make a list of different themes you could base your patterns on. These could be related to:

Hobbies (golf, sewing, baking etc)

Holidays and celebrations (Christmas, weddings, Valentine's)

Travel and places (Cities, mountains, landmarks)

Target audience (men, babies, teenagers, pet owners etc)

Nature (coastal, rainforest, desert etc)

Food and Drink (Afternoon tea, garden party, farmer's market etc)

Once you get going, you can come up with all sorts of exciting themes your pattern could be based on. Keep the list somewhere accessible so you can come back to it easily when you are lacking in inspiration.

• Design something for a Spoonflower Design Challenge

This is often a go-to for me if I don't know what to create! The Spoonflower challenge themes are always current and trending, so you know you will be creating something there is already a market for.

The briefs often come with colour or motif suggestions which will give you some preliminary ideas to get you started.

My bonus tip is: don't be restricted just to the current challenges. If you're looking for inspiration, browse back to former challenges to see if there's one you like the look of. Then you have the added benefit of scrolling through other people's interpretations of the theme!

You can also filter past challenges to certain themes in the search bar. This is a great way to get inspiration if you already have a theme in mind, but you're stuck on motif or composition ideas.

• Design something for a company you'd like to license to

If you have a dream company you'd like to work for, design something specifically for them!

Research their website and their products and make a note of the themes, colours and motifs they work with. Then create your own pattern or collection with these themes.

Once you have finished you have the added bonus of being able to send a pitch to the company with your work, which will fit their aesthetic perfectly!

What next?

This is just part 1 of the 'Overcoming Challenges in Surface Pattern Design' series. In the next post we'll be looking at how to fix spacing and gaps in patterns and how we get the motifs to fit together perfectly and professionally!

If you have a comment or a question, please feel free to leave it below and I'll get back to you!