Welcome!
On most Wednesdays, check this blog for a strategy, process, or reflection for illustration with the iPad app ProCreate or Affinity Designer. This week my art and photography included 100 day project, Spoonflower challenges, a video solution, birthday cards, and a bit of fun.
Fun
In Lisa Bardot’s Art Maker’s Club, I learned a bit more about line work with this class where line work helps emphasize the vintage phone’s aspects. Learning how to coil the cord was a great trick.
Sharing a Video with a Solution
Select, Invert, Clear
In Jennifer Nichol’s Creative Journey Community [affiliate link], a member asked how to “color” a motif with a colorful background image. I wrote the steps, but there’s so much variety in approaches that I decided to make a video to help her. In this video, you’ll learn how to color a motif with a background using Select, Invert, and Clear.
Birthday Cards
My folk art card with the rabbit was perfect for Ashlyn, who loves animals. I repurposed my Lemons and Ladybugs pattern for Dillon’s card. I hope they enjoyed them.
Spoonflower Challenges
Last week I shared my many trials for creating a bold floral pattern with the lovely wildflower, the shooting star, as my inspiration. I even added in some of the folk art rabbits.
However, though I love the patterns, they just weren’t BOLD enough for the Bold Floral Spoonflower Design Challenge. I had decided to create a zoomed in, more abstract motif to create another pattern. I ended up with the pattern at top left in the gallery below, then decided it needed a bit of contrast so I added green leaves. Then I created the pink/purple color way, then the monochrome greens and the blues and yellows versions.
Bold Floral Shooting Star Pink / Purple Wildflower
Bold, large scale wildflower in high energy pinks and purples with intense greens and yellow, perfect for statement wallpaper and DIY handmade goods.
Bring spring’s shooting star wildflower right into your home— maximalist florals in eye-catching colors. Inspired by bright, early spring wildflowers that proclaim “Be fearless!”
It is definitely BOLD, and the colors and pattern are growing on me. I think I will order the placemats. That will brighten the dining area!
Next in Spoonflower
The next Spoonflower challenge is Floral Block Prints. I’ve got an idea for it based on an old pattern collection with a limited palette focus in block print style.
I plan to create a design with these block print motifs in one of the traditional styles: wavy lines, diamond, or floral stripes so that it fits with the “classic” and “repetitive” parts of the design expectations. We’ll see how it goes!
One big help for anyone completing these challenges is MaddaMom’s helpful group and suggestions/resources for creating and collaborating on challenge expectations. I am most grateful for her help and encouragement. She will have a class on Skillshare on working with design challenges; I’ll post it here when it’s up. Right now she has an alternative on Gumroad. Check it out here if you’re working on a design challenge. Great info on key words, descriptions, and titles.
Another help is the V & A Sourcebook of Pattern and Ornament. It’s a wealth of historical pattern styles in beautiful pictures.
The 100 Day Project
The 100 Day Project from Lindsay Jean Thomson with a website, IG, and podcast. The hashtag is #the100dayproject.
The goal is to make a plan for drawing every day for 100 days– five to ten minutes. That seems doable, doesn’t it? What if you miss a day — listen here. My advice: enjoy it; don’t worry if you miss, just keep going as you can.
Come and join the fun.
I’ve already completed 20 rabbits — find them all in the Bunnies and Bears post. And now I’m working on 20 bears. The first five I sketched and posted here, and now I’m on Day 12 of bears, so here are Days 6-12:
Thanks for stopping by!
It’s been a busy week for learning, improving, and trying new things in design strategies.
The more you draw and design, the better your art develops, along with your confidence. We were all beginners once! If you have any questions, just ask! I’d be glad to help with what I know. Find time to make art every day!
You can find many helpful artists teachers on my Artist Resources page. Take a look at their IG and YouTube. Find one that fits your learning and art preferences and stick with them a while to develop your skills. Every day, another aha!
You’re welcome to follow this blog for art inspiration. We can share with #warmup4art to enjoy our work together! I look forward to your sharing and find me at @42Sheri, on Mastodon Sheri42, on Flickr teach.eagle Sheri 42.
I wonder, if I draw a line... 