Designing With Patterns

Dress design by L

Last week we used lino prints to create a pattern (see previous post). This week we used Photoshop to put our patterns onto different surfaces to get an idea of how they could be used.

Robot army clothing collection by R

1. Photograph the artwork and upload it to the computer (you could also scan in the artwork).
2. Open Photoshop. First we are going to make the pattern smaller. Open a new document with dimensions 50 by 70 pixels. Use view/fit on screen to make it easy to see.
3. File/place and choose your photograph of the art work. Place it on the page and make sure it fills it completely (you may have to extend off the edge a little. It will look really pixelated, don't worry.
4. Edit/define pattern. Give it a name if you like.
5. You have just made a very small pattern based on the artwork. Next make a larger version. Run through the steps above again but this time start with a paper 500 by 700 pixels.
6. Go to Google and download some outline images that you would like to fill with the pattern. We chose clothing and interior designs.
7. Now open another new file, this time A4 (or whatever your printer paper size is). 
8. File/place and put in one of the outline drawings. Resize if needed so it fits the page.
9. Click the paint bucket tool.
10. In the top tool bar you will see a white box showing foreground. Change this to pattern. You will see a preview of the patterns available appear in the box next to the word pattern. 
11. Choose either your small or large pattern from the selection (click on the tiny arrow next to the patterns to see what you have). Fill areas of your base picture. 
12. At any time you can change back to solid colours by changing the word pattern back to foreground.

Cafe carpet by L

Bed covers by R

Bedroom by L

Sofa by R