Rework Old Patterns and Expand your Portfolio
Hi Guys! You know what is so much fun? (Well, for pattern nerds like us, wink wink)
Going back to finished patterns, ones that have been labeled done, and messing around with them. You know, adding a layer, recoloring...just pushing them a bit further or in a different direction.
I've really been into this lately, for three reasons:
I know a lot more about how to build patterns after a few years of playing around and experimenting. I can now go back and improve upon some of my early pattern attempts!
I've finally tackled Photoshop, which allows me to design in a different way from Illustrator.
I feel confident taking risks and making mistakes now because I know I can clean them up (most of the time!).
Reworking old patterns is also a great way to expand your portfolio! Why start from scratch when you've got great material close at hand.
Here are a couple of my remix experiments:
On the left is Minty Gray Goodness, a pattern I created in Illustrator back in April 2016.
On the right is a remixed version, named White Flow. I created White Flow this past week by simplifying the color palette and playing around with transparency to add dimension.
On the left is Cherry Blossom Crush, a pattern I created in Illustrator back in May 2016.
On the right is a remixed version, named Soft Cherry. I created Soft Cherry about a month ago by adding layers of texture in Photoshop.
And here is a mash-up (mix of two patterns) done by Elena Essex, a lovely designer from Hove, UK.
She was in the middle of moving houses and became fixated on the idea of making a pattern for a lampshade. Because she was short on time, she decided to reuse old motifs. She pulled out and combined two patterns she had almost forgotten about.
This one...
Elena Essex Pattern
and this one...
Elena Essex Pattern
She saved a lot of time by not having to draw new motifs, instead put effort into spacing and recoloring the different elements. The end result was this...
Elena Essex Mashup Pattern
Pretty cool, huh? I hope this blog post inspires you to pull out some of your old patterns and start playing around with them. I think you'll be surprised by what you come up with.