The Making of a Pattern Collection
Creating pattern collections used to be something I feared and dreaded. I had so much uncertainty around what my process should be, how many sketches and patterns I should make, and how many colors to use! It just wasn’t fun to spend the whole time guessing and then finish up feeling like I had done […]
The Studio is Growing!
The Studio turned 1.5 this summer and I’ve been reflecting on how much it has grown since we opened doors in January 2022. When I first had the idea to open a membership, I had no idea that in a little over a year we would have live drawing sessions by guest artists, interviews with some […]
3 Historical Pattern Layouts To Try
If you’ve ever had “pattern creative block” where you can’t seem to take that first step of drawing elements for your pattern, here is a trick: layouts! Pattern layouts are simple templates you can use as a starting place for your patterns, and there is no better place to find tried-and-true layouts than pattern history. […]
Best Surface Design Inspiration Books for Historical Pattern Lovers
Some of the links on this post are affiliate links, meaning I get a percentage of the purchase price, but it does not increase the cost for the buyer. I only use affiliate links for products I already own and love! If you know me at all, you know I have no qualms about doing […]
3 Historical Pattern Styles You Need to Know
Have you noticed that most modern patterns are made using the same basic scattered repeat? There are so many other ways to arrange pattern elements and literally hundreds of years of history to get inspired by! I wanted to share with you three of the most well-known pattern styles that I think every pattern designer […]
How to Plan, Design, and Sell a Greeting Card Collection
I’m in the process of releasing my new greeting card collection and it got me thinking about how streamlined my process has become for designing and selling my cards. In the early days, I struggled to sell a single card a month and was always guessing about what themes and styles would sell well. Now […]
3 Tips for Your Print-on-Demand Shop Makeover
I’ve been selling my art in POD (print-on-demand) shops since 2014, so needless to say I’ve been doing this long enough to make ALL the mistakes you can imagine. I started out knowing nothing about tags, trending topics, or how to market my shop, but over the years I’ve tested all the advice I could […]
What does AI Based Art Mean for Artists and Designers?
As most of you know, AI generated art is sweeping the internet right now and making lots of artists nervous. Is our art going to become less valuable because computers can make art now? Is copyright infringement going to get out of control because robots are scouring the web for images to sample? Should I […]
How to Create a Realistic Gouache Effect in Procreate + 3 Free Gouache Brushes
It is no industry secret that gouache is trending right now! The loose and layered gouache look evokes folk art with a modern twist and usually features bold and bright colors that pop on screen and in print! If you’re like me, you love the gouache look but don’t necessarily want to pull out your […]
The Stages of Designing a Pattern Collection
And Tips for Not Getting Stuck! I talk to so many artists who want to design pattern collections, but get stuck at some point in the process and never get to the end goal – a finished collection! Some common sticking points I’ve heard from creatives over the years: I just LOVE digging into inspiration […]
Tips for Turning your Traditional Art into Editable Digital Art on Your iPad
You all know that I love drawing on my iPad, but did you know that I started out my love affair with art on paper and canvas? There is something special about the look and feel of traditional materials on paper that is hard to replicate in a digital medium, so I’ve never fully left […]
The Best iPad and Stylus for Drawing on Your iPad
One of the most common questions I get from creatives who want to draw on their iPads (or want to upgrade to a new one) is “which model is best for drawing/lettering/creating patterns?”. I’ve been drawing on my iPad and selling the art I create on it since 2018, and I’ve gone through three different […]
