
learn to create on-trend surface pattern designs from hand-drawn or hand-painted elements to seamless digital patterns, digitizing with photos or scans, and export high-res files for fabric, wallpaper, and more.
Gather your supplies and learn to turn hand drawn illustrations into patterns in Photoshop, using mediums from Sharpie to watercolor, and capture images with a phone or scanner.
Start with a hand-drawn motif, digitize it with a phone photo, and build a gridded pattern in Photoshop, then explore quick color edits and basic pattern techniques.
Turn hand drawn elements into patterns by exploring geometric and seamless patterns, using basic shapes and watercolor or acrylic techniques, then scan or photograph finished artwork for digital use.
Digitize hand painted elements from paper to screen by photo capture or scan; scanning with a Canon CanoScan LiDE 20 at 900 DPA enables larger reproductions and Photoshop editing.
Remove the paper background in Photoshop to isolate elements, using marquee and magic wand plus expand and feather, then cut and paste into geometric and watercolor groups for patterns.
Design geometric patterns in Photoshop by overlapping triangles, circles, and an asterix, with hue/saturation tweaks and precise alignment. Extend approach to a seamless pattern using watercolor lemon and orange shapes.
Design and master seamless repeating patterns by aligning edges for infinite tiling, using Photoshop tools to arrange fruit elements into a tile suitable for fabric, wallpaper, and web backgrounds.
Explore color and metallic textures in patterns, learn to create two-tone palettes and apply gold foil, and perform selective color edits using hue, saturation, and layer masks.
Master optimal save and export settings in Photoshop, preserving layers in the original Photoshop file, exporting for print-on-demand as jpeg, and using transparent png for a transparent background.
Learn how to easily create professional-quality surface design patterns in Photoshop!
Have you ever wanted to turn your hand-drawn art into a pattern? It’s actually pretty simple! In this class, you’ll learn the basics of transforming your sketch into a digital pattern. By the end, you’ll know all the techniques to create gorgeous, on-trend patterns out of your artwork.
What You’ll Learn:
Illustrating elements for patterns
Scanning/photographing tips
Deleting the paper background
Setting up your file
Copy & paste to make patterns
3 types of patterns: grid, geometric, seamless
Color exploration
Infuse metallic textures
Save & export settings
What You’ll Make:
By the end of the class, you’ll have a variety of custom-designed patterns as well as the skills to continue creating unique and on-trend surface designs.
Having the skillset to create surface designs is highly desirable right now. If want to start selling designs on sites like Spoonflower, Society6, or Redbubble, learning how to put patterns together is crucial.
What You’ll Need:
Adobe Photoshop
Scanner (or phone or camera)
Paper and art supplies (anything goes– markers, paint, pencil, etc.)
Who This Class is For:
This class is for anyone who wants to learn this cool skillset, whether you’re an established creative or you just want to learn something fun and new. You don’t have to be a professional artist to benefit from this class. This class is for everyone, but if you have a basic understanding of Photoshop, this will be easier for you.