Tag: tiles

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From doodling to jacket

I’ve never been the mandala type. I can appreciate their precise beauty, but it doesn’t suit my nature. When I tried to draw mandalas and listen to my inner voice, the result was not symmetrical or classically beautiful. I got crazy colorful doodles instead. So, they lay at the bottom of a drawer for years.  

I gave them a second chance to live when I learned how to create tile patterns. Using a very simple method I succeeded, and the “crazy faces” pattern was born. Among many others, this one most reflects who I am.

Crazy faces pattern

For a long time, I wanted to sew clothing from fabric with my own pattern on it. But I don’t like to wear synthetic fibers that most printers print custom patterns on. That’s why I postponed my dream until recently. My “crazy faces” pattern kicked me forward and I decided to order a softshell for a winter jacket.

printed fabric

I should note that I sew everything by hand, so the winter jacket was a big challenge and took a long time.

me in jacket

Eureka, it’s done! I like to wrap myself in an energy that is all my own. I feel safe and happy.

Love and hugs,

Ivana

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Repeated pattern, part two

Thanks for the encouragement to make repeated pattern from my artwork, printable on fabric!

Since the hand-drawing tiles were demanding on patience, accuracy and time, I tried to dive into editing tools a bit deeper. Even free software contains a long list of them, under whose names I usually can’t imagine anything at all.

I’m a beginner, but I’m not a coward! Moreover, I was gifted by the nature of a discoverer. So I tested applying one tool after another until I met the right one. Hurrah!

So far I haven’t tried any modifications to the basic settings, instead I immediately applied this tool to a million of my existing artworks.

The results are not such repeated patterns I originally imagined, but some of them are damn interesting, what do you think?

Where available, they are linked to the posts with original images.

Myrtle – colored pencils + liner, Aquarius – colored pencils, Alchemilla – colored pencils + liner

Quo vadis – colored pencils + liner, Yellow bedstraw – colored pencils + liner, Hidden secret – colored pencils

Iris – watercolor, Peony – watercolor, Rose – watercolor

How to reach perfection – colored pencils, Water – colored pencils + liner, Fire – watercolor

Let me know if you found a favorite. It’ll help me keep improving. Thanks a lot!

Hugs and love,

Ivana

P.S. The featured image contains a part of the leaves with droplets, see In the middle of lockdown.

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Hand-drawing tiles

Somewhere in the depths of my heart, a dream had been hidden for a long time. The dream of wearing clothes with my art on it. I mean to sew clothes from the fabric on which my art is printed.

From many reasons I considered this dream unrealistic. But something has changed. Maybe I gained more self-confidence, maybe I just met the right website at the right time. Even a local company offers printing on fabric with a customer design at reasonable price from a small quantity! Is it really possible?

Having no other excuses at this end, I had to deal with how to create a digital pattern from my artwork. Which is a totally new world with zillion questions every minute.

I had no idea how to arrange the pattern if I didn’t want to leave a white background. To be honest, I don’t know until now. Any good advice is welcome!

What I did was a manual method using scissors, duct tape and a lot of patience. It meant cutting paper into quarters and moving them during drawing, thus simulating the continuity of the edges.

Then just check the continuity on computer and retouch remaining edges after scanning, and look at the finished pattern!

If it seems simple, then know that the whole process took me more than 20 hours. Plus many more hours of searching on internet and learning of graphic editing. But I am ready to create a real pattern and improve my skills.

Next, I would like to create a pattern from existing artwork that was not originally designed as a pattern. A long way ahead.

In case you have a good advice for a beginner like me, I will be very grateful!

Love and hugs,

Ivana