Pattern design Showcase Part 1- Module 1 (Feb 2016 Class)

Here at Make it in Design we are on the countdown to the start of a new term of classes which commence September 26, 2016 with Module 1: Designing Your Way and Module 3: Monetising your designs. Therefore we are really pleased to introduce part 1 of our 3-part showcase of the beautiful work from our very talented Module 1 students of The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design who took the course in February 2016. Here are some of our wonderful students and the work they have created over the 5 weeks in class.

Cebine Nieuwenhuize | Website

“After working a couple of years as an illustrator I had the idea that it would be best to stick with grey pencil, very detailed and nature-oriented illustrations. This course let me experiment and try things and now I also work with color more and can offer different styles! I am very happy”.

Crissie Rodda | Website

“This module was so energising. I loved the way it got me away from the computer and back to art making basics. It refreshed me and reminded me to think outside the square, get playful, to push my comfort zones and really embrace the creative process. I feel like I’ve grown so much in the last 5 weeks and now have a new found confidence to really trust in my natural artistic style”.

Richard Baker | Website

“The Module 1 course has reignited my motivation and passion…but equally as important, it has given me the belief that I can now move forward with a different style of work which can hopefully be successful commercially.

I found the course ideal for fitting around my current working commitments and was able to feel inspired by the groups achievements and support.

Last year I was involved in a car accident on my birthday and soon after suffered a stroke at the age of 34 years old…not ideal for somebody who never had a single day off sick in over 17 years of work. But I have fully recovered and the experience has made me more determined to achieve the surface pattern design career that I have wanted for over a decade. It has always been my dream.

So this course has totally changed my life by giving me back my enthusiasm for my long term passion, my confidence and a very strong belief that I can now move on and successfully achieve commercially. Above all, it has challenged me to be experimental, looser in the way in which I sketch and more professional in terms of presenting my work in the form of mood boards and co-ordinate sheets. I have loved everything about Module 1 and would really recommend it”.

Cassy Galon | Website |Instagram

“I loved how I could go to a place everyday and interact with individuals who not only had a love for surface pattern design but were learning right along with me. And the willingness of individuals to give positive critique and share resources was invaluable! If what I experience is what Module 1 had to offer, I can’t wait for Module 2,3 and 4!”

Debbie Kavanagh | Website

“The most powerful element of the course for me was being encouraged to mark make and experiment and to take our time doing this. I really did struggle to hone in on my own style until now but I now have a much clearer idea of how I’m going to develop this in the future”.

Kath Watmough | Facebook

“I have really enjoyed getting back to basics; mark making, experimenting and working in different ways. It has been inspiring and has given me a renewed sense of direction where anything is possible. Explore and have fun”.

Suzanne Allard | Instagram

“Rachael helped me broaden and loosen my style. The class is packed with insights about the business, design, and specific how-to as well. If you want to pursue the pattern design field, I can’t imagine not taking this class. I’m looking forward to Module 2”.

Bianca Pozzi | Website

“I think the most powerful element of this module is that it help me find so much about what my style is and what I like without copying any style. The assignments are great for that, and this gives me more confidence to create”.

Claudia Cerantola | Website

“One of the most powerful part of the course was the community where sharing, motivating, supporting, inspiring were just some of the invaluable things gluing together all the precious information packed in this amazing journey”.

Maja Ronnback | Website

“For me the most powerful element of Module 1 was the part about homing in on my signature style. The exercise to make a pattern love moodboard was a true eye opener that made me realize that I actually am homing in on my signature style”.

Louise Swanton |

“I enjoyed experimenting with different mark making activities in the course and looking into layering different images onto the same document to create texture”.

Rachel Sutherden |

“I learnt so much from module 1 but I think the most important lesson has been that I should concentrate on creating images I love, rather than worrying too much about what everyone else is doing or how to try and make a repeat pattern. The collaboration and support of the other students has also been an inspiring and humbling aspect of the course for me”.

Iffat Pugh | Website

“The most powerful element of Make it in Design Module 1 for me was colors and how it can create and/or affect a Design. I am more confident in my color choices and understanding how to use them to create a mood”.

Diane Margaret Hudson | Website

“The ABSPD course has given me the confidence to express myself as a designer. I’ve acquired skills and learned techniques I should have known years ago and all has been explained in a clear and logical fashion”.

Unblink Studio by Jackie Tahara | Website

“ABSPD Module 1 made me understand that surface design starts with doodling, mark-making, drawing, and experimentation without worrying about the end design. This has been extremely “freeing” for me and has set me on a course for developing my own personal style, which I had been struggling with”.

Ruth Hesse | Website

“As a newbie to Photoshop and Illustrator, I appreciate the straightforwardness of the technical workshops. The skills that I learned helped me to accomplish my goal of creating designs using motifs and textures that I have compiled over the past two decades as a monotype printmaker. I loved learning how to create custom palettes in particular”.

Ghazal Ali | Facebook

Ruth Ellen Parlour | Facebook

“ABSPD taught me how playing and having fun can lead me to beautiful patterns. There are no mistakes”.

Charlotte Price | Instagram

“ABSPD M1 was such an exciting journey and gave me so much motivation and inspiration to start creating my own work again.

The practical exercises helped build my confidence and the technical workshops equipped me with the skills to bring my drawings to life”.

Manon Garritsen | Website

“This course gave me confidence that illustration and pattern design is really what I’d love to do. The exercises without the use of a computer encouraged me to set aside my fear of failure and let me take on the challenge of ‘doing the work’. The outcomes of the course confirmed my own style, which I dare to embrace now!”

Christina Roos | Website

“This has been a refreshing and great course. Looking at pattern and working with its possibilities in different ways has been fun and educating”.

Lauri Baram | Website

“The color palette and pattern moodboards were unexpected inspirations for me. I love ALL colors and ALL patterns but these exercises are helping me to focus and move closer to my developing own design style”.

The Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design is the definitive guide to becoming a surface pattern design professional.If you have ever dreamed of seeing your designs on stationery, homewares, fabric or other products, this series of interactive online courses is for you! Thriving surface pattern designer Rachael Taylor will guide you along this exciting path from developing your signature style, to putting a collection together, and from protecting your work to monetising your designs. With a rich combination of design inspiration, practical advice, demonstrations, creative exercises, resources and interviews with leading industry practitioners, this is the go-to guide for anyone wanting to develop their design skills and break into the industry. Our next classes begin September 26, 2016 – we hope to be able to welcome you to class!