JOIN OUR NEXT LIVE Class: COMING SOON!
The Ultimate Portfolio Builder is an advanced, seven-week online professional surface pattern design course, consisting of an intense five-week class followed by two weeks of design reviews.
This LIVE* powerful course will give you all the tools and advice you need to grow your body of commercially viable work, refine and strengthen your professional design portfolio and give you the fast-track to trade show success.
Brought to you in association with Printsource New York, one of the top surface and textile design shows in the world, this course will provide you with exclusive insight to help you secure the right buyers for your work, deal effectively with clients and discover the secrets to landing the work, jobs and clients you dream of.
*LIVE = Runs for a limited time at certain times during the year. Includes Q&A’s with Course Leader and globally renowned designer Rachael Taylor every week of the course, new class content every day, live design briefs and live community interaction.
This course includes:
- Five weeks of exceptional in-depth teaching on various subject matter (objects, characters, nature, geometrics, typography and abstract), colour and media, the power of recolouring, designing for occasions, genre and style, audience and market and so much more
- Two weeks of invaluable individual work reviews from industry experts such as Janine Burrows and Davinder Madaher so you can understand where you are now and how to move forward. (Please note this requires you to submit work at the start of the 2nd week of class: Sept 21, 2020)
- A series of fun creative design challenges to help you grow as a designer and build a strong, rounded portfolio
- LIVE briefs from real companies such as Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine, The Art File and Scribbler PLUS others looking to sign the next big talent. They’ve already signed up a number of our students, could you be next?
- 12 video based technical masterclasses from guest expert designers on typography, characters, photography, mixed media collages and more, to hone your professional design skills. Find out more below or on our Technical Workshops page
- Insight into the practicalities of managing a growing design studio
- Trade show planning advice direct from the experts
- Opportunity each week of the course to put questions to design expert Rachael Taylor
PLUS
- An incredible four-part creative brief from Printsource to help you attract the clients you want and the kind of work you dream of
- Creative Mentorship Competition – win an incredible opportunity to get professional and personal trade show planning advice from our very own Rachael Taylor and the Make it in Design team.
- Bonus material on managing your finances, how to be your own career strategist and thinking outside the box
- Access to a huge library of textures to give your work depth and distinction
- Access to professionally shot, exclusively styled room set and stock photography images ready-made for you to render your designs on
- A selection of colour palettes intended to help you push your colour choices
- One awesome global design community
And a whole lot more – this course really is jam-packed full of goodness!
Industry leading trade show Printsource offers expert advice for getting your portfolio show ready
Just a selection of our amazing archive of resources that YOU could get access to!
Technical videos masterclasses included in The Ultimate Portfolio Builder:
1) Character Design with Allison Cole:
- Tips For Creating a Successful Character Part A – Learn the basic elements of building a character design
- Tips For Creating a Successful Character Part B – Hints and tips for working with scanned, hand-drawn imagery for successful character design
2) Typography with Faye Brown:
- Working With Typography Part A – Hints and tips for creating graphic styles of typography
- Working With Typography Part B – Learn how to create and illustrate your own lettering and typefaces
3) Mixed media and collage with Adrian O’Meara:
- Working With Mixed Media Part A – Hints and tips for working with mixed media art originals (demonstrated with the work of Kelly-Rae Roberts)
- Working With Mixed Media Part B – Learn how to create a half-drop repeat from your mixed media art originals (demonstrated with the work of Kelly-Rae Roberts)
4) Photography with Adrian O’Meara:
- Working With Photography Part A – Hints and tips for editing and manipulating photography
- Working With Photography Part B – Learn how to create seamless repeats with your own photography
5) Half drop, multi-layered and artistic repeats with Jessica Hogarth:
- Working With Repeats Part A – Hints and tips for creating a technical half-drop repeat tile
- Working With Repeats Part B – Hints and tips for creating a half-drop repeat suitable for wallpaper
6) Mock-ups with Adrian O’Meara:
- Creating Mock Ups Part A – How to render patterns onto stock photography (demonstrated using Rachael Taylor’s artwork)
- Creating Mock Ups Part B – Learn how to use different techniques and effects to create a realistic fabric product mock-up and create and fill a whole room set with your designs (demonstrated using Course Leader Rachael Taylor’s artwork).
This is for you if:
- You have completed Monetising Your Designs – Module 3 (although this is not a pre-requisite)
- You want to expand and develop your professional portfolio to show your versatility as a designer
- You want to learn more complex techniques for sophisticated and commercially-appealing surface pattern design
- You want to connect with other established designers and learn from industry experts
- You want to know how to secure top deals at trade shows and attract the right work
- You want to generate more income from your existing designs and create a new body of work
- You want to be pushed outside your comfort zone so you’re ready to handle any brief
- You want to make it as a professional surface pattern designer
Please note this course is not assessed but does include individual critique and review of your portfolio and website. This requires you to submit work at the start of the 2nd week of class (Sept 21, 2020)
You will need to be proficient in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to get the most out of this course. Please note we do not offer technical guidance for any other software programmes (including free software).
Individual Work Review Examples
How would you like to have your beautiful design work reviewed by an industry expert so they can tell you what you’re doing right, and how to move forward?
Imagine getting your unique design work directly in front of an industry expert – someone who knows exactly what the clients you dream of are looking for, and who can can guide you precisely towards what you need to do to land the work you want! That’s exactly what you get in our incredible course, The Ultimate Portfolio Builder, which includes five weeks of class content plus an individual review of your design work, presented as a video which you can download and watch over and over again so you don’t miss a thing.
Below we share a few short extracts from past video reviews as kindly shared by our students so you can get a flavour of what to expect!
Testimonials and successes:
Our alumni explain what they found most valuable about this course, how it has benefited their career and why they would recommend it:
Here are a handful of words used by previous students to describe this module:
“a great investment”
” an amazing experience ”
“a great motivator”
“an intense, highly focused course that will propel you to the next level”
“highly recommended for anyone serious about a career as a surface pattern designer
“insightful, thorough and encouraging”
“jam packed with opportunities”
“potentially life changing”
“real-world experience”
“totally motivating”
Course alumni have gone on launch their own design studios, win national awards, be featured in design books and on leading blogs and more. Many of our graduates are exhibiting at top shows, forming collectives, signing exciting licensing deals and enjoying lots of surface pattern success.
Read a handful of our class testimonials, check out our alumni successes and see what our students are getting up to!
Experience, software, materials and device requirements:
Experience requirements:
This course is aimed at advanced level designers. You do not need to have taken any of our other courses in order to take part but this is a natural follow on course from Monetising Your Designs (Module 3).
Software:
In the course our masterclass tutors will be teaching their video workshops in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. If you wish to follow the technical workshops then you will need to have these programmes available to you. Please note that the software is not included in class and it will need to be purchased separately from Adobe.
Devices:
We do not have a set device requirement other than if you wish to follow the technical section of the course then your device will need to be able to run Adobe programmes sufficiently. The team works on Apple devices but we have had students also work on PC’s. If you have a scanner for uploading your drawings then this is great, but you can upload photography of your drawings to work on too.
How to register:
Check out our Terms & Conditions. We strongly encourage you to read these before registering, as registering for one or more modules acknowledges acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
JOIN OUR NEXT LIVE Class: COMING SOON!
The Ultimate Portfolio Builder is an advanced, seven-week online professional surface pattern design course, consisting of an intense five-week class followed by two weeks of design reviews.
This LIVE* powerful course will give you all the tools and advice you need to grow your body of commercially viable work, refine and strengthen your professional design portfolio and give you the fast-track to trade show success.
Brought to you in association with Printsource New York, one of the top surface and textile design shows in the world, this course will provide you with exclusive insight to help you secure the right buyers for your work, deal effectively with clients and discover the secrets to landing the work, jobs and clients you dream of.
*LIVE = Runs for a limited time at certain times during the year. Includes Q&A’s with Course Leader and globally renowned designer Rachael Taylor every week of the course, new class content every day, live design briefs and live community interaction.
This course includes:
- Five weeks of exceptional in-depth teaching on various subject matter (objects, characters, nature, geometrics, typography and abstract), colour and media, the power of recolouring, designing for occasions, genre and style, audience and market and so much more
- Two weeks of invaluable individual work reviews from industry experts such as Janine Burrows and Davinder Madaher so you can understand where you are now and how to move forward. (Please note this requires you to submit work at the start of the 2nd week of class: Sept 21, 2020)
- A series of fun creative design challenges to help you grow as a designer and build a strong, rounded portfolio
- LIVE briefs from real companies such as Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine, The Art File and Scribbler PLUS others looking to sign the next big talent. They’ve already signed up a number of our students, could you be next?
- 12 video based technical masterclasses from guest expert designers on typography, characters, photography, mixed media collages and more, to hone your professional design skills. Find out more below or on our Technical Workshops page
- Insight into the practicalities of managing a growing design studio
- Trade show planning advice direct from the experts
- Opportunity each week of the course to put questions to design expert Rachael Taylor
PLUS
- An incredible four-part creative brief from Printsource to help you attract the clients you want and the kind of work you dream of
- Creative Mentorship Competition – win an incredible opportunity to get professional and personal trade show planning advice from our very own Rachael Taylor and the Make it in Design team.
- Bonus material on managing your finances, how to be your own career strategist and thinking outside the box
- Access to a huge library of textures to give your work depth and distinction
- Access to professionally shot, exclusively styled room set and stock photography images ready-made for you to render your designs on
- A selection of colour palettes intended to help you push your colour choices
- One awesome global design community
And a whole lot more – this course really is jam-packed full of goodness!
Industry leading trade show Printsource offers expert advice for getting your portfolio show ready
Just a selection of our amazing archive of resources that YOU could get access to!
Technical videos masterclasses included in The Ultimate Portfolio Builder:
1) Character Design with Allison Cole:
- Tips For Creating a Successful Character Part A – Learn the basic elements of building a character design
- Tips For Creating a Successful Character Part B – Hints and tips for working with scanned, hand-drawn imagery for successful character design
2) Typography with Faye Brown:
- Working With Typography Part A – Hints and tips for creating graphic styles of typography
- Working With Typography Part B – Learn how to create and illustrate your own lettering and typefaces
3) Mixed media and collage with Adrian O’Meara:
- Working With Mixed Media Part A – Hints and tips for working with mixed media art originals (demonstrated with the work of Kelly-Rae Roberts)
- Working With Mixed Media Part B – Learn how to create a half-drop repeat from your mixed media art originals (demonstrated with the work of Kelly-Rae Roberts)
4) Photography with Adrian O’Meara:
- Working With Photography Part A – Hints and tips for editing and manipulating photography
- Working With Photography Part B – Learn how to create seamless repeats with your own photography
5) Half drop, multi-layered and artistic repeats with Jessica Hogarth:
- Working With Repeats Part A – Hints and tips for creating a technical half-drop repeat tile
- Working With Repeats Part B – Hints and tips for creating a half-drop repeat suitable for wallpaper
6) Mock-ups with Adrian O’Meara:
- Creating Mock Ups Part A – How to render patterns onto stock photography (demonstrated using Rachael Taylor’s artwork)
- Creating Mock Ups Part B – Learn how to use different techniques and effects to create a realistic fabric product mock-up and create and fill a whole room set with your designs (demonstrated using Course Leader Rachael Taylor’s artwork).
This is for you if:
- You have completed Monetising Your Designs – Module 3 (although this is not a pre-requisite)
- You want to expand and develop your professional portfolio to show your versatility as a designer
- You want to learn more complex techniques for sophisticated and commercially-appealing surface pattern design
- You want to connect with other established designers and learn from industry experts
- You want to know how to secure top deals at trade shows and attract the right work
- You want to generate more income from your existing designs and create a new body of work
- You want to be pushed outside your comfort zone so you’re ready to handle any brief
- You want to make it as a professional surface pattern designer
Please note this course is not assessed but does include individual critique and review of your portfolio and website. This requires you to submit work at the start of the 2nd week of class (Sept 21, 2020)
You will need to be proficient in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator to get the most out of this course. Please note we do not offer technical guidance for any other software programmes (including free software).
Individual Work Review Examples
How would you like to have your beautiful design work reviewed by an industry expert so they can tell you what you’re doing right, and how to move forward?
Imagine getting your unique design work directly in front of an industry expert – someone who knows exactly what the clients you dream of are looking for, and who can can guide you precisely towards what you need to do to land the work you want! That’s exactly what you get in our incredible course, The Ultimate Portfolio Builder, which includes five weeks of class content plus an individual review of your design work, presented as a video which you can download and watch over and over again so you don’t miss a thing.
Below we share a few short extracts from past video reviews as kindly shared by our students so you can get a flavour of what to expect!
Testimonials and successes:
Our alumni explain what they found most valuable about this course, how it has benefited their career and why they would recommend it:
Here are a handful of words used by previous students to describe this module:
“a great investment”
” an amazing experience ”
“a great motivator”
“an intense, highly focused course that will propel you to the next level”
“highly recommended for anyone serious about a career as a surface pattern designer
“insightful, thorough and encouraging”
“jam packed with opportunities”
“potentially life changing”
“real-world experience”
“totally motivating”
Course alumni have gone on launch their own design studios, win national awards, be featured in design books and on leading blogs and more. Many of our graduates are exhibiting at top shows, forming collectives, signing exciting licensing deals and enjoying lots of surface pattern success.
Read a handful of our class testimonials, check out our alumni successes and see what our students are getting up to!
Experience, software, materials and device requirements:
Experience requirements:
This course is aimed at advanced level designers. You do not need to have taken any of our other courses in order to take part but this is a natural follow on course from Monetising Your Designs (Module 3).
Software:
In the course our masterclass tutors will be teaching their video workshops in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. If you wish to follow the technical workshops then you will need to have these programmes available to you. Please note that the software is not included in class and it will need to be purchased separately from Adobe.
Devices:
We do not have a set device requirement other than if you wish to follow the technical section of the course then your device will need to be able to run Adobe programmes sufficiently. The team works on Apple devices but we have had students also work on PC’s. If you have a scanner for uploading your drawings then this is great, but you can upload photography of your drawings to work on too.
How to register:
Check out our Terms & Conditions. We strongly encourage you to read these before registering, as registering for one or more modules acknowledges acceptance of these Terms & Conditions.
