Vibrant Desert
Earlier this year, I participated in an online program for the second time. It's called Surface Design Immersion with Bonnie Christine, and it's all about learning how to make art that can be used in pattern designs. It's an excellent program - everything from how patterns are built to the best tools in Adobe Illustrator for making repeating patterns. Bonnie is an incredible instructor - so inspiring and professional - and I have learned so much from this program.
During Immersion, you choose a theme for your own pattern collection, and I decided to look to my desert home for inspiration. Combining the incredible landscape around me with the vibrant colors of our Arizona sunsets, Vibrant Desert was born.
After creating a mood board and palette for the collection, I started doing color studies in my sketchbook. All those studies can be found in my portfolio now under Vibrant Desert.
Here's what I learned while working on this collection:
The desert is endlessly fascinating. The plants that grow here are often Seussian. The mountains and rolling landscapes make the most interesting shapes. The light is intense and warm. And the sunsets are vivid.
I'm obsessed with color. (Okay, I already knew that. But this collection really solidified it for me.) When some people see the Arizona desert, they see brown and green. But my collection went in a whole different direction - and I love that.
I'm more interested in the studies than the patterns. Once I started making studies, I realized that I didn't really want to make patterns out of them. I wanted the studies to stand on their own.
Materials to recommend:
The Moleskine Art Sketchbook is my ride or die. I usually buy this in red, size large (5" x 8.25" - or A5), but I have also grabbed a few Blick Exclusive versions in Wisteria. This paper is tinted, so white pens/paint show beautifully. It's 165 gsm in weight, so it can take my beloved Inktense paints and pencils. It's portable without being bulky and solid without being precious. There is always one in my bag. Always.
While in Santa Fe, New Mexico, my bestie Lenny and I found these Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pen Dual Markers. They are juicy and saturated and SO GOOD. One end is brushy, the other has a really durable 0.8mm tip for detail. They feel good in the hand, and lush on the page. The best part: These are india inks - acid-free, odorless, permanent, and waterproof when dry. And they do NOT bleed through paper.
Finding white gel pens that can get the job done is hard. But I've cracked that code. I found a set of ZSCM White Highlight Pens, including one that's brushy and two fineline white gel pens that WORK. Less than $10 on Amazon. Don't sleep on this.
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