=FREE MINI COURSE=

Create a Trailing Floral

With Bärbel

LESSONS

Click the images below to visit each lesson:

Lesson 1

EXPLORING 3 HISTORICAL STYLES

Lesson 2

PLAN THE STRUCTURE & LAYOUT

Lesson 3

DRAW THE MOTIFS & REPEAT DESIGN

Lesson 4

DIGITALIZE, ADD COLOR & TEXTURE

Lesson 5

CREATE THE REPEATING PATTERN

Lesson 1 assignment:

1. Decide on a style for your pattern, whether it’s one of the 3 historical styles we’ve just studied, or another style.

2. Explore different ways to draw the branches, flowers and leaves. Test different levels of detail and complexity, how the branches fork and bend, how to draw the petals, leaf shapes, details and textures.

The purpose with this assignment is simply to experiment and see where your imagination takes you. We’re not drawing our final motifs, but if you do this step you will be able to use these explorations and drafts as inspiration and even templates to draw from in a later step.

Tools & Supplies

LESSON 1 - Explore 3 historical styles (and practice drawing)
• Pencil & sketching paper

LESSON 2 - Plan the structure & layout
• A stack of sticky notes, or thin sketching paper
• Pencil (soft), or a fineliner or marker
• Optional: Lightbox or tracing paper
• A ruler
• Computer and Adobe Illustrator (optional for this lesson)

LESSON 3 - Draw the motifs & repeat design
• A large sheet of paper (or 4 to tape together)
• Pencil & eraser
• Lightbox, window or tracing paper

LESSON 4 - Digitalize, add color and texture
• Fineliner
• Lightbox, window or tracing paper
• Scanner or camera
• Computer and Adobe Illustrator*

LESSON 5 - Create the repeating pattern
• Computer and Adobe Illustrator*

* I'll be using Adobe Illustrator for demonstrating the digital steps. If you're proficient in, and prefer other programs like for example Photoshop or Procreate, you can likely "translate" the steps.

My surface pattern design history

I first discovered surface pattern design in 2014 and realized this was what I was supposed to do! The perfect way for me to use my passion for drawing and art (without being a fine artist). I quit my job in marketing and started my business called Bear Bell Productions in 2015.

I've always been fascinated by how people lived and dressed in history, and so I was quickly drawn to historical patterns and styles - and wanted to create intricate and complex patterns like that too. But it seemed so difficult! I set out to figure it out and after hours and hours of research, studies and trial and error, I did it! Along the way I discovered and developed methods and techniques for creating various pattern types and styles.

In 2016 I published my first class on Skillshare and it was a turning point for my business as I discovered that sharing my knowledge and skills was another passion for me.

And here we are - with a mini-course where I get to do just that :-)

Did this mini-course leave you wanting more?

• Check out my education website HistoryRepeating.se where you'll find articles about historical styles and tips for pattern composition.

• You can also check out my other courses on Skillshare, and the Build Your Pattern Design Repertoire Course here >>

• In autum 2024 (date to be announced) I will open enrollments for the Repertoire course again. This is a 10-week online program where you'll learn how to create patterns inspired by historical styles and in different composition types - from simple to advanced.
You can read more about Repertoire here and sign up to the waitlist >>