Welcome to another episode of Creative Juggle Joy, where today we are exploring the creative world of surface pattern design.
This field is full of opportunities for artists looking to make their designs more marketable and sellable.
I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many talented artists who’ve turned their hand-drawn art into functional patterns, and I can’t wait to share my tips with you!
Understanding Surface Pattern Design
As artists, we all know how to create one-off pieces of art, but what happens when you take that art and turn it into a pattern that can be used on fabrics, wallpaper, stationery, and more?
Surface pattern design is all about creating repeating designs that are functional and beautiful. Whether you’re creating a pattern for a new fabric collection or designing wallpaper for home décor, surface patterns offer endless possibilities.
In this episode, Kaylie and I talk about the different types of repeats—like tile repeats and half-drop repeats—and why they are important when creating seamless patterns. I also discuss how you can use different software to make your patterns, whether you're just starting out or you're ready to take your work to the next level.
Tools for Surface Pattern Design
When it comes to tools for surface pattern design, there are a lot of options available. I personally use Affinity Designer because it’s affordable, powerful, and versatile. It also has fantastic repeat pattern templates that I’ve created to help you design seamlessly with ease.
If you’re just starting out, Procreate is a wonderful tool for beginners—especially with its symmetry guides that help you create seamless designs quickly.
For vectorizing your hand-drawn art, I recommend tools like Vectornator app (for Mac & iPad) and Photopea. These tools make it easy to turn your scanned images into vector files, so you can scale them without losing quality.
Additionally, Repper is fun to pay around with to spark ideas and Pattern Playground and Amanda Grace’s Seamless Pattern Tester: are fantastic for testing your seamless patterns and ensuring they look perfect before going live.
Selling Your Patterns
Once you've created your patterns, where do you go from there?
There are several ways to monetize your designs.
For beginners, platforms like Spoonflower, Redbubble, and Zazzle are great places to start. You can sell your patterns on products like home décor, apparel, and more, without worrying about stock or shipping. You simply upload your designs, and the platform handles the rest.
As you gain more experience, you can start licensing your patterns to brands and companies. But first, you’ll need a strong portfolio, showcasing a variety of designs and high-quality mockups. I recommend creating collections of patterns and showing them on mockups to help potential buyers visualize your work.
Staying Inspired
Staying inspired as a surface pattern designer is key to avoiding burnout. I love taking breaks and looking for inspiration outside of social media.
Nature walks, vintage markets, and even my own home offer endless design inspiration. If you ever feel creatively stuck, try designing simple patterns like stripes or polka dots to take a break from more complex designs.
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
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Amanda Grace’s Seamless Pattern Tester: A great tool to test your repeat patterns.
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Repper: A tool that generates repeat patterns from your art.
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Pattern Playground: Test your Procreate patterns with this free tool.
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Photopea: A free Photoshop alternative with vectorizing features.
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Society6 changes: Changes to Society6 and what platforms to try instead.
If you’re ready to start creating patterns, be sure to check out my Affinity Designer and Procreate Foundations courses for step-by-step guidance.
Or go straight to the Affinity Designer Template Club - which has has all my surface pattern templates for Affinity Designer The Template Club Affinity Designer On-Demand and Monthly Release
And if you’re feeling inspired, share your surface pattern designs on social media and tag us—we’d love to see your creations!
TRANSCRIPT:
Kaylie Edwards (00:04)
Hey everyone, welcome back to the podcast. I'm Kaylie Edwards, joined by my amazing co-host, Delores Naskrent And today we're diving into an exciting topic, surface pattern design. This field is a perfect blend of creativity and business because it allows artists to apply their designs to real products from fabric and wallpaper to stationery and home decor and so many other things. Delores, you've seen this field grow over your career.
Why do you think surface pattern design is such an exciting space for artists?
Delores Naskrent (00:37)
Well, it's just so incredibly versatile. I think that's the main thing. Artists, like you said, can apply their designs to so many different things. Quilting fabric is kind of the one that stands foremost in my mind, but also upholstery or gift wrap, clothing, journals, wallpaper, you name it. I just have used it to back a line of cards that I've created. So the back, backside of the cards is repeat patterns that I've created.
I love the most about it is that it turns your product or your artwork into something really functional. A painting on a wall is beautiful, but a pattern on a cozy blanket or a trendy tote bag, I mean, it's lovely. Exactly. Now that's art that people can carry, they can wear, and they can use every day. And for artists looking to make a living from their work, surface pattern design is one of the best ways to create income streams.
Kaylie Edwards (01:21)
Who doesn't love them?
Delores Naskrent (01:37)
without relying on just original hand-done art.
Kaylie Edwards (01:42)
Absolutely. You're not just selling an image, you're selling a usable design that people can integrate into their lives. So for someone new to surface pattern design, where should they start?
Delores Naskrent (01:56)
think the first step is to do a lot of observation, you know, understand how repeating patterns work. The two main types that I would say are like the most important ones to really learn about are basic tile repeats. just like tiles you see on a wall, that one tile repeats and is copied and it's kind of like a grid format. So it's often called a grid repeat as well. Then the next most popular one,
probably more popular in a way, is the half drop repeat because it creates a design that interlocks beautifully, but there's no real breaks in the pattern. The pattern repeats, but it's kind of at an angle, so it's really hard to see the repeat. And then all over repeats or ditzy repeats, sometimes called ditzy, are great filler patterns, great for
any sort of, I don't know, coordinate kind of a situation. And there are a ton more that I could tell you about. You know, there's specialty patterns like scallops and diamond repeats and Ogee patterns, and a lot of them are based on historical patterns. So there's so much, so much to learn.
Kaylie Edwards (03:01)
Yeah
Yes,
what's his name? The traditional artist that does them with like the botanicals and things. And he did like really traditional, William Morris, that's his name. Yes, obviously I had him in my head and I couldn't think of... Yes, his patterns always come to mind when I hear about like the traditional patterns. I think they're just very cool.
Delores Naskrent (03:19)
Morris William Morris. Yeah.
Kaylie Edwards (03:32)
what tools do you recommend for creating patterns, Delores?
Delores Naskrent (03:36)
Well, there's lots of great options. I've tried all of them. Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop are probably what you'd consider the industry standards for professional surface designers. But that's not to say that you can't use other programs. And I personally love using Affinity Designer right now. I feel like I'm talking about this on every episode, but I like Affinity Designer because
Kaylie Edwards (04:00)
Yeah.
Delores Naskrent (04:03)
of the templates that I've created. So now I have created templates for every different type of repeat pattern. So for me to create a pattern, it goes really quickly when I can use my templates. And those two programs, Affinity Designer and Affinity Photo, that are basically the same as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, are fantastic because they're a budget-friendly alternative. And
Of course, they are a favourite in my courses. And I do have loads of templates available for free in my membership and for sale in my Shopify store. So I have the template club, which people get access to because of the membership. And every 15th of the month, I create another template.
that has instructions and the actual template they can download and they can pop their own individual assets or drawings in and create an instant repeat pattern. Now Procreate is another surprisingly powerful tool for pattern creation, especially for beginners. I even teach an automated repeat technique in my courses that helps users to create seamless patterns quickly. It's not the
program I personally use for doing most of my repeat pattern work, but it is doable. To start, you know, I would experiment with doing really quick little patterns like ditzy florals or stripes or polka dots or geometric shapes even, you know, just anything that repeats. Just think of it as a puzzle. It's kind of fun to do. These always sell and they help you to build confidence when you're developing your skills and they're great
Kaylie Edwards (05:44)
You
Delores Naskrent (05:51)
to add to collections. So never take them for granted because they're a wonderful way to create full collections, which is common when you're creating repeat patterns to create them in collections.
Kaylie Edwards (06:05)
Yeah and like if you just look around your house you can get so much inspiration for patterns because patterns are in so many different things. Like I'm wearing pajama bottoms right now and they are like the what they call plaid, the plaid pattern. It's the plaid pattern, the red and blue, well the red and dark blue. Like and I look around and I've got a pattern on my notebook.
Delores Naskrent (06:19)
I hurt.
You
Kaylie Edwards (06:33)
and you know I've got patterns everywhere so you can find them everywhere and you can get so much inspiration like Pinterest is a great one you can go and hunt around all there for patterns and you will be in a rabbit hole for years. Seamless repeats are key in surface pattern design. Right? what's your number one tip for making them work Delores?
Delores Naskrent (06:37)
Yep.
think the key is planning and I always recommend starting with quick sketches. I think it's a great way to get a feel for the layout and balance before you start going digital. so I mean, you can do your sketches right in Procreate or wherever. You don't have to do them on paper, but it's really helpful to just kind of get the idea just kind of roughly figured out in your head. And I highly recommend the use of
asset libraries. So if you're using Procreate that could be assets in the form of stamp brushes. In Affinity Designer I just have tons and tons, hundreds and hundreds of things that I've drawn as separate elements like leaves and florals or little icons and I can use those to mix and match and build collections really quickly. And I also suggest that you test
the repeat repeatedly. So the last thing you want to do is just kind of hope for the best with a repeat. It's always good to double check it to make sure there isn't some sort of, you know, weird open gap or some part of it's just way too dark and some's too light or you've somehow, you know, got one element out of place. I in Procreate, if you're going to be using Procreate, you can use the symmetry guides to create
interlocking designs or reflective designs. And one of things I suggest is to use an online pattern tester. There's a couple of them available that I really like. I use Teela Cunningham's quite a bit and also Amanda Grace. And they have these on their sites. You can I think the one for Teela Cunningham is called Pattern Playground. And you can open split screen on your app, your procreate app and have
their tester to the left side, and then you could just drag your pattern right into their tester and see the whole thing repeating. You could enlarge it, reduce it, and it really is a game changer. Those two are, they're such powerful tools. They're really, really amazing. both of them, think Teela her husband is a programmer, computer programmer, and what's her name, Amanda.
Kaylie Edwards (09:08)
That's really cool.
Delores Naskrent (09:21)
She is, she was a programmer or digital, I know, what would you call it? Computer science teacher. And yeah, and so she has the, they had the skills to create these apps within their websites that can be used by anybody for free. So it's really a wonderful, you know, just way to test your patterns. Yeah, it's great.
Kaylie Edwards (09:27)
Tech person. computer science, yeah.
That's really cool. There was, there was an
app somewhere, I can't remember what it was. I seen it years ago where you can actually create, but you can put an image in it and it creates a pattern. You can like adjust it and it creates and makes like big or small. What's it called? Patternizer or something like that?
Delores Naskrent (09:58)
Yeah, a test. There's one called test,
gosh, what's it called? I know that there's one called Amaziograph So a Amaziograph is one where you can create patterns in that way, whether you can import a picture, I don't know. But I think Repper Repper is the one that one of my students uses. And you can bring something in and it'll repeat the pattern in any number of different
Kaylie Edwards (10:14)
Mm.
Mm.
Delores Naskrent (10:27)
layouts, know, so you can choose to do half drops or even octagon kind of repeats from really amazing things. They're fun to check out for sure.
Kaylie Edwards (10:38)
Yeah,
there's definitely things you can play around with anyway.
So once somebody has a few patterns they love, where's the best place to sell them, Delores?
Delores Naskrent (10:49)
Well, there's lots of options and it kind of depends on what your goals are. One of the things that's easy for people to get in on and you don't have to spend a lot of money doing it is to sell on sites like Spoonflower. It's great for fabric printing and you then earn royalties on every pattern that you sell. Society 6 and Redbubble I think still will allow you to create
different items with repeat patterns. So you would upload your single repeat and you could use them for putting on home decor products. Like we were just talking about shower curtains, pillows, but you can do phone cases, you can do stationary coffee cups, like you name it. They have everything there that you can put your repeat patterns on. So that's kind of the one way. And I guess that's a good entry level is to try the print on demand platforms.
Kaylie Edwards (11:46)
Yeah.
Delores Naskrent (11:48)
I'd say once you have a bunch of collections under your belt, so let's say three or four really good collections, and by collections I mean, you know, it's got your main kind of hero pattern and a coordinate and maybe a couple of blended prints. I think that you can at that point create a portfolio and you can pitch that to companies that are looking for surface pattern design.
So a strong portfolio should include a lot of, know, collections for, like I said, would be great. And then high quality mockups that really show off your pattern. They need to be able to imagine what it's going to look like. And then the other option, of course, is to sell on your own website. So if you want full control over pricing, you don't want to give up any of the
Kaylie Edwards (12:34)
Yeah.
Delores Naskrent (12:44)
money that you're making and sharing it with an agent or with a site. You can sell downloadable patterns for fabric shops. You can sell to craft businesses, paper scrapbooking companies, independent makers. If you're just starting out, print-on-the-demand sites like Spoonflower are a really great way to get that initial experience though, before you start pitching to try to get these other types of things going.
You could also set up for wholesale fabric sales. I personally haven't done this, but I know people who have done that through Spoonflower. They can then wholesale their patterns or fabrics, whatever wallpaper on their own websites. So that is also an option.
Kaylie Edwards (13:30)
Yeah, I didn't know that. That's quite cool. It's definitely an option. That's very helpful. Speaking of portfolios, how should an artist present their surface pattern designs?
Delores Naskrent (13:32)
Yeah.
You
Well, your portfolio is all about showcasing your best work. So you do want to keep it like really high quality. So your best work, don't put just everything that you create, curate your own work, make sure that you're making a lot of impact. I think that it's really important in a portfolio to demonstrate how versatile you are. So include a mix of different things like florals, geometrics, abstract and
most importantly, I think, is keeping them organized in themed collections. Then, of course, I mentioned this earlier, is presenting your work on mockups. So you want to show the use of those patterns on things like fabric or wallpaper or notebooks or dresses, anything that will help clients visualize the final product. And remember, you don't need a huge portfolio to start pitching.
You can use site like Issue or Adobe Portfolio. A small but strong collection can really go a long way.
Kaylie Edwards (14:52)
is great advice. Let's talk about...
so let's talk about staying inspired. Creative burnout is real. How do you stay inspired when designing patterns Delores?
Delores Naskrent (15:07)
Well, I think one of the best things you can do is stay kind of away from social media or even Pinterest at times. You know, if you're if you're feeling burnout, take some time to do things like visit museums, take walks on nature trails. I have seen some gorgeous patterns at vintage markets or flea markets, and you can even take inspiration from textures in your own home.
I personally like to keep a pattern journal and part of it is on my phone. So I have a folder where I sketch or snap photos of everyday textures and colors that I love, you know. So if I see a color scheme that I really love, I actually really had to laugh the other day. Did you see that post in the community where somebody posted a color scheme based on what I was wearing that day? Wasn't that funny?
Kaylie Edwards (16:01)
you. yeah! i saved
it! i saved it because i thought that's really nice colour scheme though. i used that.
Delores Naskrent (16:07)
It really was a
nice colour scheme. But you know, things like that can be really inspiring. So I don't know, just give yourself a break if you're really feeling that burnout, just sometimes stepping away or switching the creative mediums, like instead of what you're doing on a day to day basis, switch to something like painting or embroidery just to spark some fresh ideas. And I also what I do, especially when I have just
a real kind of a brain fart happening. I'll take a break and create patterns like just the stripes or the repeats of like polka dots or just something really, really simple because that can be just a break from that really hard work doing the hero patterns. So it doesn't all have to be about the hero patterns. Take a break and do some of those things that you can use as fillers in a collection.
Kaylie Edwards (17:04)
Yeah, definitely. Before we wrap up, we want to hear from you. What's one pattern idea you'd love to see created? Drop your ideas in the comments or tag us on social media. We might even discuss a few on the next episode.
Delores Naskrent (17:20)
Thanks so much for tuning in today. Surface pattern design is just such an incredible way to turn your art into something marketable while reaching new audiences. And the best part is you don't have to be a professional artist to start. I've seen many people who say, I can't draw, produce fantastic patterns because it's the repetition. That's the important thing, right? It's like solving a puzzle.
Experiment and have fun and let your style just evolve naturally. And remember that one pattern you create today could become someone's favorite wallpaper, fabric, or stationery.
Kaylie Edwards (18:01)
Yes. Thank
you all so much for tuning in. If you're excited to dive deeper into pattern design, be sure to check out Delores's courses on Affinity Designer and Procreate Foundations, where she has some projects with patterns. Don't forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode. And tag us if you're working on any new surface pattern designs. We'd love to see them. Until next time, keep creating, keep finding joy in the process.