Watercolor Sketches

I’ve been curious about the print/pattern licensing industry for years now.  Even though I’ve been designing prints and patterns for my products and craft kits for a while, entering the commercial print  licensing world is a whole different ball game.

During the past few years, I’ve been focused on growing my online retail shop. Though it is still growing, I’ve made progress in product design, packaging, shipping and pricing. My processes are streamlined enough to support continued growth.  This now allows me time to switch my focus to print and pattern design. I still have a dream of working with a manufacturer to have my own fabric line or see my prints on a collection of housewares!

One of the interesting things that I learned when I spoke with a designer at the Blueprint Surface Design & Print Show is that having a digital repeat file is not always necessary. I still want to master the digital repeat but knowing that I can scan my handpainted prints, edit in Photoshop and produce a new digital print that can be sold commercially makes me feel better!

So what is my next goal as I start to pursue the world of surface print and pattern design? First off, I want to experiment and practice with different design techniques using different mediums.

My current focus:  watercolor sketches. I've always loved the fluidity of watercolor as a medium, it’s easy to blend and create interesting effects.   I bought new watercolor sketchbooks, a set of paint brushes, watercolor pan paints and a set of gouache colors.

Once a I have a few more watercolor sketches completed, I will scan them, import into Photoshop, prepare a digital version of the design and start building my new design portfolio.