MATS Bootcamp is back! I truly love these 5 months! Surrounded “virtually” by brilliant artists, designers, and makers. Our March assignment was to design a bad ass backpack with abstract patterns. Abstract patterns is really tough for me, but I trust Lilla, and so I tackled the mini.
Instead of taking a stroll outside in a New England March, I opted for a stroll around my office and home. I found plenty of objects that I love there. Pens, a cactus, elements from furniture, frames, shelves etc. In the end, it just didn’t feel abstract enough. I decided to pull out my alcohol inks and see what I could create. I also made some marks.
This is by far my favorite part. I still have not mastered it, but I did successfully create a half drop repeat in PhotoShop with the help of Jessica Swift’s pattern camp! This is a skill I have been trying to get down for over a year! I love the texture that this technique creates. I spent a great deal of time exploring abstracts and mark making
Above is only 6 of the patterns that came from this exercise. My biggest challenge in this assignment was creating coordinates. With Illustrator patterns, I can usually pick out one element and blow it up, or shrink it, change the background, but because this was mainly about the texture of the background I struggled with coordinates. This is definitely a process I will be working on as projects allow for more abstract play. I’m hoping to be able to offer a collection featuring these abstract patterns.
Making the mock up is always fun! So many combinations and just thrilling to see designs “come to life”. Also, there are so many elements to coordinate! Different patterns, straps, color and bag style….oh my! As I mocked them up I could see how some lend themselves beautifully to fabric. Some were better large! Some were definitely better as a phone case. Exploring and experimenting definitely opened my eyes to many possibilities!
The final piece of the project was lettering. Serendipity…a happy accident….seemed very fitting for what happens when you drop alcohol ink on a tile and wait to see what shape it creates. I was a kid again….a scientist in my own little experiment. Hope you enjoyed reading about my process and will check out my next project!
