A few new patterns have been made this week, including this bright and colorful watermelon pattern. It was inspired by a group theme challenge called "summer fruit". And nothing says "summer fruit" more than watermelon!
I'm really starting to gravitate toward gouache paint...of the digital kind, that is. It has a beautiful hand-painted appearance and can have as much or as little texture as you'd like.
This next one I've called "fresh dots". I noticed that dots were making a frequent appearance in my work lately, so I decided to dedicate an entire pattern to them.
I think this pattern would look great on a phone case and just might be something I'm going to look into soon. ❤
~Christina
I enjoy hearing the thoughts of others about my artwork because, visually speaking, they often see things that I don't. A good example is this whimsical pattern I made this week, inspired by simple mark-making.
At most, some of the lines reminded me of flowers and the dotted arches of the "pebbled" jewelry pieces I've made. But after posting the image to social media, I received comments that others thought of pumpkins and even Cinderella's carriage. After looking at my artwork again, I could see those, too. It gives even more meaning to my work simply knowing how others respond to it.
This pattern has become one of my favorites lately and may or may not end up printed on a journal soon. ;) My first batch of journals is finally in print-production and I can't wait to see them when they're complete!
~Christina
Some days I get caught up inside my head trying to decide just which piece of art I should work on. Thinking about it too much can actually lead to artist's block. But I love ending the day with at least one new creation, even if I only have a few minutes to work on it.
So today I made a quick pattern in Photoshop with just a single motif and whimsical dots. I love how dramatic shades of gray are and how putting a shape on repeat has such visual punch. This worked so well, I'm going to try my best not to overthink the next time I'm running low on time and just...create. ❤
~ Christina
Yesterday I was in the beginning stages of making a "dots and squiggles" themed pattern, when suddenly, as I drew the squiggle at the bottom, I noticed something looking back at me.
It was one of those moments when I didn't know whether to laugh or be creeped out by it. I think I did a little of both. It reminded me of my painting teacher who once said she always looks for faces in her finished artwork, as they can sneak up on you out of nowhere. Point taken.
Thankfully, as I drew more dots and squiggles, moved shapes and added color, the pattern emerged into something quite different though just as lively. It reminds me of confetti that you might find printed on gift wrap.
If I'm being totally honest, there is still a little squiggle in there that reminds me of an ear. But I rotated the shape in such a way that it doesn't catch your attention quite as much. As least, I hope. ;)
~Christina
This week I took on the unexpected project of putting together a Halloween clip art graphics pack. It was unexpected because inspiration hit from seemingly nowhere, but it was definitely one of those things I've wanted to do for some time.
Let me tell you, I really had fun drawing the illustrations and designing the product images. It challenged me in new ways by doing script hand-lettering and also really trying to communicate, visually, the features available with the graphics pack. Overall, I wanted the Halloween "friends" to be cute and not-to-spooky to use for children. :)
Click here to visit the Creative Market shop for more details.
~Christina
Yesterday as I thought about the art I would create for the day, the lyrics from a song kept floating through my mind: "More than mortals, we are royals, we are Yours" (from the North Point InsideOut EP 'Nothing Ordinary').
The idea of us being royalty, princes and princesses, almost sounds too good to be true. But scripture says "I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:18
What a beautiful statement.
We belong.
We are wanted by a loving Father.
We are children of the most high King.
Stitches is the second font I've released into the world and in many ways, finishing it was just as satisfying as the first. It didn't take less time as I expected, but it's also more complex than Tailored. It's a mixed-weight display font with thin, dotted lines contrasted against bold, solid strokes. I envision it being used for fabric projects and all things handmade. → Read More
I had a couple of nice surprises over the Memorial Day weekend. First, I received a notice that my Tailored font was featured on the Creative Market blog. You guys, being on their platform has been one of the best experiences I've had on the web and it's been less than a month since I joined. They have excellent customer service with helpful tips galore on setting up shop and how to be successful there. And the staff has personally reached out to welcome me to the site and offer assistance at any time. It's no wonder they have become the go-to resource for graphic designers. And they give the spotlight to newbies? So good.
Click here to read the full post on the Creative Market blog.
Second, the font sold for the first time! Thank you if you're the one who purchased it. :) It feels so good to know my digital work is already being used and appreciated.
Thank you, Matt Borchert (said staff), for the warm welcome and thank you Creative Market!
~Christina
(Photo credit: Creative Market)
I just completed a fall leaf clip art collection for graphic designers, my second product offering on Creative Market. Each leaf was originally drawn and rendered in charcoal. But when I added color to the charcoal I just didn't like the realistic appearance of it. So I tossed the charcoal but kept the leaf shapes and applied flatter washes of color instead. Simple really does sit better with me these days.
And the fun part about having my first font under my belt? I can use it on my own products, yay! :D
There are 40 leaf images in the collection: 8 different leaf types with 5 color options each. These colorful leaves can be used on numerous design projects like Thanksgiving cards, autumn prints and even fall wedding stationery.
Click here to check it out.
~Christina
Font-making has never been at the top of my to-do list. Actually, it's never made my list at all. I've had zero interest...until recently, that is. I just joined the group of talented designers over at Creative Market and well-made fonts are always in demand. I've even purchased some myself, recently. So when inspiration (shockingly) hit, I rolled with it. → Read More
