Colour & Repeat
I've chosen Magnolia acuminata, also known as the cucumber tree, as the theme for my non-directional pattern design project. This species is at risk and is found exclusively in the Carolinian Zone in Ontario, Canada. The tree is unique with its oval-shaped leaves and tulip-shaped flowers, and can reach 30 meters in height. Unfortunately, it is threatened by human activities, particularly indiscriminate logging and deforestation, which have caused severe habitat loss and obstacles in pollination.
Part 1 - Research & Inspiration
For my project, I have created two layouts for inspiration research. The first layout consists of storyboards that visually describe the characteristics of the Magnolia acuminata. The second layout is a mood board that serves as inspiration for my pattern design. Both layouts aim to showcase the beauty and uniqueness of this endangered species.
Motifs
Using two images of cucumber tree flowers from the storyboard I created, I made 2 motifs for my repeat and the non-directional design.
This process mainly takes on two stages; Line Drawing & Fill in the Colours.
Line Drawings
At this phase, my main focus was to draw out the shape of the design. Using a combination of pen, pencil, and smooth tools, I was able to create the initial design. But notice how dull the design first turns out. By playing with the weight of the stroke, the motif was able to turn out with much more richness.
Fill Colours
The motifs are filled using three colours: two greens and one intense yellow. When I say colours, I reference the nine colour swatches I make in my inspirational phrase on my mood board. They are also the main colour story you'll see throughout the project. There, I mainly played with two of them (two greens); by playing with the greens' brightness and saturation, I achieved eight different tones and/or shades of greens later used in my motifs design.
Part 2 - Repeat Design
The designs were made using two colorways. One is from the original colour palette (left side), and another is made using the Munsell Colour Wheel and the theory of double complementary.
Pattern Making
This is the most challenging and time-consuming phase of the entire project.
In this stage, I focused on the colour and composition of the motifs. I considered whether to use a plain colour or a pattern for the background, whether to include a stroke and what mood I aimed to convey. I also decided whether the background should complement the design or stand out separately.
*Front Design
*Background Development
I end up using those 4 designs.
*The colour palettes I display are used for both background designs; also, the 4 colours shown on the right side of the screen are double complementary that I chose for my additional colorways. The other colour swatches I used for the additional design are derived from them.
Part 3 - Non-directional Design
This is an 8.5” X 8.5” square design, mainly consisting of the front design (one with the motifs/flowers), the frame, and the background. It features two optical illusions (Optical Mix & Vibrating Boundaries), and the design is set to look without a defined orientation.
Preparation stage
Define Colors: I choose two swatches (red-orange and blue-green) that complement each other and match the mood of my initial layouts/moodboard. These will be the primary colours for my design.
Played with Optical Mix: Experiment with how pixelate effects and newly defined colours interact with my motifs designs.
Select a Background Photo: I chose a background photo inspired by Monet's water lilies, which gives people a lazy and relaxing feeling (remember how I intend to design those patterns to use on a line of products for busy-working mothers? This is for them to better rest). This photo complements my researched layouts and is the backdrop for my design initials.
*Process work, different design stages, the colour used for the frame, and the design variation and scale.
To Warp-up
Thank u for watching! ☕️
