Thursday, May 8, 2014

Basic pattern elements tutorial (for samurai and fantasy)

I got a request for a tutorial on how I do the floral elements on my samurai, so I figured I'd just show how I do most of those design elements. Except for some random kanji, stripes and freehand work (my Edo gang boss's Hiroshige waves, for example,)  I only use these very few elements to create the designs on my samurais' clothing.

I think the illustration is self-explanatory (strokes and order,) but I'll offer a few notes here:

Dot Florals: The dot florals are just that, a set of dots arranged in a circle (or triangle if you only use three.) They can be placed as a grid on the clothing, or alternating (like the stars in the U.S. flag), or randomly strewn about.

Stroke Florals: The stroke florals are simply a series of short brush strokes radiating from a common center. You can stroke the brush out from the center or in toward the center, whichever is most comfortable for you. Try to keep the strokes even.

Rings: If you're unable to freehand good rings, try this alternative method. Paint a circle in the color you want your rig to be, then paint a smaller circle of your background color inside that first circle. Done!

Blocks: These are a nice Asian element that are easy to do. Simply paint a large diamond, then subdivide it using two thin strokes of your background color.

Combine! You can use these few simple elements to create a lot of different designs. Try other things such as alternating the color or length of your floral petals. Subdivide your block across its corners so that you create four fitted triangles instead of squares. See what other animals you can create using dots and strokes. Try painting a stroke floral pattern within a ring to create a wagon wheel design. There's plenty to try!


5 comments:

  1. Thank you for the tutorial.

    Tony

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  2. Wow, that was a quick turnaround. This is really useful, I can't wait to try it out. Thanks!

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  3. Thanks that's great!
    I have nominated you for a Leibster award (play along if you want to)
    http://bandit86.blogspot.com/2014/05/liebster-awards-par-2.html

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  4. That is a terrific guide to painting these patterns on clothing. Thank you very much!

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