Hi there!
I'd like to share the design process I used to create my Orchids & Starlight design.
I wanted to create a floral print, so I visited my local florist for some inspiration and found these beautiful Cymbidium orchids, which I photographed and used as a reference for pen and ink drawings.
Choosing colours is one of my favourite parts of the design process. I created a palette starting with a bright orchid hue and added pale yellow and green with a touch of aqua using Colourlovers and created my own inspiration board on Pintrest to help me organize all of my colour ideas.
To compose the design, I scanned the pen and ink drawings and arranged them in a repeat, then created some geometric shapes behind the flowers to give depth to the composition.
I liked the energy of the geometric shapes, so I continued using them in the background which contrasted nicely with the softer shapes of the flowers.
As the background progressed, the shapes reminded me of rays of light. Since some varieties of orchids bloom at night, it had to be starlight! I warmed up the colours with a watercolour wash in sunset tones to give it more of a starlit look.
Once the background was done, I painted the orchids using watercolour in several shades of soft pink, orchid and violet, gradually building up layers of luminous colour. Next, I added a few playful butterflies around the flowers.
For the finishing touch, I used a sponge brush to blend in the edges of the shapes a little and create some texture. The final image in the series is how the design looks in repeat, which is how it will appear on fabric.
I really enjoyed creating this design and it's interesting to look back and see what changed from the original plan. For example, I first painted the orchids yellow and green like the photo. My friend thought that the green orchids resembled cabbages (definitely not the look I was going for!) so I ended up going with violet hues instead.
Something that surprised me was how much warmer the finished colour palette is compared to the original. I think because I wanted the design to have a lot of energy, I ended up adding more yellow and orange.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this look into my design process.
Learn more about the design services that I offer.
View samples of my work in my surface design, illustration and identity design galleries.
Connect with me via Twitter and Facebook.
Contact me - I'd love to hear from you!
I'd like to share the design process I used to create my Orchids & Starlight design.
I wanted to create a floral print, so I visited my local florist for some inspiration and found these beautiful Cymbidium orchids, which I photographed and used as a reference for pen and ink drawings.
Choosing colours is one of my favourite parts of the design process. I created a palette starting with a bright orchid hue and added pale yellow and green with a touch of aqua using Colourlovers and created my own inspiration board on Pintrest to help me organize all of my colour ideas.
To compose the design, I scanned the pen and ink drawings and arranged them in a repeat, then created some geometric shapes behind the flowers to give depth to the composition.
I liked the energy of the geometric shapes, so I continued using them in the background which contrasted nicely with the softer shapes of the flowers.
As the background progressed, the shapes reminded me of rays of light. Since some varieties of orchids bloom at night, it had to be starlight! I warmed up the colours with a watercolour wash in sunset tones to give it more of a starlit look.
Once the background was done, I painted the orchids using watercolour in several shades of soft pink, orchid and violet, gradually building up layers of luminous colour. Next, I added a few playful butterflies around the flowers.
For the finishing touch, I used a sponge brush to blend in the edges of the shapes a little and create some texture. The final image in the series is how the design looks in repeat, which is how it will appear on fabric.
I really enjoyed creating this design and it's interesting to look back and see what changed from the original plan. For example, I first painted the orchids yellow and green like the photo. My friend thought that the green orchids resembled cabbages (definitely not the look I was going for!) so I ended up going with violet hues instead.
Something that surprised me was how much warmer the finished colour palette is compared to the original. I think because I wanted the design to have a lot of energy, I ended up adding more yellow and orange.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this look into my design process.
Learn more about the design services that I offer.
View samples of my work in my surface design, illustration and identity design galleries.
Connect with me via Twitter and Facebook.
Contact me - I'd love to hear from you!
