Pufferfish Repeating Pattern
Overview
The concept behind this project was simply to create a repeat pattern with two color variants. After I sketches a few ideas out I found that I enjoyed the playfulness of the pufferfish as well as the opportunity to work with bright fun colors. The target audience for this type of pattern could be children or anyone who enjoys bright fun patterns. This pattern would work well on products such as wrapping paper, beach towels, drawstring bags, and more.
Brainstorming
For this project, I started my brainstorming process by creating a moodboard filled with a variety of repeating patterns. I varied the design from those that are more complicated to those that are more simplified because this was my first time creating a repeat pattern for merchandise.
Sketches
Once I had some inspiration I started sketching and just let myself draw whatever concept or theme was interesting to me. Due to the freedom I had with this project I was able to generate a variety of different ideas. In the end I found myself most drawn to the pufferfish concept and how the spikes on the fish could be used as another element in the pattern.
In-Progress
While the design for the pufferfish did not directly change I adjusted and refined various elements to get the pattern feeling balanced and unified. As is shown below, I initially started with the spikes on the pufferfish not having a fill as well as having the spike element in the background be positioned only in the negative space rather than behind the fish. I found the fins of the pufferfish blending in too much with the background elements. This lead me to add the fill to the spikes on the fish, I also felt the fish as a whole were blending in too much so I implemented the drop shadow. I also decided to allow the spikes to take a more background elements role by allowing them to be behind the fish and have a different color and width from the fish spikes. In the final panel I started to play around with adding texture in order to add further depth and detail to the pattern.
Final Piece
Below you can see the final version of the pattern as well as the two different color variants. In addition to the final patterns I also showcase the pattern in use on various items such as wrapping paper, a drawstring bag, and a beach towel.
