More favourite pattern resources

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Posted 31st of August 2012 — Inspiration: .

It might shock you all to learn this, but I love patterns. Carrying on from my last pattern resource post here’s three great websites offering orginal, creative patterns for your use. Please remember to refer to each individual websites term of service :)

Everything Changes colourful pattern collection is wonderfully colourful, each pattern working in perfect harmony with its self. They’re great for graphics or, if you’re feeling courageous, making bold backgrounds.

Pink Blossom doesn’t have a large collection of patterns but the few they offer range from beautifully intricate to more sublet stripes. These patterns would work perfectly as backgrounds without overpowering the rest of your website.

The talented staff at Shizoo Design offer a whole range of resources from brushes to textures but I’m particularly fond of their patterns Ranging from cartoon characters to grunge textures you simply have to find something you like here.

Design Inspiration: Morrissey Record Covers

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Posted 21st of July 2012 — Inspiration: .

I’ve loved these early nineties record sleeves since I first saw them on Tumblr a while ago. The combinations of pattern, colour and type perfectly recreate retro style and someone could be excused for believing these are really 1940s classics.

Joanna Hobbs

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Posted 25th of June 2012 — Inspiration: .

Joanna is a great inspiration of mine. I’ve been lucky enough to follow her work for a few years now and she constantly invokes aw in her fantastic ideas and pure talent.

Polluted Planet - This piece shows Mother Nature disappointed by the pollution we’re causing on her planet. This striking image really hammers home the problem of pollution.

You’re The Only Light, Only If For A Night Everything about this piece is fantastic! Everything works in harmony from the colour scheme to the placement to the perfect little details.

Let Love Grow - I love Jo’s work inspired by song lyrics – they always put a new spin on the song and invade my thoughts when I listen to them from there on after. The placement of the type and the colour choices are genius.

You can find Jo at her portfolio full of more amazing work or at her very inspiring blog. Every image featured in this post is copyright Joanna Hobbs – please respect her work!

How to be Happy with Your Art

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Posted 16th of June 2012 — Inspiration: , .

Looking through my keywords some-one recently ended up here by searching “not happy with my art”. This made me sad for you, anonymous stranger! If it makes you feel better, I think most artists feel the same the majority of the times. Here’s some of my tips for dealing with it.

  • Look at your old work. Have you improved? If so pat yourself on the back for sticking at it! Do you think you’ve worsened? Pin your old work up where you can see it as proof that you can do it!
  • Remember why you first got into art.
  • Figure out if you being unhappy with your work could be affected by the people your comparing it to. Odds are you’re no Da Vinci so don’t compare yourself to him. Try to stop measuring your art on technical merit and more on the emotion and message it conveys.
  • Remember the compliments you have received. If needs be write them down in a notebook that you can carry with you and peek at when you need cheering up. Tape a few photos of your favourite work in there too.
  • Browse a few tutorial websites and check off the things you know you can do without a tutorial.
  • Work through it. Use this self doubt as motivation to create something brilliant. Personally I think every artist needs a small amount of self doubt or how else would you be motivated to improve?
  • Show a kindly friend/family member your work. They’ll rave about it.
  • And if all else fails – eat a pint of ice-cream.
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