Seashore Skies
This series is inspired by a memory of a day spent at the beach, marvelling at the vastness of the sea and observing the moody sky reflected in the water’s surface, carrying rolling, marshmallow clouds, threatening to burst into spits of rain at any moment. Saturated with the echo of the ubiquitous sound of squawking seabirds and the disheveling scent of salty, sandy wind.
This project was a part of my ongoing collaboration with Kidspattern. If you’d like to learn more about them please visit their website HERE. Alternatively, view the archive of our previous projects HERE, in which I discuss in detail the history and nature of our work.
All clothing-mockups presented here are provided courtesy of Kidspattern and are used for visualisation purposes only.
Pattern Design Development
This design forms part of a marine series inspired by the wonderful abundance of sea life. It covers a total of three patterns commissioned for a client’s Spring-Summer colour group aimed at boys. Here you may view the other two accompanying designs: Shoal of Jellyfish and Underwater Landscape. Aside from the theme that runs across them, they’re also unified by the same water inspired palette, which was composed by the trend and colour expert Kidspattern and consisted of a set of soft greens and blues contrasted by a touch of rich, deep ultramarine.
This design was intended to represent a summery, slightly overcast day, hence the pattern focuses on the portrayal of skies. Techniques used in this pattern involve a collage effect, which was achieved by adding photographic images of clouds. I spread the clouds out against a light blue background and wove in seagulls navigating their way in between- which adds to the design’s sense of airiness and dimensionality.
Drawing Elements
At the centre of this series are two main, hand-drawings of seagulls, which are one of the most popular marine birds. Full of character they bring a breeze of unapologetic independence.
I also used textured, digital brushes to create the shading, which was layered on top of a plain, flat white silhouette. This assured that the shape would cut out from the background and allow the element to be placed on different coloured backgrounds.
Alternative Colourways
To explore the turquoise side of the palette with this simplified design, I removed the clouds and juxtaposed saturated bird shapes against a textured curtain of small rain droplets. This provides an interesting contrast and makes this design a great secondary pattern.
Dark Background
The ultramarine backdrop makes this version the most striking and bold. The remaining elements are in much lighter shades, thus they firmly stand out against the dark blue. With this strong contrast, they now read almost as camouflage shapes.
Final Pattern in Print
Below, please view images of the final use of this Seaside Shores pattern in print. These are the client’s first clothing samples, made to launch their Spring-Summer collection and display at trading fairs. On the right hand side, you may see examples of this print used in their Newborn Collection as a bib and a baby grow.
Please note that these images are provided courtesy of the client and Kidspattern n and are used for portfolio purposes only.
“Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water.“
