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Sara went to school at Rhode Island School of Design and Columbia Univer- sity. She shows her art internation- ally and in cities all over the United States.
PART III SHARING YOUR WORK
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Creating a pattern that you can overlay on an PATTERN IN SPACE: object or use as a background
WORKFLOW
This project has two parts. The first is to design a flat repeating graphic patterns using Photoshop and Illustrator. This pat- tern should be made from the shard of an image you shoot or collect. Part of the fun is seeing how something quite mundane can yield a startling and fresh graphic. The second part is to apply your pattern in the real world. You may choose to simulate this application, by pasting your design into a photograph that represents your ultimate vision. Better yet, you can apply the pattern directly onto a real three-di- mensional object or space. Between these
This project emphasizes both play and planning: two of the best aspects of art production. Play, in the sense that digital imaging allows one to try out different color combinations and generate unexpected patterns. Planning, in the sense that you are asked to design the pattern with the object or space in mind. —SRG
Step 3: Build the pattern. Select at least three differ- ent flat, repeating patterns to work with. Build a 9 x 9–inch unit layout of each. The best tools for building patterns are the Pattern Maker Filter in Photoshop, or the Define Patterns menu in both Photoshop and Illustrator. Other useful tools are the Offset Filter and the Shape Tool.
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CHAPTER 7: PROJECT IDEAS
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two objectives and at the heart of the project is the task of playing with scale.
Step 1: Choose the three-dimensional object or space you are designing for. Examples include gar- ments, rooms, musical instruments, invented objects, skins, architecture, and so on. You might also choose an entire wall or other surface onto which the pattern you design can be copied or stenciled.
CASE STUDY: sara
Step 2: Find the object you’re going to make into a pattern. Choose a photographic image to make into your flat pattern. Shoot a new photo or use one from your archive. You can also find one on the Internet, but if you do this, make sure it has a high enough resolution (300 dpi) so you can work with it.
Sara Greenberger Rafferty is a visual artist based in Brooklyn, New York. She assigns computer-generated, repeating pat- terns as a final project in the class she gives to her Visual Art/ Computer Art class at Suffolk County Community College in Selden, New York.. She originally designed this project for her Computer Imaging class at City College in Manhattan.
Crop the image into a square. Try different crops—some colorful and some monochrome, some simple and some complex. The results will vary. Look at wallpaper, textiles, and even gift wrap and see how the design and scale of the pat- tern affect the look of the objects they cover.
REQUIREMENTS
Step 4: Map your pattern onto its target. A big part of this project’s fun is in seeing how your pattern works in three dimensions. This is done by simulation, although of course you can also apply the pattern to real-world objects later.
time: Three to six hours.
gear: Mac or PC, Photoshop, Illustrator (optional).
A plate of greens seems an unlikely candidate for a pattern. But behold the opportunities indicated in these three steps. —SRG
budget: No additional cost unless you want to actu- ally make the object you design.
Play with different versions of the same pattern, varying color combinations, scale of the repeated object, and varia- tions within the pattern.