MY SKETCHBOOK
Lunar Rabbit
DESIGN CHALLENGE ENTRY
Fabric, Wallpaper and Home Goods Coming Soon on spoonflower.com
Hare we go again! The “Year of the Rabbit” is the theme of this week’s Spoonflower Challenge. I’ve had this design on my mind for some time. I had already developed a bunny in a previous sketch session, and I was finally able put it to good use this week.
I knew I wanted to include the moon as part of the design, in part because the Chinese New Year is also referred to at the Lunar New Year. I also thought it would be fun to depict the rabbit jumping over the moon. Why should cows have all the fun?
If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know that I prefer minimal color palettes. My first design, shown above, was on a deep blue background. I used only three additional colors: a medium blue, a light blue, and a pistachio hue.
I filled in around the moon and bunny with woodland flora, fungi, and insects. I finished by adding stars to complement to the dreamlike look.
Since the bunny and moon were the focal point of this large pattern, I set it up as a half-drop repeat to keep if from being too lineal. I printed it in a few different scales and decided I liked three larger scale versions. The smaller scales were just too busy and I felt a lot of fine details would be lost when printed on textiles. For the purpose of the design challenge I opted for the largest tile – a 12″ repeat – as it previewed well on a fat quarter.
I was pretty happy with the finished design and was convinced I had my final entry. I decided to also try some different colorways to explore creating a collection. A couple hours later I found myself with five delightful color variations and was entirely undecided as to which version to enter in the challenge.
So what to do? I asked my mom and sister to help me decide. Mom liked the blue. My sister suggested I try a black background. I found it to be good advice. I then had nine designs to choose from and I liked them all. Sisters are so helpful.
It was time for plan B. I posted all nine designs on my Facebook and Instagram channels and asked for votes. If you voted, please know that you saved me from hours of mental torture! Thank you!
Ultimately number five was the resounding choice. It’s shown on the bean bag chair in the header above. The entry has been uploaded and I’m now busily creating additional designs to include in the collection. Stay tuned for updates and fabric release dates.
The Design Challenge ends on Tuesday, so cast your votes today! It’s a great way to show your support of independent artists.
Fabric, Wallpaper and Home Goods now Available on spoonflower.com
