As mentioned, I really wanted to try a design that was loosely based on the Arts and Crafts style. This required a fair bit of layout. I didn’t feel it was feasible to design a bunch of motifs and assemble them after the fact to create this type of pattern. So per usual, I started with a pencil sketch – a really, really messy pencil sketch.  I used the diamond layout that has served me so well. In addition to sketching the floral motifs, I also roughly penciled in where the elements would repeat on each side so that I would have an idea what would need to overlap and what space would already be filled.

I followed my usual routine of snapping pics of the sketch with my iPad – no scanning required. I imported the image into Adobe Fresco and decreased the opacity so I could easily trace over them. I locked this layer and created a new vector layer to work on.

I have been playing with Fresco for a a little over a month now. While it lacks a lot functions, the brushes actually behave the way I wish they would behave in Illustrator. There are more vector brush options and the pressure sensitive setting is very precise and provides natural results. I also find that, while I have my iPad programmed to ignore hand gestures when using the stylus, Fresco is the only program that seems to truly honor this setting.

Using a dark color, I traced all the elements I wanted, but I decided I wanted more details for the leaves. Luckily, it was buttercup season, so I was able to snap some quick pics of local buttercups. I used these photos as the base layer to trace off several leaves, which I then added to my drawing layers.

Speaking of layers, I kept my working elements on several different layers to make it easy to move around and tweak the design as needed.

I had recently gone on a walk to a stream near my home and noticed a tiny blue-winged butterfly near the path. These butterflies have impossibly beautiful periwinkle blue wings. I am smitten with them. My original drawing had a few insects on it – bees, ladybugs, dragonflies – but, I was inspired and the butterflies replaced them. Sorry, bugs! 

I decided to use Illustrator to color the design. I just really like my blob brush and shape builder tool. I’m sure as I work with Fresco I’ll find a method I like. For now my process is to use the blob brush to roughly trace the shape and then use the shape builder to fill. I adjust this vector shape as-needed, but I try and keep it a bit “organic.” I like for my fills to either spill out of, or not quite fill, an outline.