Any great textile designer can create any print on demand. From all these prints, Paisley can be a particular challenge, but they’re very much worth the effort, on both a commercial and creative level. Simply put, you can’t be a successful textile designer without mastering them. Because sure, some seasons paisley goes out of style, but it tends to come back almost every year. And you should be ready for this change, capitalising on it is how many designers get ahead. If you aren’t sure where to start, Print School brings you a guide on how to nail the designing of paisleys and even a course on how to manage the design and commercialization of paisley print.
Understand Paisley’s History
Paisleys have evolved over hundreds of years, the history of paisley is long, and they have gone in and out of fashion over and over again. These variations are endless. Here are some common things to think about:
- Consider paisleys from Kashmir compared to Persia
- Look into the way designers in the 2970s created their interpretation with plasoids, from Bill Blass to Yves Saint Laurant.
- Look at current interpretations of paisleys.
- Compare the intricate to the simple, and the large to the small.
Looking into the history of a pattern is important, and it always pays you back in spades, you will absorb the information and it will serve you well at the right time.
No Corner Cutting
The worst paisley prints are always the lazy ones, they seem to lack a proper paisley shape, are not drawn evenly or nearly, a little warped, with uninteresting details. To be done right, paisleys need time and concentration. If you intend to create a beautiful motif, it’s important to put the effort in. Getting lost in the details is a part of the fun of making paisleys, so make the most of it and immerse yourself in these motifs.
The good news with paisleys is, that although they take time, you can speed up the process. Print School spills the secrets on intricate painting and Photoshop hacks in their Gouache Paisley course.
High Attention to Detail
When you’ve done your research and drawn the right motif shape, you’ll see how many variations there are to paisley centres, they can be flowers, lines, scalloping, paisleys within paisleys, the ideas are infinite. If you take the time to draw different decorations in each motif, you’ll notice that this will help set you apart and elevate your work. As you go along, you’ll notice the bonus aspects of Paisley designs, non-paisley shapes, Jacobean-style flowers and swirls. You can use these to add to the flow of your design and bring prints to a whole new level.
Don’t Overdo It
Much like kneading the best loaf of bread, it is important to know when to stop. If you overwork your motifs, the design can become too busy. Overworking the design can also make the final fabric print too heavy. If there are too many lines, they will start bleeding into each other and create a blob effect with a loss of detail.
When it comes to knowing how much is enough, practice makes perfect. The more paisley designs you create, the easier it will be to get it just right, and the better you’ll be able to hone in on your sense of intuition.
Begin with a Vision
Context is key, as a textile designer it’s easy to get lost in the artistry of designing your print. A compelling vision will prevent you from going off on a tangent and can make the whole process much faster too.
The context of your work and overall designs depends on what’s trending at the time, and also the product you’re creating. A strong flowing dress may require bold paisley with enough negative space to allow flow and breath, whereas a shirt may require a small repetitive layout.
Remember to Draw to Scale
This is an important one, drawing to the scale of your final artwork means you will avoid changing the size in Photoshop later, which can create different line widths and therefore an inconsistent design, something to be avoided at all costs.
If you draw plenty of motifs, you have plenty to choose from when working up your layout in Photoshop, if you don’t use them at all, you’ll always find another design down the track you can put them into, nothing will ever be wasted.
About Print School
If you want all the skills you need to create complete digital fabric design with pen-drawn motifs, if you want to break into textile design, or level up your photoshop skills, Print Shop is the place for you.
Print Shop can handle all your Fabric Design Training, and help you get there quicker, avoid the pitfalls and master Adobe Photoshop for textile design. With our expert Paisley Gouache course, you can learn everything you need to know, not just about drawing paisley, but also everything you need to create and design a stunning illustrated print to a highly professional standard.
The teachers are all working designers, they not only help you hone your skills but also teach you how to stop wasting time on old techniques and correct bad advice. You will always walk away with a clear understanding of how to make a commercial layout, from the steps you take, right down to keyboard shortcuts for commercial surface pattern designs.
When it comes to expertise, there is no one else who has reached their level of success, and in teaching the next generation, they will make a new group of incredible designers.
Print School’s Gouache Paisleys for Fabric Design: From Concept to Completion
Paisleys and Jacobeans are two designs that never go out of style, they do evolve as the season passes, especially with colour, scale or trend influences, they even transcend seasons a print that can work for winter dresses, and fall bedding or even summer swimwear prints. Overall, paisleys are a skill that you must have in your designer tool belt.
With this course you can:
-Attract a wider range of job opportunities with a variety of skills
-Diversify your portfolio with paisley and Jacobean shapes
-Profit from a never-ending trend
-Supply clients with paisley’s year after year
Here’s What You learn:
Part One: Create your motifs
- Sketch your Paisley & Jacobean motifs
- Here you will be taught the complexity and shapes of traditional paisleys and Jacobean flowers and translate them into your sketches.
- Mix and paint your first colour
- You will be shown the process of planning your colours and laying down the first tones.
- Mix flat and watercolour techniques
- Learn how to use multiple techniques within one motif.
- Paint your tones in order
- You will be taught how to paint each tone, explaining why one should be chosen over others and how to avoid ‘fighting’ colours.
- Draw in your keylines
- Learn how to finesse your motifs with keyline details to take them to the next levels.
Part Two: Create a Digital Print Design
- Scan and clean your motifsYou will be taught not to lose the fine detail and learn how to clean up your painted art with good results.
- Edit your colours
- Adjust each colour, controlling your levels for a pleasing result.
- Create a strong layout
- You will be taught how to compose a paisley design with a good flow.
- Get the most from your motifs
- Learn the tricks to stretch your motifs further.
- Create a border
- Cut and paste your motifs into an intricate border for the ultimate boho style look.
- Create a complementary colourway
- Keep your customers happy with colourways that don’t clash with the master design.
If you like surface patterns, then this course is for you. From every stage of your career, from fresh newbies looking to break into the fabric design industry to experienced professionals hoping to upskill and move ahead. In design, there is always something new to learn.
All you need to complete this course is a computer with Photoshop installed.
What Else Does Print School Offer?
Outside the Gouache paisley course, The Print School offers courses largely based on Photoshop, the reason this is offered is that creating designs in Photoshop has unique benefits for artists, including the speed of creation and the ability to clean patterns and upload them directly into the program.
In addition to this adobe photoshop course, Australia the studio also offers impeccable business courses that are designed to take you from hobbyist to entrepreneur to high-earning business person. This course is a must-have for those who want to outdo the competition.
In the same world as these paisleys, the studio also offers Gouache Roses and Tropical Leaves to improve upon your existing drawing skills and elevate your prints.
One Last Thing
As a designer, you have two options, you can either spend years and thousands of dollars figuring out this process on your own, or you can learn the Print School’s fail-proof methods, refined in over 30 years in the business.
The answer is a no-brainer. Upon the completion of the course, you won’t just have the necessary skills, but you’ll also have a certificate of completion to slip into your graphic design folio, or put in your CV, for better opportunities in the future.