Digital Pattern Illustration Inspired by Flora and Fauna

Get to know Laura as she takes you through her journey as an illustrator and opens the door to her creative universe, an homage to nature's rich tapestry. Who would've known that the first illustrated patterns came to life alongside the industrial revolution?

Next, Laura shows you the best ways to find inspiration, be it scanning though books or simply gazing at the plants in your living room. Choose a particularly inspiring natural setting as the framework for your illustration, and once you've done that, it's time to put pen to paper and sketch those first patterns! How about an elephant? A giraffe? Or maybe even a cactus... It's totally up to you!

Laura introduces you to Procreate and Photoshop, the digital tools she uses most. Now you've got all you need to make the switch from sketching on paper to digitizing your design. Laura also shares some useful tips for continuing your sketch on an iPad.

Once you've got the foundational elements of your patterns designed on Procreate, find out how to colorize them by using the color wheel technique to establish a harmonious color palette. See just how easy it is to create digitized textures like watercolor, acrylic, and gouache.

Complete your digital composition by adding shadows and any extra little details, then transform it into patterns in Photoshop. Make your whole creative process easier with a handy tip to make the pattern fit perfectly.

To finish, find out how to apply your patterns to mock-ups and share them on social media.