Lesson video

Hello, everyone.

How are you doing today? I hope you're feeling really good.

My name is Miss Afzal, and I'll be your art teacher for this lesson.

I'm feeling really pretty good about that because I love teaching art, and because today we're looking at patterns.

Yeah, patterns.

Surface patterns.

I wonder what that makes you think of when you hear about surface patterns.

Wonder where you've seen surface patterns before? Maybe you've created some surface patterns yourself.

So that's the title of our lesson: "Surface Patterns." And it comes from the unit of work, "Foundation Workshops: "An Introduction to the Areas of Study." So if you have some focus, energy, and enthusiasm for our subject, I think we're all set to begin.

The outcome for today's lesson is: "I can explore surface pattern by designing a motif and experimenting with scale to create repeat patterns.

Sounds interesting.

I hope you'll agree.

We have some keywords in our lesson.

Let's go through them: "surface pattern," "repeat," and "scale." So what do these keywords mean? Let's find out.

Surface pattern: decorative designs applied to the surface of materials like fabric, paper, or ceramics.

Repeat: a design that is copied and arranged over and over to cover a surface.

Scale: the size of a design or motif in relation to its surface or surrounding space.

These are our keywords: "surface pattern," "repeat," and "scale." Let's look out for them.

Let's listen out for them.

They'll be coming up in our lesson today.

Our lesson today is called "Surface Pattern," and it has two learning cycles: understanding surface pattern and creating a motif, and turning a motif into repeat patterns using scale.

Let's begin by understanding surface pattern and creating a motif.

And before we do that, let's jump ahead into the future and take a look at what some outcomes from today might be.

Oh, wow.

Take a look at these.

Pause here and share with someone: what are your impressions of these outcomes? Thanks for sharing.

I'm gonna sneak in one more question here.

Pause the video and share with someone: how do you think these outcomes were achieved? What do you think the process might have been? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

We will find out in due course how we got to this place.

Surface pattern is all around us, on clothes, furniture, ceramics, architecture, and even the walls in our homes.

Designers use patterns to make everyday objects exciting and beautiful.

Pause the video and share with someone which object on the screen do you find most exciting and beautiful out of these surface patterns? Thanks for sharing.

They are all so gorgeous.

I'm really torn.

I think I might go for the bottom right.

Those leaves on the orange background are really doing it for me.

And where have you seen surface patterns today? On your clothes? In your home? Pause the video and share with someone some of the surface patterns that you have seen today.

Perhaps even as you look around you.

Thanks for sharing.

I've got some really nice wallpaper in one place in my home, which has got beautiful surface pattern on it.

Textile designers like Zandra Rhodes and companies such as Marimekko use screen printing to produce vibrant fabrics for fashion and interiors, layering colours and experimenting with scale.

Today, both hand screen printing and digital adaptations are used in textile design to create unique or mass-produced patterns.

Pause the video and share with someone which of the patterns containing that eye motif are you most drawn to out of the three we see on the screen? Thanks for sharing.

I'm not always one for bright yellowy neon colours, but the yellow and blue is really attracting me at this moment.

Artists inspired to use surface pattern include: William Morris, who produced intricate floral repeat patterns in wallpapers.

Yinka Ilori's work is bold, using colourful patterns on furniture and objects.

Priya Ahluwalia is inspired by her Nigerian and Indian heritage and applies this influence in her surface decoration.

And Lisa Folawiyo uses inspiration from Ankara textiles in her own work.

So we can see there are a number of artists inspired to use surface pattern in their works.

Pause the video and share with someone, do you know any other artists who use surface pattern in their artwork? Thanks for sharing other artists you know who are inspired to use surface patterns.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? Surface pattern decoration is only used in textiles.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

And now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this: Surface pattern can be applied to many materials, including ceramics, wallpaper, furniture, and architecture.

And here's Jun: "I've started my project with an applique sample inspired by this stimulus.

Next, I'll use my sketchbook images and drawings to develop a repeat pattern for my surface design project." Pause here and share with someone what's your impression of Jun's sketchbook images, these different eyes and eye makeup? Thanks for sharing your impressions here.

Here's Jun: "I collected images of eyes with bright makeup.

Their shapes reminded me of fish, so I drew and gathered similar shapes to inspire ideas for my motif.

I chose this photo from my sketchbook pages as inspiration for my motif.

I'll create the motif first, then use it to make a repeat pattern.

This is also called a surface pattern." I love that journey that Jun has taken from the eye makeup to the eye to the fish.

So wonderful.

What a great motif.

Designing your motif may look like this.

So choose the stimuli you're inspired by, here's Jun's eye and beautiful eye makeup.

And then produce a pencil drawing of the stimuli.

Next, use thin photocopy paper to trace your pencil drawing.

Remove shading and focus on line only.

Add areas of solid tone and fine lines, and use your imagination to include extra details.

Pause the video and share with someone your reflections on June's journey, from the eye with the makeup to the fish.

Thanks for sharing your reflections.

And now it's time for your first task: designing your motif.

You should: Find inspiration from your research pages in your sketchbook.

Choose a photograph or drawing from one of these pages.

Produce a pencil drawing of your stimuli.

Use tracing paper to trace the stimuli using a fine liner pen.

Add areas of solid tone and fine lines, and use your imagination to include extra details to the motif.

So pause here while you have a go at designing your motif.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Enjoy your task.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on with that task, designing your motif? There are many possible outcomes, and you may have created something like this.

How wonderful.

And here is Jun to tell us that he "removed the tone, added solid areas and fine lines, and used my imagination to develop details.

My eye motif now looks like the fish in my research." I think you did a terrific job, Jun, and I hope you are all pleased with what you've created as well.

And now we're onto our next learning cycle: Turning a motif into repeat patterns using scale.

So we have our motif, and then we have a repeat pattern.

How does a designer turn a motif into a repeat pattern for surface decoration? Pause here and share with someone: what do you think the process is? Thanks for sharing your ideas.

Let's have a check for understanding.

True or false? When making a repeat pattern, you can only work in one size.

Pause here and decide if this is true or false.

Well done if you selected false.

Now I'd like you to say a little more about your answer.

Pause here while you do this.

Perhaps you said something like this: Surface pattern often involves experimenting with scale to suit different applications.

Small on clothing, larger on wallpaper.

"Artists and designers can use software to change the scale of the image.

You can also use a printer or photocopier too." Repeating a motif allows designers to: Cover large surfaces without drawing a completely new design each time.

Experiment with scale, spacing, and direction to create dynamic and interesting surface pattern.

Artists and designers using repeat pattern include: Marimekko is a Finnish design brand known for bold, colourful patterns and simple, modern textiles.

I visited Helsinki once, and there were many Marimekko shops, and they have some really stunning designs.

I was so glad to see those designs in their home country.

Fabriq Textile Studio is a design studio in Lebanon that creates designs that celebrate personal and cultural narratives.

Josef Frank is known for colourful, nature-inspired textile patterns.

His bold, hand-drawn prints celebrate joy and spontaneity in design.

Pause the video and share with someone, do you know any other artists or designers using repeat patterns in their work? Thanks for sharing.

Making a repeat pattern with a motif and a photocopier can look like this.

Photocopy your motif six times.

You can change the scale if you like.

Cut around all of the motifs.

Making a repeat pattern with a motif and a photocopier can look like this.

Cut out all of the motifs and arrange them on the page in a layout you like.

Stick your motifs onto the page, photocopy it again, and use a fine liner to add new shapes to the design.

I love how this design is developing further with those black and white circles added.

Photocopy your original design a few times so you can experiment by drawing onto it with a fine liner and adding different shapes to develop your ideas.

Pause the video and share with someone: which of these designs do you think is working the best? Thanks for sharing your preference.

And now it's time for your next task.

I would like you to make a repeat pattern with a motif and a photocopier.

You should: Photocopy your motif six times or more, changing the scale.

Cut around all of the photocopies.

On a piece of paper, arrange the cut-out motifs to make a repeat pattern.

Consider turning motifs around and creating mirror images.

When you're ready, stick your motifs onto the paper, photocopy your whole design, and then use a fine liner to add more detail to the design.

So there's quite a few stages to this task, so take your time and stay focused, and enjoy your task.

I'll see you when you're finished.

Once you've created your repeat pattern with motif and a photocopier.

It's great to be back with you.

How did you get on making a repeat pattern with a motif and a photocopier? There are many possibilities, but you may have created something like this.

And here's Jun: "I enjoyed creating my repeat pattern with the photocopier.

I experimented with scale by reducing my motif and developed my design further by adding new details.

The surface pattern of the final design works very well." Oh, I'm glad you're feeling so confident in your final design, and I can see why.

It really is looking great.

I love how it started from the eyes on your research page and bringing in the fish, and then all the additions that made their way to the final design.

Pause here and take a moment to share with someone, just as Jun has shared with us, your design and your reflections on what you've created, the process you took, and how you feel about your final repeat pattern.

Thanks for sharing your reflections.

And now I would like you to offer feedback to each other.

So if someone has shared their reflections with you, I'd now like you to offer some helpful feedback on your impressions of their repeat pattern.

Pause the video while you do this, offering the gift of your feedback.

Thanks so much for doing that.

It's always so helpful to end a session with some time for feedback and reflection, and then we can take that with us to our next project.

In our lesson, "Surface Pattern," we've covered the following: Designers use a single motif to create a larger repeat pattern for surface decoration.

Designers often scale the motif up or down to change its size and add variety.

By arranging and repeating the design, they produce decorative patterns for textiles, wallpaper, and other surfaces.

Well done, everybody, for joining in with this lesson.

It was great to explore surface patterns with you, to see how we can go from something we've been interested in in our research book to creating our own motif, copying it, simplifying it, and then scaling it up or down, changing the orientation of it, adding on some extra embellishments, and then coming up with something unique.

I wonder where you could imagine your surface pattern being used.

Pause the video and share with someone, where do you think your surface pattern could be used? Perhaps on some fabric? Maybe on a wallpaper? On kitchenware? Pause here and share with someone.

Thanks for sharing.

And I hope you enjoy looking out for surface patterns as you move through your days.

They are all around us.

I've really enjoyed this lesson with you.

I hope you have too, and I'm looking forward to seeing you at another art lesson soon.

Until then, stay creative.