For the final assignment in my Pattern Design class, we were tasked with creating a ‘culture collection’—a pattern inspired by a film, TV series, novel, album, or other cultural reference. Naturally, I chose one of my favorite films: the 1980s cult classic Xanadu as my inspiration. A dazzling fusion of roller disco, Greek mythology, and neon-soaked aesthetics, Xanadu is a visual and musical spectacle that perfectly captures the era’s bold energy. I became so immersed in the creative process that instead of designing just three patterns, I ended up developing three full collections—each drawing from different visual elements of the [...]

Daruma dolls are traditional Japanese dolls that symbolize perseverance and good luck. The dolls come with blank eyes that you fill in. You draw in one eye when you make a wish or set a goal, and then fill in the other eye once that wish or goal has come true. I first encountered Daruma dolls when I visited Japan in 2015 and loved their quirky appearance so working on this project was really fun. I drew this little guy in Adobe Illustrator and created several color variations for a fun and fresh contemporary look. Pattern Design | Spring 2020 [...]

My first pattern collection! For this project, I was directed to create a series of circle, square, and line motifs. This provided a great opportunity to experiment with mark-making. I created marks both by hand and digitally with Procreate, Illustrator, and Photoshop. Ultimately my favorite marks were the ones I created by hand using paint, charcoal, and ink. Pattern Design | Spring 2020 | Jamie Runnells