Design Process in Adobe Illustrator: Behind-the-Scenes of Pattern and Illustration Design

Lately, I’ve been designing a lot more patterns and illustrations from photos I take. I’m trying to build a portfolio of everyday things I use or consume. Sometimes my artboard is chaotic, which is just part of the creative process. I like sharing part of my design process when creating patterns and illustrations as I am always curious about how other artists create their work.

Banana Repeat Pattern

For this pattern, I was using bananas I bought at the store. The photos I take are super simple - on my iPhone. I don’t pay too much attention to lighting or anything since I just use these for reference. I find I can design better with a real-world example to get more natural shapes and textures.

The color story for the banana pattern includes shades of cream, yellows, greens, and brown. I tend to favor a more retro aesthetic in my illustrations, which came through in this pattern.

Design Process

The design process is such a unique and interesting workflow. I love to see how artists create behind-the-scenes.

To check out more of my patterns and illustrations, click here to access my portfolio!