Top 10 Questions from Beginner Surface Pattern Designers

Teaching designers who are just getting started with Surface Pattern Design, I tend to get a lot of questions. Things like what skills and tools you need to get started, the best ways to find clients, how to make money.

When I jumped headfirst into freelance pattern design, I definitely fumbled my way through building my business. I’m here to make sure it’s not that hard for you. Today I want to tackle ten of the most common questions I hear from beginner Surface Pattern Designers. Cause ya know what? Making your surface pattern dreams come true does not have to be complicated. Promise. ??

Top 10 Questions from Beginner Surface Pattern Designers

1. What is Surface Pattern Design?

If you’re just hearing mention of a thing called Surface Pattern Design (SPD), and you’re unclear as to what that actually means or entails, I understand. It can be confusing, and there are a lot of similar terms for similar design practices that come into play. Luckily I broke it all down for you right here in this post -?What is Surface Pattern Design?

2. How do I get started in Surface Pattern Design?

Started?started? If you just today realized that there are people in this world whose sole job it is to create artwork for products like quilting fabric and rugs and dinner plates and you want to be one of those people, you’re going to have to pick up a few new skills.?

I'd say step one in how to become a surface pattern designer is to do some drawing and try your hand at making a pattern or two. Most people use computer programs like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator to put their artwork into repeat, but there are other programs like Affinity Designer and Procreate that you can use as well. Skillshare also has a number of great tutorials on how to create repeating patterns out of your artwork.?

3. Do I need to be able to create a technical repeat?

A technical repeat is artwork that will actually, when lined up properly, repeat end to end and top to bottom. The answer to that question is not immediately, no. You can get by for a while by suggesting a repeat by tossing motifs (individual images) around on a page so that it looks like it might repeat at some point.?

Also, some surface pattern designers focus more on art that doesn’t repeat, like mug designs, notebook covers, or garden flags. Honestly, the ability to draw or create compelling and marketable imagery in some way is much more important than technical knowledge. That said, it’s not the hardest skill to master, so if you can create a nice suggested repeat or illustration, at some point I would learn how to create a technical repeat.?

4. Do I need to know/use Adobe Illustrator?

The answer to this question depends a lot on the type of art you create:

• Do you do watercolor florals? If so, you can stay in Photoshop.
• Do you do relatively flat artwork that *could* be done in Illustrator? In the long run, yes, you will want to learn Illustrator.

Again, it doesn’t have to be the first thing you learn. Learning to create compelling and marketable art should be number one on your list. But if you want to go beyond the hobby level and be employed, Photoshop and Illustrator are the gold standards. Illustrator rules for many companies doing surface pattern, due to how easy it is to change things around for different product formats.?

5. Can I really earn a living as a surface pattern designer?

Yep. When I first began my career as a Surface Pattern Designer, my starting salary in 2003 in New York City with a bedding company was $42,000. In my first year working on my own as a freelance designer in 2013, I earned $29,000. I shared some of my recent income figures in this post - How Much Can You Earn from Surface Pattern Design?

6. What kind of jobs are available for surface pattern designers?

If you’re not interested in creating your own products and dipping into the manufacturing side of things, there are five main options for getting paid to create patterns and art for product, while someone else handles the manufacturing of them. I outline those all in this post - Surface Pattern Design Jobs: Which Path is Right for You?

7. Do I need a portfolio to get started working as a surface pattern designer?

Yes. No matter what your goals are as a Surface Pattern Designer, you will need a portfolio to accomplish them. I plan to break down portfolios in a future post, but in short, you need a small body of work that shows what you are capable of doing. Depending on which type of job you are hoping to get, that collection of work could be as small as ten designs. The bottom line is you need to have artwork that shows your skill level to potential clients, employers or licensees.?Check out this blog for some tips to help you put your portfolio together - Get Your Surface Pattern Design Portfolio Right: Top Tips for Portfolio Building.

8. How do I find my first paying clients?

Excellent question. There are lots of ways, but I outline step one in the process here - Get Started with a Surface Pattern Design Career: An Easy First Step. I also give you?some further helpful suggestions?inside my Surface Pattern Boss Toolkit. (You’ll have to sign up to get access, but it’s free as free can be and you also get helpful and insightful emails from me, plus lots of other cool resources.) If you’ve got a good portfolio and you’re ready to really get going, I go into MAJOR DETAIL in?Start Your Surface Pattern Design Business.

9. Are Print On Demand (POD) sites worth it?

As I talk about in my post - Surface Pattern Design Jobs: Which Path is Right for You? - it’s a low barrier to entry to post your work on Print on Demand sites like RedBubble and Society 6. So they tend to be a go-to for new artists looking to start immediately and make some money with their work. They do take a lot of time to set up - uploading and formatting designs - and many are left asking if the returns are worth it.

It’s possible to make decent money from POD sites, but it’s unlikely to happen by you just casually adding art here and there. There are strategies to draw in an audience, to tag your work based on search engines, and create an appealing storefront. It takes a lot of dedication. I’ve personally found it to be more lucrative spending time on other income sources like freelance work or licensing.?But check out this blog - How to Sell Your Art with Etsy and Print on Demand - and hear first hand how Kathy Weller, lettering artist and illustrator, initially built her business through POD sites.

10. Is my artwork good enough?

Ahhh, the age-old question that artists new and old ask themselves Every. Damn. Day. I can’t answer this question via a blog specifically for you, my friend. But I can give you some advice and an indicator:

• First, remember that more than likely, you are your own worst critic. Our human minds tend to focus on the negative when it comes to assessing ourselves. Even artists who have been working successfully for years still question the quality of their artwork. So try to look at your art with fresh eyes and objectivity.?
• Second, look at the market. If you want to know if your work is good enough to sell….see what is selling. Want to sell art for kids' rooms? Head to the Pillowfort section of Target, or a wall art site like Oopsy Daisy. Note what types of designs are featured and assess if your work is at approximately the same skill level. If what’s in the market is a 10 out of 10 and you’re at a 7, then you should probably start pitching yourself.
• But if your work is feeling more like a 4 right now, study what is working in the market and practice those techniques first. Maybe you’re seeing kids' art that features a lot of uplifting quotes or fun animals. Go ahead and create a piece with those elements. Maybe you notice all the art you see has cool textures and your art is feeling a bit flat in comparison. Rework your most recent design and try some layering.?As I like to say, practice makes progress. ?

I hope that clears out some of the confusion and doubt you may have about your path forward. When you first get started in Surface Pattern Design, creating compelling and marketable art should be your primary goal. And remember, being a beginner and learning is a normal part of the process. Have other burning questions? Come find me over on the ‘gram at @esilverdesign and ask away!

And if you’re ready for a blueprint of EXACTLY what you need to do and how you need to do it, to create a Surface Pattern Design business that supports you and allows you to pursue your creativity on your own schedule, check out my course below. ??

READY TO MONETIZE YOUR PASSION FOR PATTERN?

Making your surface pattern dreams come true does not have to be complicated or intimidating. I created the Start Your Surface Pattern Business course as a master plan for you to get focused, ditch the fear, and start pitching your work today.

Click here to learn more about Start Your Surface Pattern Business.

Here’s what one of my brilliant students had to say about their results from the course…

"Elizabeth broke the whole process down into manageable chunks that made it easy to niche down and reach out to people, and before the 6 weeks were up I had my first licensing deal! I would never have gotten that without Start Your Surface Pattern Business."

-Sophie Mann (Retro pattern designer, @missmann_designs)

This article was originally published on ElizabethSilver.com - Top 10 Questions from Beginner Surface Pattern Designers