Friday, February 24, 2012

Fancy/Funky Friday: Patterns Beverly & Claudia

Hope you're ready for another Fancy/Funky Friday post, because here it is! :)

First, the "fancy": Pattern Beverly




As "fancy" patterns go, Pattern Beverly is pretty casual. It reminds me a little bit of the plastic checkered tablecloths you'd find at an Italian family-style restaurant, or on a picnic - but despite the casual feel, it still has a hint of "fancy" as well. The pattern is very structured on its horizontal-vertical grid, and there's a good balance of white negative space to positive space. Plus, the decorative circles and cross-like shapes remind me of the ornamentation on Gothic churches in Europe, and though Gothic is hardly the fanciest of the European art and architecture styles, it's still steeped in tradition and feels rich in history - which, to me, is also a part of the idea of a "fancy" pattern.



Pattern Beverly was actually the pattern I designed for the day-after Sunday brunch hosted by my new mother-in-law for the morning after my wedding last July. Because the pattern I used for our wedding seemed so feminine, I tried to find more masculine patterns (and used more masculine colors) for the rehearsal dinner and Sunday brunch invitations. I used pale yellows, bright oranges, and masculine browns as the colors - perfect for a summer day breakfast - and faded the pattern into the white of the background.


And now, the "funky": Pattern Claudia



This pattern is fairly simple, as "funky" patterns go, but this just makes the shapes that are formed seem all the bolder. I love the juxtaposition of the pointed ovals with the "s" designs. And even though there are plenty of thick lines and "s" curves, it doesn't get too busy, too dense, or too crazy. There's enough negative white space that the pattern has some room to breathe, and the pointed ovals play up vertical lines, giving the pattern an underlying grid structure. To top it all off, the "s" curves aren't tilted anywhere, and only appear straight, perfectly in-line with the "s" curves to its other sides.

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Shameless plug time: Love my patterns? I incorporate them into a lot of the artwork I create, from stationery for Invites by Andrea to the watercolors I paint. Check out Invites by Andrea's website to see examples of these patterns in use or drop me a line at andrea@invitesbyandrea.com to let me know what you think!


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