Online Design Classes

Screenshot of strawberry motif being textured in Procreate app.

Texturing Motifs

Level: Intermediate

This class focuses on combining real hand-made textures with digital techniques to create eye-catching motifs. It’s possible to achieve a paper cutout style, or alternatively add form through shading and detail. The class includes demonstrations in both Procreate® and Adobe Photoshop®.

Screenshot of flower collage glueing lesson.

Floral Collage

Level: All

Cutting flowers from interesting textured papers is a relaxing and inspiring way to create floral designs. The class is suitable for everyone, from those wishing to dabble in collaging and have fun with basic materials, to those who’d like to explore the topic deeper and optionally use digital techniques.

Screenshot of reducing colours in Illustrator Recolor panel.

Colour Mixology

Level: Intermediate

This class focused on colour style, developing beautiful palettes and applying colour effectively to designs in Adobe Illustrator®. You’ll learn to use a full suite of powerful colour tools. Throughout the class, I provide tips, both technical and artistic, and there are 3 fun projects to practice with along the way.

Screenshot of mock-up creation in Photoshop with warping over complex surface.

All About Mock-Ups

Level: Intermediate

This class focuses on imagining designs on products through photo-based mock-ups. There are sections on sourcing mock-ups (including free ones), using ready-made mock-ups, mask and warp techniques for creating mock-ups, plus a segment about organising mock-up files in a visual gallery.

Screenshot of a swimwear flat-lay mock-up being created in Illustrator.

Illustrated Mock-Ups

Level: Intermediate

This class focuses on making illustrated product mock-ups on which to display surface pattern designs. There's an explanation of the benefits of this type of mock-up and demonstrations of how to create them for apparel, homeware and paper goods.

Screenshot of a reflected repeating pattern being created.

Reflected Repeats

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

This class focuses on creating patterns with reflected elements. It covers both artistic and technical aspects of reflected repeats, including layouts that help reflected designs flow and software tools such as live transformation in Adobe Illustrator®.

Screenshot of botanical brushes being used to create a plant illustration.

Botanical Brushes

Level: Intermediate

This class covers how to use the power of Adobe Illustrator® custom brushes. It includes demonstrations of how to make leaves, petals and stems that can be painted on and curled into position. Using botanical brushes in layers, designs literally grow and flourish into beautiful plants.

Screenshot of lesson with butterfly motifs in different colours.

Making Motifs

Level: Beginner and up

This first class is geared towards people starting out with vector-based design who want to learn about Adobe Illustrator® software and develop their vector style. The latter lessons could also be interesting for illustrators and surface pattern designers who want to explore motif development and style options.