My creative proccess designing "My blue butterflies" pattern.

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Last week, I was looking and revising old computer files and I found some nice flowers and butterflies motives which I didn´t like when I created them. As I had not seen them for a long time, it seems I saw them with other eyes. I had even repeated these icons in order to create a pattern, but I got tired or bored of it, so I decided to leave it without finished it as I was not satisfied with the result.

So, after finding them I decided to work again with them. I moved these icons, distributed them and created a pattern which surprisingly I liked it as it looks different to my usual style.

I am going to explain how I developed it. I was just experimenting, having fun, trying things, discovering, playing with photoshop filters. I am used to draw vectors patterns, but lately I am making patterns from scanning images or photos, trying to learn new working methods, and learning to use better photoshop. 

First; I took a photo of some pink cloth flowers I had on a vase in my terrace.

I opened that photo in photoshop, made some colour adjustment and using filters, I got a painting effect. I think I used the artistic filter. Then, I added another petal to it and  traced a pink silhouette outside the flowers and I copied and pasted several ones along the page. Sorry, if I forgot some steps, and if I can´t give more detailed information but I can´t remember it as it  I created it months ago. But I hope more or less you can get the general idea!

Later, I added some butterflies and leaves I had taken from another photo.

I didn´t like how it looked, those purples and bold colours were not nice!.But I thought I had to continue! I converted it to gray scale and tried to make it more like a black and white drawing, adding more contrast. Then; I opened it in illustrator and traced it automatically, and I liked those vector shapes.

Then,  I ungrouped them and there were lots of tiny shapes which I deleted, repeated some nice shapes, and coloured them by color areas. Later, I made the repeat! 
First; I created a purple version, a simple one, on a white background and later I decided to make a colorway, but using different blue tones. I liked it most. 
I remembered I had a stained tile which I hadn´t used before. I am not fond of animal prints, but I decided to add it to this pattern on its background. I liked how that mixing looked! 
The funny thing is that experimenting, making mistakes and changes you can achieve a nice pattern from something you didn´t like at first. It is good to be persistent and see where an initial idea leads to you!

I have my computer full with old files plenty with icons I didn´t like when they were created, but now I am sure some of them are going to led me to create nice patterns! So, revise your old files, sure you will get surprised about some of you declined motives and ideas!

My patterns on nice Society6 products.http://society6.com/JuliaGrifoldesigns/My-blue-butterflies_Print


Have a nice weekend! Wishing you lots of ideas and inspiration!