Step 1

Open a new document in Illustrator.
Go to Preferences > Guides & Grid… and set the Gridline every 100px and Subdivisions equal to 10. Next go to the View Menu and choose Show Grid (Cmd/Ctrl+”) and Snap to Grid (Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+”).

Step 2

In this and the next step we will use the Pen Tool to create the shape (corner and side tiles) of our brush.
Start (1) from the left bottom corner of a gridline and continue as in the images below.



Once you have finished, press Enter to start a separate path.

Step 3

We will create the corner tile within the four basic gridline squares as in the image.

Press enter.

Step 3

Now, we will colorize our shapes. We need a palette of 5 colors. Here, I use:

• (1) R = 207 G = 91 B = 171
• (2) R = 196 G = 24 B = 24
• (3) R = 86 G = 143 B = 172
• (4) R = 191 G = 141 B = 121
• (5) R = 128 G = 52 B = 41

Step 4

In order to avoid some further complications we will need to expand a bit our paths beyond what will constitute the brush tiles.

Step 5

Select both shapes. Set the stroke weight to 1px, color to (1).
With both shapes still selected and go to Object > Path > Offset Path… Set the Offset to 2 px
and set its stroke color to (2).

Again, select both initial strokes (not the paths you’ve just created) and go to Object > Path > Offset Path… This times set the Offset to 4 px. set stroke color to (3).
And once more, select both strokes, go to Object > Path > Offset Path… and set the Offset to 6 px. Send these shapes to back – go to Object > Arrange > Send to Back or use the shortcut Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+[.
Set fill color to (4) and stroke to (5).

Step 6

With the Selection Tool (V) select the first and second offset paths. If you check in your Layers Panel you will find out that they are compound paths. Go to Object > Compound Path > Release or use the shortcut Option/Alt+Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+8.
Now, you can select separately the parts that are inside the three loops and in the middle square of the corner tile. Go to the Stroke Panel, check the Dashed Line and set dash to 1px, gap to 2px. Change the Cap Option to Round Cap (blue arrow).

Next, select both shapes ((make sure to select all parts) and go to Object > Expand.

Step 7

Now, we must make sure that the corner tile will match properly with the side tile of the brush. To understand the principle imagine that your brush elements are drawings on transparent tiles.
Note that the corner tile is closed within the four squares determined by the basic gridlines.
The side tile should have the same height so that they match properly.
Choose the rectangle tool (M) and create a rectangle that covers what is supposed to be the brush element (remember that we expanded our path one unit to the left and one unit to the right).
With the rectangle correctly placed over the shape, select both and choose Crop in the Pathfinder Panel.

Step 8

With the Selection Tool (V) select the cropped shapes, make sure that you selected the invisible rectangle around your colorful shape. Drag your selection to the Brushes Panel. In the dialog box choose New Pattern Brush.

The default settings will work for us:

Step 9

Next, we will crop the corner tile. With the Rectangle Tool create a square that covers the corner shape as in the image. With both the square and the corner shape selected choose Crop in the Pathfinder Panel.

Step 10

With the Selection Tool (V) select the cropped shapes, again make sure that you selected the invisible rectangle around your colorful shape. Drag your selection to the Outer Corner Tile position (first) in the Brushes Panel holding down the Option/Alt key.

Repeat the same once again for the Inner Corner position

Step 10

We could finish here but we may also add two more parts: endings of the path.
I start with a horizontal stroke, set its color to (1) and then add all three offset paths as for the two first elements.

Select the red path and go to Effect > Stylize > Round Corners, set Radius to 1px.
Next, select the blue path and apply Round Corners with Radius equal to 3px.
For the outer path set the Radius to 5px.
For a while uncheck the Snap to Grid in View Menu.
Narrow a bit the blue and red paths, make sure you don’t change their vertical position.
Next shorten the initial stroke, select and drag holding the Option/Alt and Shift. Select both change the cap option to Round Cap. Select one of them and select Dashed Line (dash: 1px, gap: 2px) as before.

Select, go to Object > Expand Appearance, next Object > Expand.
Check back Snap to Grid in View Menu.
Crop one half of the shape with the rectangle as in the image

Step 11

With the Selection Tool (V) select the cropped shapes, once more make sure that you selected the invisible rectangle around your colorful shape. Holding the Option/Alt key drag it to the End Tile position in the Brushes Panel as in the image

Next rotate the selection 180 degrees and drag it again to the Start Tile position in the Brushes Panel

And that’s it :) Your pattern brush is finished.
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. If so please bookmark and share. All your comments are more than welcome.

On how to install patterns, you may check out here.
If you like this post please spread the word (the best way to say thank you).

You may download them as Photoshop .pat file (the tile size is 600px x 600px) or in vector format as Adobe Illustrator pattern swatches. Free for both personal and commercial use.
Some more previews:

On how to install patterns, you may check out here.
If you like this post please spread the word (the best way to say thank you).

Below the one with some ‘random‘ color elements.

The rest is more or less in grayscale.

On how to install patterns, you may check out here.

If you liked this post, please spread the word! Thank you.

If you like this post please bookmark and share :).

Caltha palustris are one of the first I find every spring. The other are violas but … well .. it’s a challenge to vectorize their subtleness.
I share with you Photoshop patterns (also on a transparent background) inspired by kingcups (eng.), kaczeńce (pl.) or populage des marais (fr.) – free for personal and commercial use.

Any comments are welcome. If you liked this post please share !

A pack of fuchsias-inspired patterns for Illustrator and Photoshop. Nine in set (for your convenience also on transparent background).
Free for personal and commercial use.

On how to install patterns, you may check out here.
If you like this post, please tweet, stumble, …. Enjoy!

On how to install patterns, you may check out here.

If you like this post please share (Stumble, Tweet, …. )
Enjoy!

Step 0

We will use five colors for our flowers: white, black, blue, beige and red as well as some brown background color. In the image below you can see the RGB values of the colors I used.

Part I – Create an individual item of the pattern

Step 1

Choose the Polygon Tool (you will find it under the Rectangle Tool in the Tool Panel). Option/Alt-click and in the dialog box set the Radius to 25px and the number of sides to 22.

Keep your polygon selected and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat… Set the slider value to 70%.

(1) Copy Cmd/Ctrl+C the bloated polygon and paste it to front Cmd/Ctrl+F. Go to the Appearance Panel and uncheck (or delete) the Pucker & Bloat Effect.
(2) Hold down the Shift-key and Option/Alt-key and enlarge a little bit the polygon.
(3) Select the bloated shape (the one beneath) and go to Object > Expand Appearance.
(4) Select both shapes and choose Intersect in the Pathfinder Panel.

Step 2

Choose the Polygon Tool and set the Radius to 33px and the number of sides to 11. Fill the shape with red, no stroke.
Again go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat… This time don’t bloat your shape that much, set the value to 21%.

Go to Object > Expand Appearance. Don’t deselect and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform… Create a rotated copy of your flower shape (Note that if you rotate your flower by 360/11 degrees the shapes will overlap, that’s why we choose 1/2 x 360/11. Note also that Adobe Illustrator makes the calculations for you!)

(1) Select the two copies, go to Object > Expand Appearance.
(2) Choose Unite in the Pathfinder Panel.

Step 3

(1) In the Layer Panel put the red shape below the beige one. Align them centering horizontally and vertically.
(2) Copy Cmd/Ctrl+C the beige shape and paste it to back Cmd/Ctrl+B then immediately send it to Back Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+[ (or go to Object > Arrange > Send to Back). Don’t deselect, with the Shift-key and Alt/Option-key hold down enlarge it a bit, my shape is 95px x 95px. Change the fill color to blue.
(3) Keep the blue shape selected, go to Object > Path > Offset Path and set the offset to -1px.
(4) Select the outer shape and delete it. Now the arms of the star-like shape are a little bit thinner.

Step 4

(1) Option/Alt-click with the Polygon Tool and set the Radius = 66px and Sides=12. Fill the polygon with black, no stroke.
(2) Bloat it (Effect > Distort & Transform > Pucker & Bloat…) of 17%.
(3) Go to Object > Expand Appearance.
(4) Go to Object > Offset Path… and set the Offset to -0.5px. Delete the outer shape.
(5) Send it to back Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+[. Select all shapes and center them horizontally and vertically.

Step 5

Select the beige star-like shape so that you could easily determine it’s center point. Go to View > Show Artboard Rulers (or use the keyboard shortcut Cmd/Ctrl+R). Drag the Guides so that they intersect in the center of the beige object.

With the Ellipse Tool (L) and the Shift and Option/Alt hold down create a tiny circle starting from the point on the vertical guide as in the image below (the diameter of mine is 5,2px). Fill it with white, no stroke.
Choose the Rotate Tool (R) and Option/Alt-click in the center point of the flower (the point where the guides intersect). In the dialog box set the Angle to 360/22 and choose Copy.
Repeat Cmd/Ctrl+D (or go to Object > Transform > Transform Again) until you have all 11 white dots.

Step 6

Select all the white dots. The fastest way to do that is to select one then to go to Select > Same > Fill Color.
Group them Cmd/Ctrl+G (or go to Object > Group).
Copy Cmd/Ctrl+C and Paste to Front Cmd/Ctrl+F. With the Shift-key and Option/Alt-key hold down rescale it down a bit as in the image.
Repeat the same enlarging the circle of dots and changing the fill color to red.
Select all Cmd/Ctrl+A and group Cmd/Ctrl+G.

Part II – create a seamless pattern

Step 7

Alt-click with the Rectangle Tool (M) and set the size to 900px x 900 px. Make sure the square is on the very bottom of the layer (send it back with Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+[) and has no fill and no stroke. Copy it Cmd/Ctrl+C and paste to front Cmd/Ctrl+F, set the fill of the copy to the background brown color.
Lock the two rectangles.

Place the flower in the upper left corner of the rectangle, you do not have to be very exact. With the flower selected go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform… and create five copies as in the image.

Go to Object > Expand Appearance and then ungroup immediately Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+G (or Object > Ungroup).
We will recolor the four inner flowers.
Select the second flower and go to Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork…
By default, this method preserves white and black so we have to update the settings. Click the symbol as in the image, access the Recolor Options and uncheck White and Black.
To recolor the object click the button marked in the image. This way you will randomly change the color order (note that with five colors that we use we might have 120 different flowers). Each time you click, the color order is randomly changed. Choose OK once you are satisfied with the outcome.

Repeat the same individually for three more flowers. Than select the whole row and group it Cmd/Ctrl+G.

Step 8

Don’t deselect and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform… and create a copy of the row as in the image.

As you did previously, go to Object > Expand Appearance and ungroup Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+G.
Select the second row (it will be grouped but it will not be grouped with the first row).
Go to Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork… and change the color order of the whole row.

Now, select both rows and group them Cmd/Ctrl+G.

Step 9

With the two rows selected go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform… and create three copies as in the image.
Once again go to Object > Expand Appearance, then ungroup Shift+Cmd/Ctrl+G.
Now, all ‘double rows’ are grouped together. With Edit > Edit Colors > Recolor Artwork… change the color order for the second and the third group.
Note that you do not change the colors of the last group. In order to create a seamless patterns the objects located on the opposite edges of the no-fill, no-stroke rectangle have to be identical.

Step 10

Your pattern is ready. Unlock the rectangles created in Step 7. Select all flowers and the rectangles and drag them to the Swatches Panel (or go to Edit > Define Pattern…)