Best Surface Pattern Design Courses on Skillshare

Have you just discovered Surface Pattern Design and want to learn more? Well, you have come to the right place! If you’ve just heard of Surface Pattern Design you’re in for a real treat. It’s a beautiful secret that’s getting more and more attention. If you’re interested in Surface Pattern Design and want to learn more Skillshare is a great place to start. There are so many great courses and instructors – each with their own inspiring story and unique teaching style. Read on to get my top recommendations for the Best Surface Pattern Design Courses on Skillshare.

What is Surface Pattern Design?

First of all, what is Surface Pattern Design? Surface Pattern Design is the art of designing repeated patterns in the form of illustrations, motifs, hand-lettering as decoration on a variety of products and items. This is such an amazing and interesting area of design where you can tell stories through your patterns. If you still want to find out a little more about exactly what Surface Pattern Design is, you can read my article about surface pattern design here.

If you’re ready to dive in and start learning read on. All of the courses I recommend I have taken myself. I am always taking more so will update this list if I feel there is another course that is helpful for beginners. There is a detailed description of each course as well as a description of each instructor.

What Requirements Will I Need to Take the Surface Pattern Design Classes on Skillshare?

• Adobe Illustrator on the desktop.
• Adobe Illustrator on the iPad (this is for the class with Maja Faber)
• Skillshare trial or membership. Go to Skillshare to sign up.
• White paper
• Pencil
• Black Drawing Pens

So without further ado, here are the top Skillshare classes for Surface Pattern Design. They each have their own teaching style and workflows. Check them out and let me know what you think. Happy Learning!

Best Surface pattern design Courses on Skillshare

Bonnie Christine: Intro to Surface Pattern Design: Learn Adobe Illustrator

At the very top of my list is by well-kBest Surface Pattern Design Courses on Skillsharenown Surface Pattern Designer, Bonnie Christine. Her story is quite inspirational. She originally studied business in school but then decided that she had a more creative calling and decided to become a Surface Pattern Designer. She is one of the originals in this field and has built quite a large following both as a Surface Pattern Designer and as a teacher of Surface Pattern Design.

Teaching Style

I really enjoy her teaching style. It’s very in-depth and comprehensive. Also, she comes across as very authentic and genuine as a person. As demonstrated by one of her catchphrases “There’s room for you,” her vibe is very warm, inclusive, and encouraging. This was the very first class I took in Surface Pattern Design and it’s still one of my favorites because it’s so comprehensive. It took me from literally never having opened Adobe Illustrator before to actually making a pattern. After taking this class, I have been completely hooked on Surface Pattern Design ever since.

Class Structure

The class is about three hours long so it is a bit more of a time investment than the other classes. As with all Skillshare classes it is broken out into manageable bites through a series of short videos that tackle different steps of the design process. It literally took me from never having opened Adobe Illustrator before to actually making a pattern! And let me tell you – making a pattern for the first time was so exhilarating and rewarding!

In the first part of the class, she goes over some useful tools in Adobe illustrator and teaches you how to use them. Also, I like in the class how she shows you different techniques to be able to create motifs for your design. As a beginner, it definitely leaves you with a feeling of accomplishment to be able to create your design using different methods.

The only drawback to the class is that is was recorded several years back so there was a slight difference in the current version of Adobe Illustrator in comparison to today’s updated version. The class is still completely possible to follow along.

Also, in the class, she recommends a Wacom tablet for drawing directly into Illustrator. Although these are still used many people now use the iPad with various apps like the Adobe Illustrator app itself, Procreate, and Astropad in addition to or as a substitute for a Wacom tablet.

Anne LaFolette: Getting Started with Adobe Illustrator for Surface Pattern Design

Another great course when you are just starting out in Surface Pattern Design is this course by Anne LaFolette. I really enjoyed this class because Anne explains each step of the process with incredible detail. This can really be helpful when you are just getting familiar with all of the tools in Adobe Illustrator (and all of the shortcuts) as well as the specific steps to make a pattern! In the beginning, it can be a little overwhelming learning all the new tools, shortcuts, and processes in Adobe Illustrator. And there are oh so many shortcuts! This class was very helpful to make me feel comfortable with the various steps in making a pattern repeat. This class can take you fairly quickly from a complete novice to making a pattern.

Anne’s Story

Also, I find Anne LaFolette’s story very inspiring. Her motto is “It’s never too late to create.” For many years she was in the corporate retail world and then her life took a turn. She started her career in Surface Pattern Design at the age of 58. Also, she grew up as an ex-pat in Paris, France. I connected with her on that because I also spent some time abroad living in France.

Class Structure

This class is just a little over an hour-long, so within a relatively short period of time, you can make a lot of progress in little time. As mentioned before her detailed explanation of the various steps to make a pattern (which have to be done in a specific order) is very clear and thorough. In the beginning, it’s very helpful to have detailed instruction. It can help minimize frustration while learning these new skills and get you to make patterns quickly. It’s for this reason why I think it’s one of the best surface pattern design courses for beginners on Skillshare.

Maja Faber: Introduction to Adobe Illustrator on the iPad: Design a Themed Illustration

Maja Faber is another Surface Pattern Design that I like and respect. She’s from Sweden and was originally a Marketing Manager but then changed careers and became a Surface Pattern Designer. As with the other instructors on this list, I find these stories inspiring.

Teaching Style

I like her style because she keeps things simple and current. “Simplicity” is her philosophy and I would describe her style as clean and simple with a Scandinavian twist. I’ve taken a few of her courses and I find her classes easy to follow and up to date.

Although this class is technically an Illustration class, it was helpful for me to get comfortable with Illustrator on the iPad. This is still a relatively new app that is now available. Some of the earlier courses on Surface Pattern Design do not incorporate it because it wasn’t available at the time. This course got me up and running with Adobe Illustrator on the iPad. It showcased the various tools, workflows, and options currently available on this version of Illustrator.

Templates

She also provides templates for the projects if you wish to follow along and do the exact same project which I think can be helpful when someone is just starting out and learning techniques and tools.

If you are planning on incorporating the iPad into your design process and workflow, this class is a great place to start. It will get you comfortable with Adobe Illustrator on the iPad.