How to Create a Stunning Example of Beautiful Designs

Over my 12 years of graphic design I came to discover in my creative process that whimsy, irony, satire and edginess are not my strong suits.

I have learned, however, that I can create full on, no excuses beauty. So that's where I went with my next in a series of videos featuring my designs. I used the prettiest colors, pleasing dimensions and lovely music.

If it's in my power to put forth beauty in the world, I'm gonna do it!

How to Present Floral Designs in an Innovative Way

I first found Animoto when wanting to make book trailers for Loveweaver and The Maiden Seer.

It occurred to me early on, though, that I could make a video using large images of my designs set to music. I plan to make several, each showcasing a different genre of my designs.

I love the results!

Dynamic Auto Painter

I'm not one for specialty software for creating art. I use CS6 Illustrator, the master program that allows me to design vector patterns with mathematical precision. And I use Photoshop for a few subtle effects, but mostly for formatting raster files.

It's highly unlikely that I'll ever learn to paint, though. So, I was intrigued from the start with Dynamic Auto Painter for $99 - on sale for $50. After thinking about it 6 months, I bought it.

Gosh, it's fun! There are a lot of painting styles to choose from and countless custom options for tweaking the process. But I just like to pick a style, click play, sit there and watch it paint whatever image I've opened!  Be assured this is not like Photoshop filter.

For $50, I got more than my money's worth. Only time will tell if it will be useful to me professionally. (Click on my images to enlarge them.)

Here is a photo of the lake I see from my back door:

Here's what it looks like after I used the Van Gogh Starry style:

Here's a closeup. I started with a high res image and ended up with fantastic detail:

Another in a Series of Tracy Miller Design Ads

Based on a floor wax ad, I'll let the image speak for itself:

Needlepoint Flasks and Wallets

Graphic designers who create repeating patterns dream of seeing those patterns on products. I've been lucky enough to see my designs on Kleenex boxes, rugs, fabric, paper, sheets and blankets.

I'm certain, though, for every 500 pattern designers, there's one client looking to buy. This means the odds are not great in making a sale. Do you give up being a graphic designer in the surface art arena?

Heck, no.

I took on freelance jobs that were a bit outside of what I normally did, and learned a ton of new skills that I now put to use for a list of great clients.

One of those clients is Seth at Needlepaint.  I've blogged about Needlepaint before when I did a series of Christmas stockings.

My recent contribution is the wallets and flasks which turned out to be some of the most fun I've ever had designing professionally. There's just something about pixel art, which is basically what it is, that appeals to me. Elements in an image are pared down to the most essential, and the color palette is limited, too.

As of this posting, all the flask designs at Needlepaint are mine. I'm so proud of this work. And there's scarcely a repeating pattern in sight.

Fab Florals - Vector Repeats

Last time I showed the softer side of my florals.

Here is now a bolder assortment.

The Softer Side of Tracy Miller Designs

Like most repeating patterns designer, I have SO MANY florals!

I've pulled 18 of them together in my current favorite format, which is sample swatches accompanied by a vectorized vintage image. In this case, the two ladies were from the cover of a 1935 issue of Home Notes Magazine.

Santa Approved Christmas Design Collection

I've done a mix of vintage and new patterns here, and gone with a bluer green than usual.

These larger collections are kinda my thing right now, with more in the works.

Like many repeating pattern designers, I have hundreds and hundreds of designs that just don't see the light of day. This will be my way of putting them out there en mass. 

World's Largest Collection of Re-Imagined Feedsack Patterns - 28 Vector Repeats for Sale

I'm just putting that statement out there because I can't believe anyone else would do it!

TracyMillerDesigns

Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine - My Designs in March Issue

Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine have purchased and featured four of my designs in their March Issue. The designs are a part of my Hedgerow Collection, also available at Modern Yardage in 4 colorways, and at Custom Quilt Tops, also in 4 colorways. At Custom Quilt Tops you need to keep scrolling down until you find me!

My four designs are available at Cardmaking and Papercraft Magazine's website as a download, and double-sided printed in their actual magazine. They're also included some sweet projects with which to use my papers!

Custom Quilt Tops - Make a Cheater Quilt

I'm so pleased to now be a part of PatternJam, a super fun and easy-to-use website for designing your own quilt top.

All of my fabrics from Modern Yardage are there, and I've got new, special pattern collections arriving there soon. Search under Fabric Shop by Designer to find me.

"In Orbit" will be there soon, a collection for space lovers of all ages.

Go to Pattern Jam and just have fun. It's as easy as filling in a coloring book page!

Scented Drawer Liners for Baby - Elodie Essentials

I've had the great luck of being a part of several startup companies by developing the repeat patterns that go on their products.

One such company is Elodie Essentials, which features my designs. So far, the line includes two versions of drawer liners for baby, but Lisa, the owner, and I have been hard at work getting the next designs ready for production.

Next time you need a unique gift for a baby or baby shower, remember these scented drawer liners!

Antique Seed Catalog Cover

From my archives of collected images, I chose a Burpee's Seed Catalog cover to "vectorize."

Working on this is how I spent many hours of my Christmas time off.

Happy Thanksgiving to All of You With ...

... plant-based diets!

We're having the vegan works:

Stuffing and gravy with seitan roast, green bean casserole with French fried onions topping, sweet potatoes,  mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie and Mom's famous refrigerator potato rolls.

AND MORE,  depending on what everyone else brings.

Fresh

This was another super fun ad to replicate.

Vintage Dress Patterns

My Mom was a seamstress who sewed all my clothes until I was a teenager, and then I started sewing them myself.

Shopping for dress patterns and fabric, then, is practically in my DNA. Combine that with my love of designs, and for turning vintage images into vector, and VIOLA! You have what you see below.

Baseball Ticket Transformed

Like most designers, I collect digital images for references. I have hundreds (thousands?) and they keep me inspired and motivated, and give me ideas when my creative well has run dry.

This baseball ticket is another example of a great original image, a thing of vintage beauty.

My version is below. I call it A Ticket to Life.

Quilt Label Sighting - Modern Yardage Meets Modern Patchwork

Quilting is alive and well, a great hobby and timeless art form. 

 Modern Patchwork magazine keeps quilters up to date on what's new and classic, and has an ardent following of quilters, DIY-ers and sewing enthusiasts.

I was happy, then, to see Modern Yardage quilt labels were featured in a Hot Picks review in Modern Patchwork magazine.

One of the labels shown is mine, the one with the little birds in the lower left.

See it here at Modern Yardage.

And below.

Halloween Sewing Projects: Trick-or-Treat Bag and Bunting

I'm posting this again, because there's still time!!!

Halloween Trick-or-Treating is just around the corner, so get busy!

Buy the panel here: Trick-or-Treat Bag Panel

Download the complete-with-photos instructions here: Bag Instructions

Here's what you'll end up with! It's a great size, pretty much the dimensions of a plastic grocery bag.

And you can also make a Halloween bunting with my Spookalicious fabric collection.

Colorization = Fun for Tracy

All that clipping! All those paths!

But, yeah, I love the process, the HOURS it takes.

Some people play video games. Others work crossword puzzles.

Me? I pick apart a black and white image and colorize it.

Of course, I have to add my patterns to the mix.

And then make a collage out of the results in the form of a postcard-style greeting card.