Welcome back to part two of this series! Today, I want to talk about how to select and combine elements from your archive to build a small design collection.
Last week, I showed you a double page filled with colorful shapes that I use as inspiration. My ultimate goal is to finish an artwork and turn it into a digital file.
Building the Material
To move forward, I cut out elements from my jelly plate prints and created fresh material. Sometimes, when you have a lot of options and choices, it gets a little bit overwhelming! To actually accomplish this project, I decided to keep it simple. I started with a very straightforward square layout using black cardstock. My plan is to scan the arrangements, vectorize them, and perhaps add some text—like a “Down the Story” theme, which is one of my personal favorites—or even put them on a coffee mug.
Finding Inspiration in Patterns
Once I know I’m in the experimenting phase, the rest feels a bit more intuitive. For this step, I was flipping through a book featuring Alexander Girard’s work. I love how he uses pattern cutouts. His style is so light, it has playful negative space, and it never feels heavy, solid, or rigid. He arranges big white shapes deliberately, keeping everything balanced and never too busy.
When looking at my own work alongside that kind of dynamic, I realize how important contrast is. The color palette needs breathing room, and unexpected angles or elements (like a small bird or a simple flower silhouette) add that playful touch.
Practical Choices & Moving Forward
Sometimes tools and software subscriptions get you thinking about the practical side too—like whether it’s worth paying monthly for certain apps, or if it’s time to cancel and adapt. But regardless of the technical side, the core of the work happens on the page.
Even when pieces look “ugly” or awkward at first, it’s all part of the process. I hope these small steps help you feel a bit more comfortable when you find yourself stuck in your own studio experiments.
Free Download: Your Studio Checklist
To help you bridge the gap from a chaotic archive to a finished design without getting overwhelmed, I put together a quick checklist based on my own process:
- Define your goal: What is the small, concrete project you are working on (e.g., a mug design, a postcard, one pattern repeat)?PDF
- Set your filter: What is your inspiration or reference (e.g., a specific artist, a mood, or a color palette)?PDF
- Limit your choices: Select a few key elements and stick to them. You can always add more later if you realize something is missing—but for now, commit to this first selection.PDF
- Commit to the finish: Don’t get distracted by new experiments. Focus on completing this one design.PDF
- Archive your success: Store your finished designs in a “Master Archive.” This creates a dedicated space for your completed work and allows you to build a library of your own artistic assets.PDF
- Celebrate the result: A finished design—no matter how small—is a success.