This fall, I took the plunge and signed up for my first “Make Art That Sells” online course. Lilla Rogers, the course creator and a well-known art agent, and Margo Tantau, a seasoned creative consultant, were teaching a 3 week live class on home decor design - specifically on how to create a stand-out product board that would appeal to art directors and manufacturers. As someone who loves roaming the aisles of places like Anthropologie and Home Goods, I couldn’t wait to get insider tips on how to see my illustrations on real world products.

The Process

The above image was my final project, BUT there were several small assignments along the way. The first was to analyze a provided trend board for 2020. The board had imagery of lush botanicals, Victorian inspired home decor, luxurious fabrics, peacocks, and other tropical insects/animals. Then, we created color palettes with the colors that popped the most - I especially gravitated toward pink, chartreuse, teal, gold, and deep green.

With my color palette ready to go, the next step was to create a coordinate board (left). The guidelines for each square and non-intimidating structure made it much easier to come up with rough illustrations. It also helped me think of potential surface pattern design ideas for the future. This was meant to feel like loose and free play - which I had a lot of fun with!

After the coordinate exercise was completed, we created icon boards (left). This is where we fleshed out illustrations in more fine detail. I really wanted to include a tropical bird and loved the idea of drawing a hummingbird since it could be fun and colorful, but familiar as well since I’ve seen a few in the Midwest - almost everyone stops to watch a hummingbird, they’re so beautiful and interesting! I also loved the bees from the previous exercise and didn’t change them much since I was happy with their colorful and playful vibe. I filled in the rest of the space with flowers, dots, leaves, citrus fruit, a feather, and a peacock-inspired geometric pattern.

At this point in the course, we had a Facebook live review of the class submissions thus far. I remember folding laundry at the time, and almost screamed when I saw that Lilla and Margo chose my icon board as one of their favorites! It really felt so validating since this was my first MATS course and I still struggle on and off with “imposter syndrome.” All that to say, it was the motivation and excitement I needed to keep going and working on my passion.

The final assignment was to create a board with product mock-ups with our designs on them, specifically including a few ceramic pieces. I designed a mug, plate, grain bowl, juice glass, and pitcher, ideally looking like a 3-dimensional product you could hold in your hands. We learned that this mock-up process is crucial to help others visualize our art on real-world products. After submitting this board, I received awesome feedback from Lilla and Margo again, noting that this would be ready to send to art directors!

What I Learned

The biggest lesson this course taught me was that there is room for my art. Even though all the students were given the same trend board, I was amazed at the variety and personality each artist brought to the table. I also realized that I prefer orderly patterns and illustrations as opposed to a more loose look - which makes sense considering I’m such a big fan of folk prints.

Overall, I really enjoyed this class! And I LOVED how Lilla broke down each part of the project to make it feel less overwhelming, and to encourage deep thought before putting pen to paper (or in my case, Apple pencil to iPad). I would highly recommend her courses to any other artist looking for motivating and practical pieces to add to their portfolio.

Having enjoyed the “Home Decor Plus” class so much, I decided to take it to the next level by registering for “My Year of Art School 2020” - a full year of live classes and creative assignments to build up my illustration portfolio! I’ll be tackling assignments for editorial, children’s books, products, and more. So stay tuned for examples of my work from the program this upcoming year. Can’t wait!

Expanding on the Assignment

I loved the illustrations from this board and wanted to create more applications for potential licensing. So, I went ahead and created a repeat pattern from the citrus fruit - which could be used on home decor products, fabric, stationery, clothing, gift wrap, and more! I have plans to do other patterns from this illustration board and create a full collection.

What types of products could you see this citrus design printed on? Would love your thoughts in the comments below!