Incorporating Watercolor into My Fabric Pattern Designs

My Fall class - Textile Printing - started a few weeks ago and I have already learned tons! The world of textiles and patterns is full of creativity and innovation. With the fashion weeks going on right now, it is a great time to learn about textiles and how they have changed over time. Most fashion designers incorporate their own patterns and custom fabrics into their collection. So, this class is essential to my understanding of the fashion industry and my own design work. 

I spent an afternoon brainstorming and creating fabric patterns that utilize florals. Flowers and plants are the most popular source of inspiration in textiles. To push my skills further, I decided to paint a few motifs in watercolor to get a hand-finished feel. 

I first painted the motifs on their own - they covered large pieces of paper. This ways I would get details that would stand out even on a smaller scale. I then scanned the watercolors into the computer and altered their look using PhotoShop. Never ending options!

Take a look below at how I incorporated images of leaves and abstracted flower blooms into several fabric designs. I was aiming for light and modern looking patterns that would stand out beautifully in a dress or a jacket. I am looking forward to further experimentation with watercolor!