Adobe Illustrator tutorial

Adobe Illustrator tutorial: Create repeating patterns for skate deck art

Intro

Skate decks are a mini art canvas on wheels – and some of the hottest designers around have honed their talents in pursuit of the status of design legend in the half-pipe circuit. Yet creating deck art is more than recreating yet another urban art scene and slapping it onto a strip of maple. This speedy canvas should be home to more imaginative renderings,.

This masterclass shows you how to use repeating, tiled patterns based on vector workings of real-world objects. By taking the everyday, such as vegetables and kitchen utensils in this case, and reworking them as stylized vector art, you can add a real twist and create some thought-provoking art.

After designing the objects, next comes the part that, while requiring patience, is like working with a digital jigsaw puzzle. Thanks to some clever tiling techniques and tricks, you be able to turn a few vector objects into a multi-layered, highly complex design that will have some people scratching their heads.

Some advice – stick to bright, contrasting colour palettes for maximum impact, and ensure that objects are a mix of short and long – adding pace to the composition.

Once done, head to your nearest skate emporium and prepare to dazzle with your astounding deck.

Design the Trase Shoe for DC Shoes

Design the Trase Shoe for DC Shoes

THE BRIEF

DC Shoes is inviting artists, designers and creators around the world to custom design a pair of the new DC Trase shoe.

Use the template provided to design your DC Trase and you could win $10,000 and have your winning design produced and sold at dcshoes.com and select DC Shoes retailers.

In addition to one overall winner, DC will have the option to select one or more additional winners, whose designs may be put into production. These selected artists, along with the artist with the largest amount of support from the community, will receive $2,500.

The Official Rules for this Creative Invite are available here.

So start creating now. The DC Trase Shoe. Make it yours.

HOW DC SHOES WILL CHOOSE

DC Shoes, along with their panel of guest judges, will select from all qualified submissions. A qualified submission is one which meets all the Terms & Conditions, Guidelines and Official Rules.

The community can support their favorite submissions through social voting via Facebook and Twitter. The artist with the largest public support will be chosen as the Community Choice.

Should there be more than one design they would like to use, in addition to one Overall winner and the Community Choice winner, DC Shoes will have the option to select one or more additional winners, who will receive $2,500 per design.

CREATIVE INVITE GUIDELINES

• This opportunity is open to global particpants, subject to the limitations described in the Official Rules.
• Participants MUST USE one of the provided templates to create their Trase shoe design.
• Artists must submit their artwork within the provided template.
• Artists should retain their original artwork files (in 300dpi) but template designs must be submitted in JPEG or PNG, max. size 5MB.
• All entries must be original artwork (meaning not using third party pre-existing copyright materials) and must comply with the other requirements detailed in the Official Rules.
• The selected submission may be modified to accommodate production requirements.
• No purchase necessary to enter.
• Artists must join Talenthouse using an active email address in order to ensure they can be contacted should they be selected.
• DC may use the work of the selected artist as set out within the Official Rules. DC may use all submitted works in context of this Creative Invite. All artists retain ownership of their work unless they are selected as winners and accept their prize.
• Artists must include a description about their submission and about themselves.
• Artists must have an up-to-date Talenthouse profile.
• Selected Artists must respond to Talenthouse within 7 days of receiving the notification email or else all prizes will be forfeited and DC may select an alternate winner.
• All submissions will feature as part of a global gallery with public voting on Facebook and Twitter.
• Talenthouse reserves the right to disqualify artists who we believe are cheating the voting system as this is against the spirit of the Creative Invite.