My top 8 Skillshare teachers for Surface Design
If you are anything like me, your answer to any creative problem is Skillshare. I have learned a LOT from the teachers on this platform. I wanted to highlight some of my all time favorite teachers - I keep going back to their classes over and over.
I mostly work with hand painted elements to create my patterns and sometimes dabble in vector illustrations. This is a good mix of teachers who use Photoshop and Illustrator to create repeats.
Elizabeth Olwen
Bonnie Christine
If I am talking about surface design then the first names that pop up in my mind are Elizabeth Olwen and Bonnie Christine. They are the originals! Like many, I stumbled upon their classes and was introduced to this beautiful world of patterns and surface design. I cannot pick one, I highly recommend all of their classes.
Juliet Meeks:
I found Juliet though her Skillshare class and I remember my first reaction was ‘Where’s she been my whole life!’ Haha! I love her style of teaching. If you paint with watercolors and want to turn your art into patterns, her classes are for you. Check out - Paint to pattern and Handmade repeat patterns
Angela McKay:
She has one class and I love it. She uses what is called non-destructive editing of the motifs and teaches how to create a half drop repeat. Check out her class - Painting for Pattern Design: Create Botanical Patterns with Gouache & Photoshop
Maja Faber:
If you lean towards vector patterns then Maja is your girl. She is a pro and covers a lot of ground in her classes from basics to some complex patterns. If you are an advanced designer and are ready to showcase your work in a portfolio, I would highly recommend her class- Create and publish your design lookbook. She teaches inDesign to create your portfolio and makes it super easy.
Mel Armstrong:
I love her illustrative style. She uses a mix of Photoshop and Illustrator . I loved her quick class on Paint to Pattern and would highly recommend her class on Art licensing for Surface designers.
Dylan Mierzwinski:
She is a powerhouse! Super knowledgeable and her classes are so in depth. A couple of classes that stood out to me were- Digitizing Your paint and Layered patterns
Cat Coquillette:
I love her fun personality. She has a mix of creative and business classes on Skillshare. Check out her Mod patterns and Mockups class.
Skillshare is basically like Netflix for your creativity. They have tons of classes or art, design, photography, business and MORE. Try it out for 2 weeks (free) on me!
Do you have a favorite teacher or a class? Share with us!