Fabrics, wallpapers, gift products and decorative papers are great sources of surface design inspiration. Examining the patterns, illustrations, and other artwork on these surfaces reveals a profusion of design motifs and patterns.
My own decorative paper stash―yes, I admit I have one―includes several beautiful examples. Most of my decorative papers were made and decorated by hand while others feature beautifully printed artwork. All the papers feature extraordinary textures, colors and designs.
Several of these pieces hold treasured memories of unique paper shops in Chiang Mai, Thailand and Tokyo, Japan. Here’s a glimpse of the abundance of paper on offer at the shops I visited in Japan.
One outstanding example from my stash is this vibrant red and orange colored paper featuring undulating lines and flying birds. The gentle curves of the vertical stripes immediately grab the viewer’s attention.
A closer look reveals a wealth of details! First, the birds―a sedge of cranes―all in flight―graceful long wings extended―bold white feathers edged in gold. Cranes are a popular motif in Japan where they symbolize longevity and good fortune. Then there are the lovely fill patterns inside the undulating stripes―scattered dots, repeated curves, clouds―all in vibrant blended hues highlighted with gold.
I’m left wondering―how does one create such an amazing surface pattern design? What is the creative process? What design principles must be considered? What are the design elements? How are they arranged into a pleasing composition? I consulted my favorite vintage books on ornamentation to glean answers.
First up, is the book, Le Dessin a L’Ecole – Cahier No 8 Décoration (Drawing School – Notebook 8 Decoration), written in French by Jean Verdier and published around 1940. It is part of a 13-booklet series teaching children to draw.
Notebook 8 Decoration focuses on the decorative composition and the main principles. Verdier begins with le point, the dot. Roughly translated from the original French, the author writes “Here is the simplest decorative element: the dot. The dot can be a spot, a circle, a square, a diamond, etc. By repeating this element, we can obtain simple, pleasant and diverse decorative effects. By varying either the color or the size of the dot, more advanced effects can be obtained.”
I found a few examples of dots in my decorative paper stash. This colorful piece isn’t unique (it’s from the Uptown Flair collection by The Paper Studio) but it illustrates the point (pun intended) perfectly.
Next, Verdier introduces la ligne, the line. He writes, again roughly translated from the original French, “The line, whether straight, curved or broken, is, like the dot, a very simple decorative element. The use of opposing lines that differ in their shape, their color and especially their thickness gives very interesting decorations. The same is true for the use of the line with the dot.”
This hand-crafted paper, from Thailand, provides a great example of a pretty pattern created with simple lines.
Verdier goes on to introduce the circle. In the six figures at the top left of the below image, he calls out how a circle can be decorated with either a small or large center decoration. Figure I illustrates a small, nondominant center decoration with a dominant background. Figures II and VI illustrate a large, dominant center decoration with a nondominant background. Figure III shows a center decoration and background which are equal in width and visual weight―a treatment which, Vernier warns, will create confusion. He avoids the confusion by adding design elements to either the center decoration (Figure IV) or the background (Figure V) clearly making one or the other more dominant.
Next, Verdier segments the circle and applies a variety of decorative elements.
This elegant Japanese washi, a type of paper handmade from the paper mulberry plant, showcases a complex design pattern including several flower-filled circles.
Verdier explains the square is decorated according to the same principles as the circle―note the diagrams at the top left of the image shown below.
In addition, he says, the subdivision of the square is controlled by diagonals and axes. Figures I and II illustrate diagonal treatments: Figure I shows a square with a center decoration aligned with its diagonals while Figure II has decorated diagonal corners. Figures III and IV illustrate decorative treatments based on the square’s axes: Figure III has decorative elements at the four endpoints of the horizontal and vertical axes while Figure IV shows a center decoration aligned with the four points of the axes.
Verdier also illustrates a series of squares with a variety of decorative treatments.
The pattern on this next sheet of decorative paper is deceptively simple. Rich, gold squares are randomly scattered across the surface of a plain white background on this handmade paper from Thailand.
There are, of course, more geometric shapes than those I’ve mentioned but geometry is not the only source of design motifs and patterns. As noted in my last blog post, Could You Repeat That Please?, there are three fundamental sources of design motifs and patterns including geometric, classical and organic.
In his book, Etude de la Plante: Son Application aux Industries d’Art translated to Study of the Plant: Its Application to the Art Industries, M.P. Verneuil demonstrates how natural elements can be applied to various media. He illustrates the point with a series of German Iris motifs applied to a stencil, stained glass, lace, wallpaper border, wood carving and wrought iron.
Verneuil starts by studying the botanical element in question. He carefully takes note of its main parts including the root, stem, leaf, flowers, fruit and seeds. Then meticulously captures his observations with sketches. This is Verneuil’s plant study sketch of a German Bearded Iris (Iris germanica).
The next step in his practice is “interpretation”. At this stage, Verneuil simplifies and transforms the natural form into an ornamental state. Let’s take a closer look at Verneuil’s interpretation of the German Iris as a wallpaper border―notice how the plant study sketch (from the previous image) has been simplified and transformed below.
More examples of Verneuil’s plant studies and applications can be found in my previous blog post How Nature Inspired Art Nouveau.
Returning to my decorative paper stash, here’s an example of an organic motif and pattern featuring plum blossoms. In Japan, where I bought this paper, the plum blossom is known as the “flower of peace” symbolizing vigor, renewal, beauty, grace and elegance. These concepts are gloriously showcased in this design.
Continuing with the theme of natural motifs, this deep red handmade paper from Thailand showcases beautifully intricate gold butterflies.
Most of the decorative papers I’ve shared thus far feature design motifs repeating in a predictable manner. But surface designs can also be random with design elements scattered across the surface irregularly. Shown below is a great example of a random pattern―the red silk thread meanders unpredictably across the surface of this handmade Thai paper.
The design patterns in today’s post, both regular and random, have “seamless pattern repeats” meaning the repeated motif can be extended in all directions without interrupting the repetition.
In order to create a seamless repeat, surface designers typically follow specific layouts―positioning design motifs and elements according to a predefined grid. The most basic layout is the square pattern, also called the full drop or block pattern, in which the design elements are stacked in a neat, grid pattern with every row and column aligned.
This handmade Thai paper illustrates a seamless pattern repeat based on a square, full drop, layout.
Verdier explains the basics in the below image from Notebook 8 Decoration. He shares several potential layouts or réseaux design networks. Roughly translated from the original French, Verdier explains “This page shows you decorations obtained by the repetition of any surface, square, rectangle, diamond, repeated both on a horizontal line and on a vertical line. The whole forms what is called a network.”
Returning to the Study of the Plant, Verneuil introduces the topic of fonds ornés, decorated backgrounds, with examples of Japanese background designs. He notes these designs are based on geometric construction which can be very simple but often becomes very complicated. In the Japanese designs illustrated below, he calls out the construction lines based on squares, equilateral triangles, hexagons and rhombuses.
Verneuil goes on to explain how a “network” or design grid can be used to construct an ornate, organic background. Roughly translated from the original French, he writes “In each of its elements we will inscribe a plant form, whole plant, flower or leaf. We will have to seek an ingenious interpretation to adapt the chosen form to the space reserved for it”.
In the below example on the left, Verneuil repeats an acorn motif in a T-shaped pattern repeat. In the example on the right, Verneuil uses two, different-sized squares to build a pattern repeat with the flower and leaves of the columbine flower.
Regarding these next two examples, Verneuil calls out the complexity of the arrangement of irises, including their leaves and flowers, as well as the water surrounding them.
Returning to my decorative papers, I looked for examples with interesting seamless pattern repeats. The below example features diagonal stripes with the design alternating between colorful floral garlands and subdued gold bands. The repeat unit appears to be a diamond shape placed on the diagonal.
The final example I’d like to share is this energetic crane design. A large sedge of cranes flies diagonally across the surface. Close examination reveals the pattern repeat appears to be a rectangular full drop. The repeat unit is a vertical rectangle stacked in an even grid.
As you might have guessed, my recent fascination with surface design is leading up to a new project―linocut printing. Please check back for updates on this latest creative endeavor.
More Info
Previous blog posts mentioned in today’s blog post include:
. Could You Repeat That Please? which focuses on the visual patterns which surround us and introduces three fundamental sources of design motifs and patterns―classical, geometric and organic.
. How Nature Inspired Art Nouveau which examines the connection between nature and the Art Nouveau art movement and introduces the work of artist/author Maurice Pillard (M.P.) Verneuil.
The following books and resources were consulted in the writing of this blog post:
. Le Dessin a L’Ecole – Cahier No 8 Décoration (Drawing School – Notebook 8 Decoration) book by Jean Verdier and published around 1940 in French. Check Pinterest or Flicker for scanned images from this book.
. Etude de la Plante: Son Application aux Industries d’Art translated as Study of the Plant: Its Application to the Art Industries by M.P. Verneuil published in 1903. It is available here in the original French on Internet Archives.
. The Grammar of Ornament book by Owen Jones published in 1856. It is available here on Internet Archives.
. Méthode de Composition Ornementale – Éléments Rectilignes, translated as Ornamental Composition Method – Rectilinear Elements by Eugéne Grasset published in 1905. It is available here in the original French on Internet Archives.
. Various Wikipedia entries.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Fabrics, wallpapers, gift products and decorative papers are great sources of surface design inspiration.
2. Design motifs can be created from a variety of elements ranging from simple geometric shapes to complex botanical specimens.
3. Follow specific layouts―positioning design motifs and elements according to a predefined grid―to create a seamless pattern repeat.
