Tulips in the Rain

I was walking down 35th Street in Manhattan when I saw these gorgeous purple tulips. Their bright color against the asphalt jumped out at me. I wondered how long they would survive in New York's chaos. I decided to preserve them in a repeating pattern.

Purple Tulips New York City Harold Square

I drew a sketch and made a quick color palette. Then I colored and painted my paper. I like mixing mediums. I've discovered that layering different materials is the best way to create luscious textures. For this collection, I used Tombow markers, Angelus paint, and Caran D'Ache water soluble pastels.

Preparing Paper for Collage

There is something playful about collage that makes me calm. The shapes come more easily to me than they do when I sketch. In the picture below, I am cutting and pasting the shapes that would eventually become the tulips. I took note to cut along the brush strokes to mimic the lines on the actual tulip petals.

Cutting and Pasting

Finally, I photograph my collages and bring them into Procreate, removing the background and making a repeating pattern block.

Removing the Background in Procreate

See the finished designs in my portfolio. You can also shop for products with this design on Spoonflower and Society 6.

Society 6 Wine Cooler