Meet Lauren Powell
What were you doing before you started your journey with surface pattern design
Before Immersion 2021 I was a assistant tourism photographer helping my mother with her photography business taking photos at local tourism events, product photography and Photos for businesses social media but my true calling was doing art since I was young and I really loved originally uploading to POD before I knew about Surface Design.
Why did you take the Immersion course in the first place
I wanted to do Immersion to learn more how to create patterns with a better workflow and learn more about licensing, how to learn how to turn found objects into motifs and just start to learn more about surface Design. before the course I would mainly create single placement prints or I would use the repeat tool on Redbubble when uploading.
When you were considering joining Immersion course, why held you back
I originally wanted to join in 2020 but Becauee of the price I needed to save up more to afford it. In between I did a mini free course and I needed a better computer so I bought a custom build pc a few months before I did the course in 2021 and I finished off working as a photographer so I had time to do the course.
What were you worried about before joining
I was worried that I didn’t know enough about licensing before the course to join, that I wasn’t able to keep up with lessons and that the lessons was hard to do but it was really great. I already knew about some things in Illustrator so I only had to play the lessons once but for some it would be more.
What changed after Immersion course?
After Immersion everything learnt made things easier to create, before Immersion to create a pattern I would either use the pattern tool or I made it harder for myself not knowing how to use transform tool to make patterns easier to repeat.
What was the best part of Immersion course?
The best part of Immersion for me was learning how to create different types of repeats, how to display your designs in a portfolio to send to clients, helping you find your style , The way that Bonnie explains everything in such great details every lesson, how the lessons will be there as long as you need them, how wonderful the community is when you are learning together, create your own mock-ups you can use and helping your mindset to think more positive.
What is the skill you have acquired since completing the Immersion course?
I have learnt more what sort of colours might suit with each other, to always remember how it might look when printed, how contrast and vividness can change how a pattern looks, if a curved edge doesn’t look as neat to use the smooth tool, all the shortcuts which makes things easier instead of trying to search for them if you are in a hurry.
What have you been able to accomplish since completing Immersion course
Since Immersion I have licensed a few designs to different businesses, I have designed a limited edition Jam label for a Australian business Ballerina Jams, I have had a few of my designs available as fabric and I have been entering a lot more art challenges and Spoonflower design challenges.
What would you say to somebody on the fence about joining Immersion course?
I would say to leap in and have a lot of fun learning, no matter your skill the lessons are so detailed with so much resources in each to help you along, you will learn about so many great things and will be surrounded by so many other artists to cheer you along. It’s the best thing I did last year and I’m so grateful for it to jumpstart my skills.
What’s on the Horizon for you, what are you looking forward to?
I’m looking forward to one of my designs being released as part of a collection of artists designs on fabric and having two of my licensed floral designs on slow fashion dresses, skirts and pants which a wonderful lady in Australia makes from fabric she prints using the designs. I can’t wait to explore licensing more designs through the game changing surface Design app called Patternfield by Nerida Hansen which will be like a digital design show.
