Discover how to turn your passion for art into a thriving career.

Illustrator & Surface Pattern Designer, Mel Armstrong, is dedicated to providing you with the skills to build your dream career.

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BUILD A CAREER AS A

Surface Pattern Designer

and find the art & joy of seeing your artwork on fabric, stationery, home decor and more.

Build a career selling beautiful surface pattern designs. Learn the ins and outs of Surface Pattern Design by creating a nature-inspired pattern collection using either Procreate, Photoshop or Illustrator. This self-paced 6-module course will take you through the creative, technical and business side of Surface Pattern Design.

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Creative Business

A collection of mini-courses aimed at teaching you the business side of being an artist.

The Business of Surface Pattern Design

Nurture your creative dreams by learning how to set up your creative business for success. This is a short self-paced course designed to help you turn your patterns into a thriving business.

"I highly recommend this course if you are considering going into this field! Mel gives a great overview of Surface Design and lots of practical advice. I will also say the course is nicely designed and very well organized!" - Linda Warner Constantino

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Notion for Pattern Designers

Plan, Organise, & Manage Your Pattern Collections!

Discover the immense potential and seamless functionality of Notion for planning, organising, and designing pattern collections.

"I learned so much. Notion was intimidating me but now I feel more confident that I can use it productively. So appreciated this class. Thanks so much!" - Donna Sweeney

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Notion for Artists

Managing & Streamlining your Art Career

This course empowers you to efficiently manage your art files, client interactions, licenses, and royalties, freeing up more time for what truly matters—creating art.

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Art, Illustration & Surface Pattern Design

A collection of mini-courses aimed at teaching you the creative side of being an artist.

Create Geometric Patterns using Procreate® on the iPad

Learn how to create a number of simple geometric patterns using Procreate® on the iPad.

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Find your Signature Style as an Artist & Stand Out!

Are you ready to stand out as an artist? Learn how to develop your signature style in just 2 weeks!

Learn my secrets to developing your style and licensing more art with my easy-to-follow simple steps.

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Master Pattern Designs like a Pro

Do you often wonder why some pattern designs work and some don’t?

In this class, I’m going to show you my top 3. That’s right…just 3. I promise you if you implement just these 3 strategies into your designs, you’ll take them to the next level.

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Join my Community!

Are you a...

Surface Pattern Designer

...looking for a community to support and guide you?

Look no further! Our member-based community provides mentorship and resources for artists at all stages of their careers. Whether you're just starting out or already established, our community is here to support you. Connect with other artists who speak your language and share your passion for creating and licensing patterns. Take advantage of industry-leading resources to improve your skills and grow your career. And most importantly, feel supported and encouraged every step of the way.

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So very pleased I registered for this course, it exceeded my expectations.

A fabulous tutor delivering a brilliant course on all facets of surface pattern design, along with high quality downloadable resources. I now feel I can develop my art into a further income stream. Thank you so much Mel for sharing so generously your knowledge and expertise.

- Gill

I have learnt a lot, thank you Mel!

This course is full of very useful advice, from pattern making techniques in 3 (!) different software, building collections, developing your style and career, and the business side of SPD, which is full of resources so hard to find! Mel's style of teaching is very clear, friendly, and motivating. The exercises are leading you step by step, from the beginning, where you create your motifs, to the final pattern collection. I have learnt a lot, thank you Mel!

- Dana

This course was amazing and far exceeded my expectations.

Definitely one of the best courses I've ever taken. The information was very comprehensive and thorough. If you follow along and stay on track with the assignments each week, you will be ready to open your Spoonflower shop by the end of the course!

- Michelle

Nice to meet you!

Hi! I’m Mel, an illustrator and surface pattern designer from Wellington New Zealand. I work with clients all over the world illustrating children's picture books and licensing surface pattern designs. One of my passions is passing on my own knowledge and insight to help other creatives who are on a similar journey.

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Skillshare classes

I am ranked as one of Skillshare’s Top Teachers, putting me in the top 1% of teachers on the platform. My classes cover a range of topics for Surface Pattern Designers and Illustration from beginners to advanced levels. Join over 100,000 students who have taken one my classes. Here are some of my student's favourites.