• 50 patterns

Pattern Drawing Ideas

Deal a named pattern to draw, with the one unit it repeats and how.

Pattern Drawing Ideas

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  1. Tree rings on a cut logRings round a centre, closer on one side. Add one crack running to the middle.

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All 50 patterns

Cloth 13

  • A checked picnic blanket in perspective The squares shrink and squash as the blanket goes back.
  • A damask curtain with its woven pattern A reversible woven fabric. Draw the pattern in one tone, a shade lighter than the cloth.
  • A harlequin pattern of coloured diamonds Large diamonds set point to point in two or more colours.
  • A houndstooth coat, pattern following the folds A two-tone check of jagged, four-pointed shapes. Draw a grid first, then add the points.
  • A madras check shirt A lightweight cotton in bright tartan checks. Let stripes of different widths cross.
  • A striped scarf wrapped once round a neck Stripes follow the fold, so they bend where the scarf turns.
  • A tartan with crossing bands Horizontal and vertical bands in several colours cross to make a repeating square.
  • Argyle diamonds with thin diagonal lines Solid diamonds in a row, then thin lines laid diagonally over them.
  • Bargello flame stitch zigzags Upright stitches stepping up and down in rows, like flames. Shade each row a new tone.
  • Gingham checks in one colour and white Stripes of one colour cross stripes of the same colour; where they overlap it goes darker.
  • Pinstripes on a dark jacket Very thin parallel stripes. Keep them evenly spaced as they bend round the sleeve.
  • Polka dots on a dress Filled circles all the same size in even rows. Offset every other row.
  • Toile scenes printed in one colour Pastoral scenes in a single colour on a pale ground, repeated across the cloth.

Ornament and tradition 12

  • A Celtic knot with no loose ends Most are endless. Draw the path, then decide at each crossing which strand goes over.
  • A fleur-de-lis A stylised lily: three petals bound by a band in the middle. Draw one half and mirror it.
  • A Greek key round the rim of a plate The same meander bent into a circle; the squares turn into wedges.
  • A Greek key running round a picture frame A meander: one line folding into a repeated square motif. Use squared paper.
  • A row of quatrefoils Four overlapping circles of the same size make each one. Draw the circles lightly first.
  • A zellij star made of small tiles A radiating star built from cut tile pieces. Draw the star, then split it into polygons.
  • An arabesque of scrolling leaves Rhythmic scrolls and tendrils that interlace. Draw the spiral stems first, then leaves.
  • Guilloché loops like a banknote border Fine, repetitive engraved loops. Draw overlapping circles round a centre, very thin.
  • Ikat with blurred edges The yarn is dyed before weaving, so every shape has a soft, feathered edge.
  • Ogee arches repeated in a row An S-shaped double curve, mirrored to make a pointed arch.
  • Paisley teardrops in a row The boteh: a teardrop with a curled top. Fill each with smaller shapes.
  • Sashiko stitches on indigo cloth White running stitches on blue. Draw short dashes that make a grid or waves.

Tiles and geometry 13

  • A brick path with each row offset by half Each row of bricks sits half a brick along from the one before.
  • A herringbone floor of rectangles Rectangles set at right angles to each other, named after a fish's bones.
  • A honeycomb of hexagons Three hexagons meet at every corner. Draw one row, then fit the next row into its dips.
  • A moiré of two overlapping line grids Lay one set of lines over another at a slight angle; new wavy bands appear.
  • A Penrose tiling of kites and darts Two shapes that never make a repeating pattern. Copy a small patch before inventing more.
  • A Penrose tiling of two rhombs A thin and a fat diamond; the pattern never repeats however far it goes.
  • A tessellation of one shape with no gaps Tiles cover the page without gaps or overlaps. Start with a square and change one side.
  • Chevron stripes down a sweater front Stacked V shapes in bands. Draw one zigzag, then copy it lower down.
  • Circles packed in rows shifted by half Each row slides half a circle along, so the circles nest.
  • Squares with one colour stepping diagonally A grid where one coloured square moves a place each row, making a staircase.
  • Triangles in two alternating colours A strip of triangles, points up and down in turn.
  • Truchet tiles split on the diagonal Each square halved into two contrasting triangles, turned at random. New patterns appear.
  • Voronoi cells from scattered dots Each cell holds the points closer to its dot than any other. Draw the borders halfway.

Patterns in nature 12

  • A dried riverbed split into polygons Cracks join into a network of many-sided shapes. Draw them in uneven sizes.
  • A honeycomb frame from a beehive Hexagons, some capped and pale, some open and dark.
  • A mackerel's scales and stripes, side on Rows of fine arcs under dark wavy stripes along the back.
  • A pine cone's spirals seen from below The scales sit in spirals from the centre. Follow one curve out, then the other way.
  • A romanesco broccoli head Each bud is made of smaller buds in spirals, like a fractal. Draw big cones, then small ones.
  • A snake's scales along its body Diamond scales that shrink toward the tail and stretch round the curve.
  • Feathery frost creeping in from a pane's edge Branching feathers of ice from the edges. Leave the glass dark between them.
  • Pebbles packed on a beach Rounded shapes of every size fitting against each other.
  • Rings spreading from a dropped stone Circles that get wider and fainter as they spread.
  • Ripples left in sand by the tide Long wavy ridges left by water or wind. Shade one side of each ridge.
  • The spiral seed face of a sunflower The seeds sit in spirals turning both ways. Draw a few spiral lines first, then the seeds.
  • Tree rings on a cut log Rings round a centre, closer on one side. Add one crack running to the middle.

How it works

Ideas of patterns from cloth, old ornament, tiles and nature: 50 named patterns, from gingham to a Celtic knot, each with how to build it.

Read the full guide

Pattern design in art starts with one unit

Every pattern repeats one unit: a tile, a motif, a stripe. Draw that unit once, carefully, then decide how it repeats: side by side, half a step along, or mirrored. A quatrefoil is four circles; a honeycomb is one hexagon, repeated.

Patterns in art and design, and in nature

Cloth and ornament hold 25 made by people, such as a tartan with crossing bands. Patterns in nature holds 12 that grew, such as the spiral seed face of a sunflower.

  • Use squared paper for borders and tiles; the grid keeps the repeat even.
  • Pencil the repeat lightly across the whole page before inking any of it.

Questions and answers

What are some simple patterns in art?

Polka dots on a dress, gingham checks in one colour and white, and a honeycomb of hexagons each repeat one easy shape. Easy holds 18.

What makes artistic patterns look good?

An even repeat and one surprise. Keep the spacing steady, then break it once, such as one tile in a different colour, and the eye goes straight there.

How is this different from doodle patterns?

Doodles to draw when bored has pattern fills to invent in a margin. These are named patterns you can look up, from houndstooth to a zellij star made of small tiles.

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