“I just love having sketchbooks full of beautiful artwork stuffed in a drawer.”
↑ None of us artists would ever actually say this—but we might as well—because getting our artwork out there and making an impact seems like an uphill struggle.
did you ever find yourself…
Browsing in your favourite shop, daydreaming about seeing your work on that tea towel? Or that birthday card? Or that journal cover?
Feeling deep down that your designs would look just as good on those products?
Wishing you knew how to realise your dream?
You know that the best portfolios have a strong ‘style’ and within that style, there are smaller groups of cohesive, themed designs…collections.
And maybe you’ve already tried working in collections but you’re hazy about a few things…
Which motifs can be repeated and which can’t?
How do you keep the colours cohesive?
Why do your designs all look the same? Or worse, why do they look like five different people created them?
How many placements and how many patterns do you need?
How many designs should there be in a collection?
Should you be following some sort of secret formula?
Does that secret formula Even exist?
Not exactly. But you can overcome the confusion and self-doubt, and make sure your unique artwork gets the attention it deserves.
Did You Know?
The US greeting card industry alone generates 7.5 billion dollars a year.
^^And that’s only a fraction of the vast commercial art market.
There’s absolutely enough room for YOU.
Collections aren’t just for quilting fabrics.
Individual designs from collections can be sold to different clients.
A whole collection can be sold to a single client for a range of products.
Working in collections makes you create more and think less, using colours and concepts more than once.
A portfolio featuring commercial themes captures the attention of a wide range of clients.
By focusing on cohesion and story in your collections, you’ll solidify your style.
Collections create an impact. Each design merchandises the next.
Cohesive artwork impresses art directors from all markets.
INTRODUCING
Create Collections
A 5-Week Online Design Course
Create a collection of cohesive artwork that impresses art directors. Use your unique taste to tell a story, solidify your style and increase the chances of selling your art.
here’s what you’ll get:
Weekly assignments that keep your creativity flowing and fit into your busy schedule.
A reusable framework you can adapt to your pace and your style.
Insider knowledge on how to balance trends with your creative vision.
A cohort of talented artists to share resources and encouragement with.
The kind, supportive advice of a surface design professional.
A commercial collection for your portfolio that you can feel proud of.
You’ll also get instant access to:
The online classroom featuring written course materials (lifetime access).
Five design briefs—one per week—all downloadable as PDFs.
Glossary of industry terms PDF.
The Colours I Love template PSD and JPEG.
The Collection Planner.
The Story Continuity Checklist.
And four presentation templates.
And the student-favorite BONUS…
An Inclusive Private Facebook Community set up with your peers.
This is where experienced and beginner designers share insights, discoveries, feedback, and encouragement.
This is a live course and I’ll be inside the group daily giving feedback and encouragement for the 5 weeks.
What Students Have to Say About Create Collections
“I have learned so much about creating collections. It's like it's all suddenly become clear.
The course has left me feeling so inspired and has also given me a much better understanding of what art directors are looking for and how to present it. In fact, Victoria's course helped me to shape my new fabric collection called 'Dragons & Lanterns in collaboration with Cloud9 Fabrics which is out later this year.
Don't hesitate to sign up for this course. I found it really invaluable.”
Kate MerritT
“Just as the course was ending, my collection of owls was licensed for a fabric collection, called Owl Prowl, for Blank Quilting Corporation!
It just reinforced in my mind that this is definitely the way I’m going to produce work from now on.
I highly recommend taking this class - whether you’re just starting out or if you’ve been working as an artist for some time. Victoria is so generous with sharing her knowledge and experiences in the licensing world. I’ll definitely be doing more of Victoria’s courses in the future.
Suzy Taylor
TESTIMONIALS
(click the arrows to see them all)
Create Collections Student Work Gallery
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How is the course material delivered? Will we get videos?
There are no videos in any of the courses (so far!).
All course material is provided in written form. Create Collections has downloadable PDFs for all the course materials. Explore Florals and Create Christmas have limited downloadable material.
How long are the courses available??
Create Collections offers lifetime access. Create Christmas and Explore Florals are available for a limited time.
Does the Facebook group continue after the course?
Until further notice, yes.
How much time should I set aside per day/week for the class?
I issue a new brief every Monday and the goal is to complete one finished design/project per week—or more if you find time. I’d imagine an hour or so a day would be enough, depending on your approach.
Do you offer a critique of artwork created by course participants?
I’m active in the group and comment frequently. I care a lot about what you’re doing and want to be encouraging and motivating. However, I don't (and can't!) comment on every single post.
If you’re interested in an in-depth discussion with me, please visit my Consultations page.
Is being on Facebook a requirement?
You definitely don’t need to join the Facebook group to take the course as it’s all provided in written form in an online ‘classroom’ but I highly recommend it as it’s such a supportive community. You’ll enjoy seeing what everyone else is doing and receiving kind, valuable feedback on your own work. I’m in the group commenting often.
Can you tell me more about how a ‘live’ course works? Is there a schedule? Are there Facebook Live chats and do I need to be available at a certain time?
By ‘live’, I mean that the course takes place within a set time-frame (the duration of the course) where everyone contributes to an active, private Facebook group - rather than it being an evergreen course that’s self-paced.
There’s always a very engaged and supportive community. You can jump on at any time of the day and students come from all over the world and lots of different time zones.
There are no FB Lives. All course materials are provided in written form.
Do I need to know how to use Photoshop, Illustrator and /or Procreate? All my artwork is just me, my paint, brushes, and paper. Does that mean I can’t take part in the course or work in this field?
It’s definitely not necessary to use digital media to take my courses. A lot of designers create art for this industry by hand and I try to structure the courses so that they’re useful to everyone, no matter what materials they like to use. I do a lot of hand-painted art myself. I think it has a lovely quality to it!
In order to sell hand-rendered images, you’ll need a very basic working knowledge of Photoshop in order to clean up your designs and present them as editable, digital files - but it’s easy to acquire those skills via online tutorials and you’ll need to learn less than a tenth of what the software can actually do.
For my courses, it’s enough that you can snap a pic and upload a jpeg so we can admire your work and support you!
On the other hand, lots of my students are brilliant digital artists. If you’re interested in learning more about digital art, you’ll enjoy seeing the fabulous possibilities.
Have a look at the beautiful student art here. I think you’ll be surprised at the variety.
Will this class be too advanced or are beginners welcome?
Beginners are very welcome.
Some of the concepts may be completely new to you but a lot of beginners join me and find the courses worthwhile because they learn so much. I try hard to ensure the Facebook Group is kind, supportive and safe and this works well for beginners because the more experienced artists in the group offer lots of help.
I think you’ll find this testimonial helpful. Roberta is talking about a Create Christmas class but I think a lot of artists have this kind of positive experience in all the classes.
“I joined this class on a whim and then regretted it when I started to see the names and work of my classmates because I am just dipping my toes into the world of surface design and illustration. I thought I was going to feel horribly out of place with all the professional designers in the class, but as soon as the first brief was up I was totally inspired and went right to work. The only thing I didn’t like about the class is that it was too short. I had so many ideas of illustrations I wanted to do each week, I kept hoping the weeks would magically lengthen themselves.
I never for one moment felt out of place. The whole class community was accepting and encouraging. If you are unsure if this type of illustration is for you - take the class. If you are currently illustrating but in a rut - take the class. You are sure to be filled with so many ideas you won’t be able to get to them all. If you are a seasoned pro and want a challenge - take the class. Get a fresh perspective on illustrating and industry insight to other possibilities. If you’re here reading this wondering if you should take the class - take the class. It is a small investment regardless if your focus is as a professional or hobbyist.”
— Roberta Murray
Will you be covering how to create repeat patterns?
The course is not a technical pattern-making course in any way - but it’s full of information that will help you create cohesive, attractive and well-composed designs (including patterns) that will impress art directors.
Do we get any help with how to contact agents?
That’s not within the scope of the course but have you downloaded my Free Guide to Getting Your Artwork In Front of Clients? You may find it helpful. Sign up here. I also offer consultations at certain times of the year.
See you on Instagram…
