Try It: Layered Pattern in Illustrator

The layered look is pretty simple to achieve in Photoshop, simply by drawing onto different layers or by scanning traditional work in and assigning it to different layers, playing with opacity and layer order. For me creating this kind of work feels much more intuitive in Photoshop than it does in Illustrator but my preference generally is to work in Illustrator. I just find it easier to move things around, recolour and stay organised. I end up with so many layers in Ps that I feel overwhelmed and I often end up abandoning work only to start again in Illustrator.

I have a few simple things I like to do when working in Illustrator to give my work more depth - I'm sure there are others and I'd love to hear from you if you wish to share yours!

I use opacity levels when placing shapes on top of each other. You can get some really pretty and subtle palettes working with opacity.

I use line work on top of blocks of colour - varying the weight of lines gives a sense of depth.

I love to use texture - created in Ai or scan in found/painted textures. I like to paint textures with black ink or paint and then live trace them and recolour.

Sometimes I feel my stubborn loyalty to Illustrator is a bit like cutting my nose of to spite my face. A lot of the qualities I strive to retain when taking work from traditional to digital are lost in Illustrator. I use Photoshop when it's absolutely necessary but I just seem to love the challenge of making things happen in Illustrator. I spent many years afraid of it and not understanding it (mostly a fear of the pen tool!) but now it's like a puzzle that I can't stop playing with!

Hope I've inspired you!

Frankie x