#basic grid

I started this pattern by cropping down one of my scanned stencils down to a nearly unrecognizable blob and line. I copied and pasted the image four times and rotated them until they fit in a continuous way. Once I found the perfect arrangement of the blobs, I decided that organizing it in a basic grid would be the best option to create as much continuity as possible. Each of the cropped images is connected in some way to one another, creating a flow for the eyes to follow. There is a strong contrast between the background and the main blobs, the blobs being sharp and dark against the random tics and the white background, creating a clear figure/ground relationship. I think that this has a strong use of negative space as well, it has clear sharp negative shapes that are just as interesting as the positive shapes. This image does have as much movement, but still has enough movement to lead the eye around the image in a nice, smooth way.

Draft Patterns (order in tags)

For this pattern I reflected my motif vertically, then reflected it horizontally. I then merged the top two rows together then reflected it horizontally, and so on as I moved the pattern down the grid. There is continuity in the horizontal zig-zags, both the narrow and wide rows. The zig-zags give the pattern movement. The figure/ground relationship is clear, as there is strong contrast due to the pitch-black negative space. The zig-zags create interesting negative shapes, and the mark-making inside the positive space have an interesting pattern of their own. However, the patterns inside the positive shapes are a bit dense and may make the overall pattern feel too busy.