The Spoonflower Handbook Master Class with Becka Rahn
A three-day intensive workshop presented by The Spoonflower Handbook co-author Becka Rahn and held in various locations.
About the Workshop
The focus of this workshop will be an introduction to working with Adobe Photoshop (Fall) or Adobe Illustrator (Spring) as a fabric design tool. We will spend 2+ intense days getting to know the tools in each software to make seamless repeats, layers and more. Several of our class exercises will build on concepts presented in The Spoonflower Handbook, taking these projects “beyond the book” with more advanced tools and skills, as well as one-on-one instruction.
For this class, you do not need drawing or painting skills; no experience with Photoshop, Illustrator or fabric design is necessary, although you should be familiar with the Spoonflower site and comfortable with basic computer functions.
Please note: This class is no longer being offered. Please see my On Demand Classes page for more fabric design & Spoonflower classes.
Photoshop Focus (Fall)
This session will focus on working with Adobe PHOTOSHOP to design fabric. Becka will teach you how to use the basic tools in Photoshop to edit, add layers and design seamless patterns using Photoshop. The goal is to help you understand how the Photoshop tools and techniques work so that you can make the designs you have in your head. Class time will be focused on practice with tools and techniques like creating seamless textures, learning how to work with layers, and understanding the settings for tools to accomplish specific effects. Becka will have samples of all of the Spoonflower fabrics and talk about optimizing your design for printing on different surfaces, troubleshooting your designs and choosing the right fabric for your project.
Upcoming dates: There are no scheduled dates for this class right now. Please check back to this page or sign up below to be on the email list for when dates are scheduled.
Illustrator Focus (Spring Session)
The focus of this workshop will be an introduction to working with vectors and Adobe Illustrator as a fabric design tool. Why vectors? Designing with vectors gives you a lot of flexibility with size and scale, options to color and edit your designs, and the ability to create smooth lines and simple repeating patterns in just a few steps. You will create three different vector-based designs in class and learn to use the basic vector drawing tools and techniques. Several of our class exercises will build on concepts presented in The Spoonflower Handbook, taking these projects “beyond the book” with more advanced tools and skills, as well as one-on-one instruction.
Upcoming dates: There are no scheduled dates for this class right now. Please check back to this page or sign up below to be on the email list for when dates are scheduled.
About the Instructor: Becka Rahn
Becka is the co-author of The Spoonflower Handbook, a DIY guide to designing your own fabrics, wallpaper and gift wrap. She collaborates with Spoonflower often for classes, blog projects and exhibitions. She teaches this masterclass just a few times a year and alternates between hosting the class at Spoonflower in Durham, NC and other locations throughout the US. (Most recently Milwaukee and Minneapolis). Becka is a full time teaching artist, dividing her time between designing, selling and exhibiting her own work and teaching others to sew, embroider or design their own fabrics. Becka has a degree in education and was the director of education programs at the Textile Center in Minneapolis for 12 years. She has received awards for her work from the MN State Arts Board, Jerome Foundation and was recently featured as an emerging artist in Fiber Art Now magazine.