Repeated shape patterns: Repeated Pattern — Shapes | Repeating patterns, Pattern, Shapes
Posted onTessellation-The Art of Repeating Patterns
Oct 06, 2021
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Contemporary & Modern Art
Tessellation-The Art of Repeating Patterns
Shannon Mage 2098
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You may be looking at a tessellated pattern right now, and not realize it! Although it’s not a term you hear every day, tessellation is a key component of art and decoration. Simply defined, it’s a repeated geometric shape that covers a surface. The name comes from something we hold dear here at Mozaico: Tessera – or the small tiles used in mosaic work.
Image source Tiles in New York
Here’s another word you can now use to impress your friends, and to win at Scrabble: Tessellata. Thank the ancient Romans for this one – it refers to the mosaic that decorated their buildings, and that still delights us today in historical locations.
Designers love tessellation – it’s present on all types of home decor, like wallpaper, fabric, quilts, and rugs. These patterns are soothing and full of movement – endlessly versatile in their uses of different shapes and colorways. We’ll give you a little background on the history of this concept in art and design, and some ideas on how you can use it in your own home.
Islamic Art and Tessellation
Historically, Islamic art and architecture utilized tessellation in their religious architecture. As they shied away from the use of human or animal figures, intricate geometries were used as decoration. The Dome of the Rock, in Jerusalem, is a notable location for this style.
Image source Wikipedia Commons
The mathematical precision and evolving patterns of these embellishments were also designed to help the faithful focus on their worship. During Islam’s Golden Age of the 8th – 14th century CE, Muslims created a distinctive style. It relied heavily on mathematics, with contributions from the best astronomers and scientists contributing ideas, as well.
Precise calculations created perfect stars, circles, and polygons. As each overlapped, an intricate network of shapes emerged, delighting the eye and fascinating visitors. In this example from the Tomb of I’timād-ud-Daulah, in Agra, one can see several different shapes that are used in repetition. Five and 6-point stars, circles, and other strict geometrics will appear as you study the decoration.
Image source Wikipedia Commons
The language of tessellation is also precise in nature. If you’re digging into the subject, you might want to learn a few of the terms that are used.
Regular tessellation uses only equilateral triangles, squares, and hexagons. Fun fact: Any one of these shapes can be duplicated infinitely to fill a plane with no gaps.
Regular periodic tiling is a cornerstone of patterns such as checkerboards. Each tile aligns vertex to vertex (the point of intersection of three or more bordering tiles) and repeats. Often, a contrasting color is used for maximum effect – yes, like a checkerboard!
Irregular tessellations can be made from other shapes such as pentagons.
In fact, almost any kind of geometric shape can work. The example below is from the Alhambra in Spain. If something about these glazed mosaic tiles from centuries ago seems familiar, even modern – you’re not imagining it.
Image source Wikipedia Commons
Part of a group of patterned tile installations that contain nearly all, if not all, of the seventeen mathematically possible wallpaper groups, it’s world-famous. (If you’re curious about the 17 ways to tile a surface, here’s an illustration from 1924).
Image source CSUN
Back in 1922, artist M. C. Escher’s visit to the Alhambra inspired his studies of Moorish design symmetries, and eventually, his own works. Escher called these “regular divisions of the plane”.
Here’s Escher’s piece: Hexagonal tessellation with animals: Study of Regular Division of the Plane with Reptiles (1939). You can definitely see the influence.
Image source Wikipedia
Escher went on to explore the mathematical qualities of these shapes in sculpture and other media.
His work lends itself well to tile designs and mosaic art, as in this piece at the Princessehof Ceramics Museum.
Image source Pinterest
Another type of art that has embraced tessellation is quilting. You might not think of math, geometry, and your favorite quilt as compatible, but they’re fantastic together! Many popular patterns are fine examples of repeated shapes.
Image source Pinterest
Now that you know what to look for, can you pick out the shapes that are used in this design?
Here’s another vintage example that uses one long hexagon shape for each section:
Image source Pinterest
How about wallcoverings? Let’s test your discerning eye out with some Islamic patterns for wallpaper. One block – or tile – is used over and over to create the unique look. It looks organic, but the same concept applies.
Image source Pinterest
William Morris patterns for textiles and wallpaper also employ tessellation. Just like the patterns used in Islamic temples, they have a soothing effect that also invites closer investigation.
Image source Pinterest
Here’s a similar design in glass mosaic wall art.
Today, some of the loveliest examples of tessellation are right underfoot! Rugs, both textile and mosaic, are perfect for these step-and-repeat patterns. Our own marble mosaic design features spheres in a soft color range of whites with black. Just like the works we’ve been studying, there’s more than meets the eye – with thousands of geometric tessera making up the overall design.
A stunning centerpiece for any room, our classical Falak round marble mosaic art piece will give any space an instant lift. The opulent feel is created with multicolored stones. One of the best features of this type of floor art is its versatility: it can be used on surfaces that are exposed to moisture, such as showers or pools.
Does your floor need a spectacular focal point? Here’s a beautiful example of our stunning Galileo Waterjet Marble Mosaic Artwork installed. Made of polished marble, it’s a heavenly design that draws you in with intricate patterns and fine details.
As you can see, tessellation is everywhere! Have some fun appreciating its intricacies and beauty, and enjoy your new awareness. If you’d like to add this sort of stylish detail to your own space, check out our new Mosaic Finder. It’s a fun way to explore our extensive catalog and find the perfect mosaic art for any spot in your home.
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How to create the 7 most common Surface Pattern Repeats
Being able to create seamless pattern repeats is one of the most fundamental aspects of being a surface pattern designer. It’s a little overwhelming, to begin with, but once you understand the basics you’ll find that pattern repeats are nothing more than mathematical formulas.
Let me simplify it and explain:
HOW TO CREATE THE 7 MOST COMMON SURFACE PATTERN REPEATS
1. FULL DROP/BLOCK PATTERN REPEAT
One of the most common and simplest of all repeat systems is the full drop or block surface pattern repeat. The repeat unit is created by stacking the original repeat block in a grid format. Although it’s often created as a square unit, full drop repeats can also be rectangular.
2. HALF DROP PATTERN REPEAT
Another very commonly used surface pattern repeat is the half drop. It consists of the repeat unit being stacked vertically in a column format which is then offset by half in the next vertical row. Because of this, half drop pattern repeats are a great way at quickly allowing the design to look less formal.
3. BRICK PATTERN REPEAT
Just like the half drop, the brick repeat unit is also very commonly used in surface pattern repeats. It’s very similar to the half drop pattern repeat except instead of the repeat unit being stacked vertically in a column format, it is stacked horizontally.
The repeat unit is then offset by half in the next horizontal row resembling a brick wall. As a result, just like with the half drop pattern repeats, brick repeats allow a design to look less formal.
4. DIAMOND PATTERN REPEAT
A diamond surface pattern repeat is simply created with a repeating diamond shape this therefore results in the elements being arranged in diagonal rows.
5. OGEE PATTERN REPEAT
An ogee surface pattern repeat is similar to the diamond repeat except it has rounded edges at the sides and points at the top and bottom, much like an onion.
6. TOSSED/ RANDOM PATTERN REPEAT
In a tossed/random surface pattern repeat, the elements of the design are scattered within the repeat unit. The unstructured nature of a tossed repeat results in a very organic and non-linear design.
7. STRIPE PATTERN REPEAT
The stripe surface pattern repeat is a layout that has a strong vertical, horizontal or diagonal format.
Stripes don’t need to be restricted to being made up of blocks of colour. Some other ways to use stripes include blocks of texture, patterns, repeated motifs, zig zags or wavy lines.
Choosing the right pattern repeat for your design will depend on what sort of look and feel you are after. The great thing is once you have your motifs, you can keep experimenting with the different repeat layouts until you get the result that you are after.
I hope this has given you a good understanding of what’s possible in the world of surface pattern repeats and has inspired you to start creating your own pattern repeats.
Click here to find out more about creating seamless repeats.
To find out more about repeating patterns, I’ve created an ebook of the Most Common Surface Pattern Repeats with a bonus of 5 extra pattern repeat layouts. Download your FREE copy and enjoy!
Adobe Illustrator Tutorial: Create Weird Repeating Patterns
In this tutorial, Imakethings (aka Andrew Groves) will show you how to create a repeating pattern in the style of a terrain map.
It will use simple shapes and icons to show different geographic features from a bird’s eye view just like on OS maps.
Imakethings, unlike a normal card, will use brighter colors in its pattern and add a couple of magical creatures to give the pattern a whimsical, even magical look. The map will consist of a repeating tile, which will allow it to be applied to different image formats.
The techniques you learn from this lesson can be easily applied to other patterns or textiles (T-shirt patterns or whatever you want).
Time
2 hours
Tools
Adobe Illustrator
Step 1
Since we are creating a pattern based on cards, we need to start with a little research. Look at maps that pioneers and travelers used to make, or any other maps from old books. Even better, go for a walk and map your path. A couple of sketches of what you see won’t hurt either. Then these sketches will come in handy for working at the computer.
Step 2
When the sketches are done, think about what you want to use the finished pattern for.
So, I make my pattern according to the principle “ print ”. It’s much easier to make a repeating square pattern, so let’s start by creating a new document in Illustrator . The canvas must be square.
Create a quarter-size square in the corner of the screen with the Rectangle tool . Fill it with a color (whatever you want), and then divide the document into four parts with guides.
Step 3
When working with patterns, it’s very important that the transitions are smooth, so I use an endless river running diagonally across the whole pattern. Diagonals also help when you need to line up objects.
Draw the river from top to bottom using Pencil tool ( N ) or Pen tool ( P ).
Step 4
Since the pattern must be repeated, any object located on the edge of the square must match the other of the same.
To do this, copy the original and paste it in the lower right corner. You will see that the edges of the two rivers do not match, so we need to make a few changes to make the pattern smoother.
Step 5
Select the two ends of the rivers Direct Selection tool and press Cmd/Ctrl + Alt/Opt + Shift + J . Select item Smooth . Play with the anchor points to create a smooth line. Add an outline to the whole shape: Object > Path > Outline Stroke . Step 6
Step 6
Now we need to get rid of all the parts that are outside of our squares. Select all elements ( Cmd/Ctrl + A ), then press the button Divide on panel Pathfinder . This will make each form a separate object.
Step 7
To complete the pattern, so that the river repeats indefinitely, you need to connect the matching pieces. Remove all unnecessary parts, leaving only the necessary.
Step 8
Next, rearrange the remaining parts to create a mosaic image.
Step 9
Now that the river, the anchor point of the pattern, is complete, we can add details. For now, stick to the middle of the template — this will save you the trouble of making the shapes match later on. I use simplified, natural shapes and icons, but it’s up to you to decide how to style your pattern.
Step 10
I like to use other patterns when creating one pattern. This is often used in regular maps. For example, forests are represented by tree icons.
I use a brick pattern to give texture to my mountains. You can do this too if you use the palette Swatches . First draw a shape (bricks in our case) and then select them and go to Edit > Define Pattern . This will create a new pattern palette that you can then use to fill in any objects.
Step 11
Continue adding details.
Use your sketches as examples. I added some birch areas, a bridge and a campfire. Sometimes you need to check how the pattern looks, for which it is enough to copy the template and paste it into the empty spaces next to the original. This helps to identify gaps and correct them.
Step 12
We are almost done. For the final touches, I add some wavy lines like the ones I used for the river. This should help make the transitions in the pattern smoother.
Select the area outside the template Direct Selection tool ( A ), then cut it ( Cmd/Ctrl + X ) and paste ( Cmd/Ctrl + V ) on the opposite side of the template strictly following the guide lines. Now these two parts will fit perfectly.
Step 13
It takes a little more personality to make the pattern sing… Literally. I added some of my own characters to give the drawing more charm. You also have to add only your heroes.
Step 14
Pattern completed! It remains only to copy it and paste it into the empty corners.
Now you have a pattern that can take on any size and be used as you please: poster, fabric print. The only limit is your imagination.
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