I’ve been hard at work designing the new Farmidable. I’m going for an even simpler design with larger post images and more accessible archive post links on the side bar instead of under the main posts like it is now. I’m also working on getting the gallery working more smoothly. Does anyone have any suggestions for a great wordpress gallery plug-in. Right now I use nextgen gallery but it’s been buggy. It may be better now and it’s just my gallery’s database is so messed up things aren’t working properly. Anyway stay tuned for more.

I’m posting my sketch for this upcoming pattern to force myself to spend  more time on it. I’ve been working on the concept since Kitsune Nior had his beard themed wallpaper contest a few months ago. I didn’t finish it in time but I think it’s charming enough to bring it to completion.

Here are some sketches I’ve been working on for an upcoming Farmidable pattern based off my collective swarm theory research. I’m still trying to work out in my head the best way to make the pattern repeat. Much like a swarm it needs to feel fluid and random despite it’s spacial and geometric rules.

Starlings Photo by Manuel Presti

Starlings in Rome Photo by Manuel Presti

Wildebeests Photo by Winfried Wisniewski

My wife recently came across an old article in National Geographic about swarms. Being a “pattern guy” there’s something about the organic organization ants, bees, birds and other animals that is very appealing. WNYC’s Radiolab podcast titled Emergence also deals with idea of swarms. These groups of creatures have no leaders and as individuals aren’t all that intelligent but when put together as a collective have the ability to make complex decisions. So how about a swarm pattern. I can’t believe we haven’t done one already, rest assured it is in the works starting today.

We just started working on a new circles and dots pattern. I need to give credit to Jonas Buntenbruch, who we recently posted about. I saw one of his done daily designs and this pattern is based off it. It’s fun to explore how the shapes overlap each other creating new shapes in both positive and negative space. The biggest challenge with this pattern will probably be the scale. How can we scale it so that you read the detail, but still have it small enough to make a repeat?  We’ll find out. Stay tuned.

Here’s a sneak peak at a new pattern we have in the works that (for now) we’re calling Water Works. Based a a classic Japanese water motif. Take a look at our free wallpapers in out gallery.