Figure-ground is the illusion of alternating perspectives when viewing an image with a near equal ratio of object to background. In other words the positive space becomes negative and the negative space becomes positive Both the foreground and background hold the capability of making sense as either the positive or negative space in the image. For this project I was to create three patterns that display use of figure-ground. For a closer look at my design process follow this link.
Concept Image
I was instructed to choose from a list of common objects to base my unit form from. I decided to go with a clothespin because there were so many interesting components within its form. To start, I traced over the actual image of the pin; above is the result.
Unit Forms
Above are the unit forms I created using the traced image. I chose areas of the clothespin I thought would make an interesting pattern while still maintaining the figure-ground requirement.
The isolated unit form is the design I chose to move forward with.
Black and White
It didn't take me long to compose three patterns I liked. In black and white, the patterns I created look very similar to bathroom floor tiles you would see in your grandma's house.
Analogous Color Scheme
Finally, I decided to go with a cool-toned, pastel, analogous color scheme to incorporate into my patters.
Final Products
