I started this website because I have a passion for graphic design. I am currently working on my bachelor’s degree in strategic communication, but I am also completing a minor in graphic design. My favorite adobe program to work in is Illustrator.

Last semester, I completed a course called Vector Illustration, which is one of my favorite courses that I have completed to date. One of my favorite projects was one that I created as coursework for Vector Illustration. The assignment was to illustrate three patterns, hero, secondary, and blending, all with the same theme.

I chose to base my theme on one of my favorite book series, Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber. This book series focuses on a teenage girl, Evangeline, who lives with her stepmother and stepsister (sounds like Cinderella, doesn’t it?). When the boy she loves suddenly decides to marry Evangeline’s stepsister, she realizes that something isn’t right and is convinced that someone has cursed him. So, she sets out on a quest to figure out what happened. Of course, like any good story, there are lots of twists and turns, new characters, and things that you did not expect to happen.

I had recently read this series when I was taking Vector Illustration, and that is where my inspiration came from. I created a hero pattern consisting of the heroine Evangeline, standing under an arch (arches are significant in this series). Her dress is embroidered with foxes and yellow flowers as described in the books. The apple trees are a nod to one of the main male characters, whom I cannot decide if he’s a hero or a villain, but that’s the way the best main male characters are.

The secondary pattern consists of vines creating a diagonal checkered pattern, with foxes and apples alternating between the vines. The third pattern, the blending pattern, is a combination of little hearts and a quote from the book in an illegible font. The book quote is also found on the arch in the main pattern. I chose to put the quote in a scripty, illegible font to make it look like a secret carving on the arch.

This is one of my favorite projects that I have worked on so far because I worked really hard and pushed my limits while creating this design. Before this, I had never attempted to illustrate a character or anything nearly as complex as what I made for this pattern. Another reason it is one of my favorites is because of the story behind it. It was created based on something that I love. For me, this was sort of a passion project. While it was hard, I am really proud of the outcome of my efforts. Also, I am so appreciative of my professor and classmates who gave me critiques and helped me improve my design.

Finally, when I was done illustrating my project, I had to come up with an idea of where the patterns could be used. After debating between a few different ideas, I settled on the use of the patterns on notebooks. I am sure that if I were to turn my patterns into real notebooks, they would be popular among this series’ fandom. I love the woodsy and whimsical aesthetic. In the future, I might illustrate and add some Once Upon a Broken Heart series coloring sheets to the website!

I believe that I drew some inspiration for Pixel Hollow Design from this series. Check out my About Me page to learn how I got started!