A pattern repeats a motif (a shape, line, color or small design) in a regular way across a surface. You find patterns in fabric, tiles, wallpaper, baskets and in nature.
Key idea
Pattern = a motif repeated regularly. Find the smallest unit that repeats; that unit is the motif.
Why it works
Repeating a motif gives a surface order and unity, and our eyes enjoy finding the rule. A small change in the rule (a different color every third motif) is enough to make a new pattern.
Islamic artists built rich patterns from geometry, as in Geometry, Arabesque and Calligraphy. Asante weavers in Ghana make kente cloth from narrow woven strips sewn edge to edge, each strip carrying repeating blocks of pattern. The Book of Kells (about 800) fills its pages with knots and spirals.
Worked example: Find the motif
A border repeats: red star, red star, yellow heart, red star, red star, yellow heart, … What is the motif, and what kind of repeat is it?
- Look for the shortest group that repeats: red star, red star, yellow heart.
- Two of the first, one of the second: AAB.
Answer: The motif is two red stars and a yellow heart, an AAB pattern.
Common mistake
Using pattern and rhythm as the same word. A pattern is the repeated motif and its rule. Rhythm (the next topic) is the sense of beat or flow that the spacing of repeats creates. A pattern usually has rhythm, but you can have rhythm without a strict pattern.