Mysticism and mythology, tessellations and triangles and other celestial, ethereal and other-worldly inspired artwork and design will reach cosmic proportions this year as we delve deeper into the ‘spiritual big bang’. With ‘Ultra Violet’ the Pantone Colour of 2018 and mermaids joining the unicorn stable, the illustrative trends are borne out of our craving to escape modern life and political instability.
Emma Gray, sales and creative manager of Image Source (an artists agency that supplies many card publishers with designs) picks out three trends to look for in 2018.
Geometrics and tessellations
“Bold geometric patterns and motifs are trending across everything imaginable. Pantone has listed ‘Geometric’ as the #1 home trend for 2018 – so expect to see this feature in a big way across all products. Triangles seem to be leading the way – but zig-zags, stripes, multi-faceted shapes and tessellations are key elements to the trend – and of course you can mix them all up for a lovely riot of pattern.
There is a wide mix of styles, from bold computer graphics to beautifully hand-painted tone on tone watercolour designs, and metallics will play a big role in enhancing the patterns form and structure.”
Magical mermaids
“In a bid to continue the fight against a bland monochrome world, unicorns maybe on their way out, but only to be replaced with another pastel-coloured mythical creature – mermaids!
As our world gets more hectic and stressful, we need the escapism of these beautifully mystical creatures to make our day to day life feel slightly less drab. Historically, we have always shared a wondrous and whimsical notion that they are real and one day this ‘could’ be proven true. This may be a little fanciful… but nonetheless, artwork will be beautiful in gorgeous colour palettes.”
Dark Luxe
“This story’s rich tones of midnight and deep navy blue will feature in 2018. Many dark colours feel too heavy for greetings and stationery, but navy blue works brilliantly and adds the same opulent impact as black without that sense of gothic gloom. Deep midnight blues add a mysterious feel and when paired with gold foils it adds a sense of decadent luxury. Intricate designs with refined detailing and rich decoration is key to adding that ‘oh-so-luxe’ aesthetic.”
* Emma’s predications will also appear in the February edition of Progressive Greetings, which will be published in a few weeks.
