Meet the Designer – Emily Foresto

Next up as our featured artist in The Designer Project is the super-talented Emily Foresto from Emily Kiara Designs – with her incredible Watercolour fabric collection!  

She has put together the most wonderful blog post, diving deep into her creative process and inspirations for creating these amazing designs. Keep on reading to find out more! 

Emily Foresto

Hi, I’m Emily, the artist and surface pattern designer behind Emily Kiara Designs! I am currently based on Sydney’s beautiful Northern Beaches, a place that has inspired much of my artistic style. Ever since I can remember, I have been a creative soul, and from the moment I could pick up a paint brush and hold a pencil I have been drawing and painting! I love creating beautiful patterns that uplift and inspire and I am so excited to be sharing these designs with you!

Studio Work

The very first step in my design process is to explore and find lots of beautiful inspiration. For me, this can come from the simplest of things. Whether it be nature’s colour palette, an interesting plant or flower, or a pattern in the clouds, inspiration truly is everywhere and it’s waiting to be discovered. I take photos of everything because you never know when or how inspiration will strike!

Mable Painting

Dusky Painting

Once I have lots of beautiful ideas and I’m feeling really inspired, I put pencil to paper and start to sketch out the designs. Whether it be a watercolour or pen design, I’ll set up my workspace with my chosen materials, put on some music, make myself a tea and enjoy the art- making process.

Studio Work

I scan my artworks using my Epson Perfection V600 scanner and take them into Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator where I transform them into repeating patterns. I play around with the colours and layout until I reach a cohesive design that I love and that flows beautifully.

Finally, I create a couple of mock-ups to really visualise my designs on products. This is the exciting part as it’s where I really see my designs come to life!

Aspen Painting

I can’t wait to see your beautiful creations!! Make sure to tag me at @emilykiaradesigns.

All the best and happy creating,

Emily

The Watercolour collection features a range of different themes; from feminine florals to abstract shapes and detailed themed illustrations, Emily’s patterns are playful, bright and colourful, yet refined.