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One of the interesting parts of my job as an illustrator is that I’m learning something new about the subjects and topics I’m drawing. Did you know that I learned everything about heat pumps and insulation glass that way? And for illustrating surface patterns I’m also coming across new, unknown topics. I recently had that with the word kumquat.

Kumquat… Kumwhat?

Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but to be honest: have you heard about this fruit? In the Netherlands I’ve never seen a kumquat in the supermarket. Had, because they do sell them and you can make quite tasty recipes with it.

The kumquat is a fruit from the citrus family and they look like small oranges. Only then small oranges with a longer shape and a thick peel. And, unlike an orange, you can eat the kumquat with the peel as a whole. The kumquats in the Netherlands are mainly used as garnish for dishes or for use in a dessert. Delicious for marmalade, ice cream or lemon curd.

Kumquat surface pattern

Kumquat surface pattern design
Kumquat surface pattern by Tamara Houtveen

Why I’ve made a kumquat pattern? Everything from lemons to tubers are a big design trend! You see surface patterns with fruits and vegetables everywhere: from fashion to tea towels and also in interiors. In the ‘veggiestyle’ trend you can find a lot of citrus fruits, like lemons, oranges, tangerines and… kumquats.

Vegetables are also very hip, more about those in a new blog. In my opinion not an ‘unhealthy’ development, because besides that fruits and veggies are healthy they are also super fun to see (and draw).

Mockups with kumquat surface pattern by Tamara Houtveen

In my kumquat surface pattern I’ve drawn the kumquat from the outside. The tree on which this special fruit grows is very nice to see. And who knows I’ll draw it from the inside too, because the inside of the fruit has interesting shapes and textures. And did you know that the tree also grows white flowers? Fun to see.

In my video you see a short impression of how I drew the motifs for this pattern. The surface pattern has a minimum of colors and is rich with textures. Have you become enthusiastic after seeing this cheerful, fruity pattern? The kumquat surface pattern is available for licensing. So who knows, maybe it’ll shine on your product! For example for a cheerful kitchen apron or tablecloth? If you want to know more about the pattern, you can contact me with the contact button below.

Tamara Houtveen

Author Tamara Houtveen

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