Complex patterns
How complicated a pattern is depends on the designer. It may contain more than one motif and may use a combination of pattern types to create quite complicated designs. It can often be difficult to identify the type of pattern used in a piece because so many different types have been combined together.
This beaded collar (Egpyt, 1550 â 1070 BC) is made from a simple series of patterned bands, each of which regularly repeats a simple motif.
Combining different motifs like this is a simple way to create a more complex and varied pattern.
Trellis (William Morris, 1964) is a wallpaper design that mixes regular and irregular patterns.
The grid of the trellis is a regular pattern â the wooden frame creates a series of squares that repeat identically in a block repeat.
The plant that grows through the trellis makes an irregular pattern. The branches, flowers and leaves all repeat at different intervals. This makes the pattern seem organic and natural.
Pied Piper of the Animals (Charles Voysey, c.1921) is a textile design with a regular pattern.
It appears complex because the main tree motif is a large, detailed design. This motif repeats in a half-brick pattern rather than a block repeat.
The smaller squirrel, bird and piper motifs repeat in the same way but the sheep motif is mirrored around the tree trunk, adding more variety to the pattern.