One of our newest women’s t-shirt designs for Fall 2012 is called Earth Layers (printed on an organic cotton scoop neck tee.)

SOL327 lg - Behind the Design: Earth LayersSOL327alt1 lg - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

And I gotta say, this was one of my favorite designs to draw! I was inspired by these amazingly detailed illustrations done by a 17th century botanist named Nehemiah Grew.

nehemiah grew root - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

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nehemiah grew trunk - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

He illustrates the inner workings of plants and cells, but I wanted to give a bigger picture. And one that wasn’t so nit-pickingly accurate 🙂

I started by covering the whole page with watercolor paint, in different layers. Then I traced around those layers with ink, adding patterns and details as I went.

sketchbook earth layers - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

pattern close up - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

The doodles are pretty natural, but I threw in some geometric patterns for a little funk.

soul flower earth layers - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

After it was all finished, I scanned it into the computer and removed the watercolor layer so it would make a nice, clean screenprint.

Our buds over at 8|7 Central screen printed these shirts for us. When I got the first peek at the design printed, I knew it was gonna be a good one!

screen printing organic shirt - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

This bold tee is part of our fall line and is featured in our Fall/Winter 2012 catalog! We styled it with a basic pair of jeans & simple necklace, and also dressed up a bit alongside a printed skirt.

SOL327 earth layers - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

soul flower model - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

Inspired by nature, but with a little extra sass. That’s what we’re all about at Soul Flower! You supply the basics, and when it comes to that little extra somethin’ special? We’ve got you covered 🙂

For more inspiration, check us out on Pinterest!

ajax loader 2x - Behind the Design: Earth Layers

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