Tessellations are commonly used in floor tiles.
A tessellation is a pattern in which a certain shape or form repeats without interruption. You can use any shape for your tessellation as long as they are uniform. For your first tessellation, try a square. It's a very easy shape to work with and once you get the hang of the technique, you can move on to other shapes like hexagons and triangles. Choose a simple cartoon image to place inside the patterns, like a smiley face or a stick figure.
Instructions
1. Tessellation patters can create beautiful images.
Study some pictures of different tessellations. Notice the symmetry of the shapes. Observe how the repetitiveness of the smaller images creates the larger picture. See how the pieces fit together with no spaces in between.
2. Draw a straight horizontal line, using a ruler, across the middle of your page. Draw a parallel horizontal line two inches above. Repeat this step above and below the middle line until you reach the edges of the page.
3. Use the ruler to create a vertical line in the center of your page. Draw a parallel vertical line two inches to the left. Repeat this step to the end of the page. Repeat this step to the right of the center line so that squares fill the entire page.
4. Pick any square and draw your cartoon image in the center. Trace that image onto the tracing paper. Go over this image in dark pen or marker to make it more visible.
5. Place the tracing paper underneath the paper with the tessellation design. Start with any square on the page and trace over the cartoon image visible from the tracing paper. Repeat this step until every shape on your page has the exact same image. Take care to center the image each time you trace it.
6. Trace over the original pencil lines with marker to create more definition. Use a ruler to ensure all lines are straight. Add color to your cartoon image with colored pencils or makers.
