Project 2: Animals of the Rainforest - Step 3

Arranging the animals in a pleasing configuration that allows for a repeating pattern was the next stage of the project.  The thing to remember when creating a repeating pattern in illustrator is to match the placement along the x-y axis.  Anything placed in one corner must appear in the other three corners as well.  Anything on a side edge must appear on the opposite side edge.  For example, in a 2inx2in square, if you place an object at (0,2) you must also place that same object at (0,0), (2,2), and (2,0) in order for the object to tile properly.  This is the hardest part of it.  

Now I had the animals where I wanted them, but I still wasn't satisfied.  The maccaw was blending in with the environment and, honestly, didn't seem to be a very accurate representation of the maccaws to be found in a tropical environment. The green was overly dominant, and there were too many areas of plain brown.  I did a little more research into some flowers to add into this picture and found the orchid and another flower to add to the scene.

Revised maccaw

Finally, the revised design.  The design tiled perfectly (I verified this using Photoshop), and I was ready for the next stage.