I like making chaotic, colorful things, and this one is no exception: dots layered on dots, patterns mixing with patterns, and "greenery" that is entirely the wrong color. In this tutorial, you'll see how I built this pop art garden by testing out different stems and leaves from the Midcentury Magic brush set, then layering on dots, patterns, and textures. It's messy and playful, and there's a lot of experimentation involved, which is the whole point.

Canvas Setup

• Size: 20 × 16 inches at 300 DPI
• Brush Set Used: Midcentury Magic
• Color Palette: Pop Art (included with Midcentury Magic)

Step 1: Set Your Background Color

Tap the Background layer and choose a color directly. I went with a warm gray rather than pure white or black. This gives you a subtle base that won't compete with all the colorful elements we'll add later.

In the end (after turning off the video) I still wasn't happy with the background color and ended up lightening it and making it more blue, by experimenting with the sliders on the color value tab.

Step 2: Add Background Texture

Create a new layer and name it Background Texture.

Texture Brushes Used (Midcentury Magic):

• Canvas
• Grunge
• Recycled Paper

Using the darkest color in your palette (a bluish-gray), layer these textures randomly across your canvas. I wanted a grungy, handmade feel rather than something that looks too digital. The texture is subtle, but it makes a difference.

Step 3: Start Adding Greenery

Create a new layer called Greenery 1.

Brushes Used (Midcentury Magic - Stems and Leaves):

• Orbit Leaf Bold Stem
• Orbit Leaf Slim Stem
• Retro Vine
• All other brushes from the Botanicals Section

Here's where I started testing out different plant shapes in different colors. I worked through the Botanicals section, choosing bright colors kind of randomly and making slightly wiggly lines. My idea was to have more density in the center and let it fade out toward the edges.

I made additional layers (Greenery 2, Greenery Below, Greenery On Top) as I went, which gave me flexibility to rearrange things and control which plants appeared in front or behind others.

Step 4: Add Dots on Top of the Leaves

Create a new layer called Embellishments on top of all your greenery.

Pattern Used (Midcentury Magic):

• Spotty Dots (in off white)

With the brush size fairly large (around 65%), I loosely used this pattern brush on top of some of the leaves, so that they look scattered with dots. I wasn't trying to be precise or stay perfectly inside the lines. The looseness is part of the charm.

Step 5: Add Patterns to the Background

Create a new layer called Background Dots and move it below your Background Texture layer.

Pattern Used (Midcentury Magic):

• Irregular Dots

Using darker colors from the palette, I added layered dots to the background. The Irregular Dots brush is pressure-sensitive, which means that light pressure gives you small dots, heavier pressure gives you bigger ones. I varied my pressure and kept the brush the same size while switching colors, to layer multiple colors on top of each other. The goal was to keep these dots subtle enough to stay in the background rather than competing with the plants, while making the background more interesting.

Step 6: Merge and Add Texture to Greenery

Once I was happy with how the plants were arranged, I merged all the greenery layers into one. Tap the top greenery layer and select Merge Down until all the plants are on a single layer.

Create a new layer above your merged greenery and make it a clipping mask. Name this layer Texture.

Texture Used (Midcentury Magic):

• Cardboard (in off-white)

Paint the cardboard texture over all the leaves. Because it's a clipping mask, the texture only appears on the plants themselves. I varied my pressure to get areas of stronger and more subtle texture. This made the plants look less flat and cartoony, more like they're made of something tactile.

Step 7: Add Final Patterns to the Background

Create a new layer above Background Texture but behind your greenery layer. Name it Patterns.

Patterns Used (Midcentury Magic):

• Grid (in black, small size around 7%)
• Offset Stars (in gray)
• Dynamic Dot Grid (in black and gray)

I added these patterns sparingly behind some of the leaves, using light pressure to fade them out at the edges. Layering different patterns in the same areas created a more complex effect. The grid gave structure, the stars added playfulness, and the dots tied back to the dotted theme throughout.

When I used the Dynamic Dot Grid in multiple colors, I kept the brush size consistent so the dots layered directly on top of each other, creating rings within rings.

Optional Adjustments

You could experiment with different color palettes to completely change the mood. Or try:

• Different plant combinations from the Stems and Leaves section
• More or fewer background patterns depending on your style.
• Experiment with bolder colors on background patterns.
• Different texture or pattern combinations on the plants
• A more restrained version with fewer colors or patterns

This whole project is about layering and experimenting. There's no wrong way to mix these retro plants, patterns, and textures together. Keep adding until it feels right to you.