I’m posting only one version of this week’s Sunday sketch, which I know is unusual. I did come up with some other versions of this one, but the iterations are so minor (at the level of single pieces in just one block), you’d have a hard time spotting them.

This is my latest attempt to create a design using one block on repeat but colouring the blocks such that each one appears unique. So even though the block is repeated, there are no repeats. (Does that make sense?!)

In this week’s version, I’ve used an alternating layout of two different blocks (which means I’m already breaking my own rule…). The two blocks are very similar though; they have many common elements and could probably be considered one block if I just combined some of their components.

I’m pretty sure no two blocks in this design are identical, but let me know if you spot any copies! I tried to colour each block in a proper/symmetrical way (in other words, all similar pieces in a block are in the same colour), but in some cases I’ve introduced a piece or two in the ‘wrong’ colour to carry across a secondary shape from an adjacent block. I didn’t want to interrupt an interesting shape by insisting on strict colour rules.

I first tried this approach (kinda…) in Sunday sketch #310, although it doesn’t take an eagle eye to see that there are several identical blocks in that design. I’ve tried reworking that one, but haven’t yet found a version I’m happy with. I can’t quite get the balance right with all the different block variations.

This week’s sketch uses three colours instead of two, and two blocks instead of one. That means a much bigger number of unique block colourings! So I had more to play with in this design. But even still, I’m not 100% happy with this week’s sketch. I haven’t quite figured out what it needs – maybe a bit more negative space? A greater focus on the secondary shapes that form between the blocks? Only one block type instead of two?

I’ve had this idea in the back of my head for a looong time (I posted Sunday sketch #310 in the middle of 2022!), so I’ll just keep chipping away at it. I’m sure I’ll work it out eventually!