How can textured patterns be used to make relief carving more prominent?

Instead of trying to create smooth, flat backgrounds to make a relief carving more prominent, create a textured relief carving as a background. Textured backgrounds minimize the problems that are evident with a flat background. Drawing background relief carving patterns couldn’t be easier. Most can be created using tools like Step and Repeat in CorelDRAW. This usually requires drawing a small element of the repeating pattern. Then it’s a matter of duplicating the element to create the pattern and placing that pattern within the drawing. 

Before creating any background pattern, do some research. For checking, brickwork, basket weave, or lattices, search for examples either in photos or real life. Measure dimensions, the spacing, and the gaps. Note any textures and any common defects like cracks or broken corners, important to know for adding realism. 

   —COOLaserCraft