Don't worry about patterns.

Make a C chord (3-3-2-0-1-0).

Now, with your picking hand, pluck a bass string and then strum down.

------0----------------------------
------1----------------------------
------0----------------------------
------2----------------------------
---3-------------------------------
-----------------------------------

On the single bass note count, "one" and on the strum down count, "two".

Do that twice counting "one two three four" to play a full measure in 4/4 time - then start running through some measures.

------0------0--+-----0------0----
------1------1--+-----1------1----
------0------0--+-----0------0----
------2------2--+-----2------2----
---3---------3--+--3---------3----
----------3-----+---------3-------
   1 2   3 4    1 2   3 4

That's a quarter note thumb brush.

Pick up a few more chords somewhere and go strum and sing folk songs for a few months to drive the rhythm into your brain.

Then play the same thing, but after the strum down add in an upstroke with your index finger:

------0-0----0-0-+-----0-0----0-0--
------1------1---+-----1------1----
------0------0---+-----0------0----
------2------2---+-----2------2----
---3---------3---+--3---------3----
----------3------+---------3-------
   1 2 & 3 4 &    1 2 & 3 4 &

The upstroke breaks the quarter note strum in half, so our new count is "One two and three four and".


Once again, spend some time using this strum to sing folk songs.

Now add in an upstroke after the single bass.


-------0-0-----0-0-+------0-0-----0-0--
-------1-------1---+------1-------1----
-----0-0-----0-0---+----0-0-----0-0----
-------2-------2---+------2-------2----
---3-----------3---+--3-----------3----
-----------3-------+----------3--------
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

This creates an eighth note pattern. "One and two and three and four and".

Instead of a single note for the 1 or three count you can pinch a bass string and a treble string.

---0---0-0--0--0-0-+--0---0-0--0--0-0--
-------1-------1---+------1-------1----
-----0-0-----0-0---+----0-0-----0-0----
-------2-------2---+------2-------2----
---3-----------3---+--3-----------3----
-----------3-------+----------3--------
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

You can replace the strum down with a single bass note.

---0-----0--0----0-+--0-----0--0----0--
-------------------+-------------------
-----0-------0-----+----0-------0------
-------2-----------+------2------------
---3-----------3---+--3-----------3----
-----------3-------+----------3--------
   1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &    1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &


Now take this little piece of a scale:

--------0--1--3-------------
--1--3----------------------
----------------------------
----------------------------
----------------------------
----------------------------

and practice it while holding a C chord.

In other words, how the C chord, an play that scale bit by moving your index and pinky.

Then play it against and alternating bass:

---------0--1--3--1--0-----
---1--3-----------------3--
---------------------------
---------0-----------0-----
---3-----------3-----------
----------------------------

If you mess around with that and then blend it into an eighth note roll you'll have everything you need to start putting the fingerstyle thing together.

For a clearer picture of how this works, see http://www.archive.org/details/folk.guitar

-Patrick
http:howandtao.com