This class, Procreate Highly Textural Mixed Media Cactus Art, has proven to be so much fun! I have loved adding all the mixed media elements to make it look really authentic. In the end, the time it takes is still faster that that of a natural media piece, but NO MESS! I also loved the flexibility of working with blending modes, and minor things like adjusting the scale of the patterns. That is NOT POSSIBLE when working with natural media. The blending modes helped to create pieces which were very cohesive, and I think it would be very easy to create a collection of homogenous pieces.

In this class I’ll walk you through:

my step-by-step method for incorporating mixed media elements to an illustration
tips for creating compositions for a varied and appealing illustration using mixed media brushes
my workflow for use of layers and other great features like clipping masks
creating and adjusting shadows and highlights to perfect the depth and dimension of the pieces
creating a full background that compliments the foreground illustration
methods for keeping the illustration fully editable for later adjustments and recoloring

If you’ve been curious and interested in mixed media art, you’ll be able to go through all the steps by following the lessons. This class will show you how to take an illustration right from the sketching stage to a fully fleshed out final.

The key concepts I will include:

review of my brush alterations and adjustments
using blending modes to tie in imported elements
creating depth with shadow and highlights

This is a great choice for you, even if you are not sure what you will use the art for! You will be learning new Procreate workflows and that is always a plus. I am positive you will create something very interesting, and it’s such a blast, once you get the hang of it!

Intro to Procreate Highly Textural Mixed Media Cactus ArtThis video is the intro for the class. I will give you a bit of a run-down as well as showing you sneak peeks at what I have done.

Lesson 1: Creating the lnitial Sketched Composition

In this lesson, I will walk you through my whole process in creating a usable sketch. I explain how the use of layers makes the process quicker, and I show you techniques to help create depth with the aloe vera plant.

Lesson 2: Blocking in the Main Colors of the Cacti

For lesson 2, I will break down the complete process of filling each plant form with textured color. The tricky part is layering and separating each layer so it will be easier to apply textures and patterns later. We will create plenty of depth in this lesson.

Lesson 3: Suggested Finishing on the Flower Pots

I will explain the process for drawing the plant pots in this lesson. Watch me make a couple of mistakes and learn from them! We will add dimension to each and then we will add soil to each of the pots. All the while, we will be perfecting the over-all illustration.

Lesson 4: Dimension and Definition of Cactus Forms

This is the lesson in which I teach you about adding the highlights and shadows. You will recognize the concept: we make an area of color with a brush and then blur it. Once blurred, we go back and sharpen some of the edges. This helps us to show the layering and shadows easily.

Lesson 5: Textures and Mixed Media Finish ldeas

In this lesson, we start to add the mixed media, this time using brushes. Keeping in mind the depth and dimension, we use some very dark colors for shading and especially dark on the back-most layers. I really mix it up with the brushes, and we add all sorts of different finishes. It is so much fun! We are one step closer to finalizing our design now.

Lesson 6: Prickly Pear and Tree Cactus Details

At this stage, I want to show you the addition of authentic mixed media files which include finishes such as collage. We build the texture details slowly but surely, using blending modes, opacity changes, hue and saturation shifts, and adding brush texture until we are happy with the results.

Lesson 7: Texture and lnterest on the Plant Pots

In this lesson, we add much more of the mixed media details to the plants and pots. I show you how to keep patterns in the correct perspective so that it shows curvature. We also reinforce any shading details to help make the plant pots look dimensional.

Lesson 8: Finishing Touches and Final Details

In this lesson, I give you a bunch of ideas for adding details like spikes and prickles on the cacti. I also talk about adding more dimension with shadows.

Lesson 9: Time Lapse, Mock Ups, and Conclusion

We will conclude everything in this lesson. I will debrief with you as I show you the time lapse that demonstrates my process. I show you a few quick mock-ups with the art pieces and we end with a chat about next steps.

Concepts covered:

Concepts covered include but are not limited to Procreate brushes, composition layering, blending modes, Procreate brush stamps, Procreate canvas settings, Procreate selections, adding dimension with highlights and shadows, Procreate snapping and guides, the Brush Studio in Procreate, adjusting Procreate brushes, sizing of documents and brushes, compositions with brush stamps, adding texture with brushes, perspective on curved items, importing mixed media elements like collage, workflow best practices, painting best practice, Procreate composites, and much more.

You will get the bonus of…

1 hour and 29 minutes of direction from an instructor who has been in graphic design business and education for over 40 years
knowledge of multiple ways to solve each design challenge
an outline with links to further research
a list of helpful online sites to further your education into surface pattern design

Eileen Wilson

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