Procreate Tutorial: “The Stockholmer —Mariatorget in the Spring” by Simon Ip

Simon Ip’s illustration, The Stockholmer — Mariatorget in the Spring, is a personal tribute to a vibrant neighborhood in Stockholm’s Södermalm district. Inspired by his time living in Mariatorget with his partner during the pandemic, Simon’s artwork captures the heart and soul of the area. 

Drawing inspiration from The New Yorker’s iconic illustrated covers, this piece combines a playful narrative with editorial style, using a mischievous skateboarding cat as the main character to embody the youthful and dynamic vibes of the neighborhood.

"This drawing is a love letter to a neighborhood in Stockholm—Mariatorget in Södermalm. The neighborhood holds a special place in my heart as it was where I lived with my partner during the pandemic. This piece is part of a series I’ve been developing, inspired by the editorial style of The New Yorker magazine’s iconic illustrated covers. I’ve always admired how these covers tell stories through their art, and I wanted to create something that captures that same essence but with my own twist.

Mariatorget is a trendy and hip neighborhood. It is known for its artistic community, cozy cafes, and lively streets. I used many photos from my time living there as references, which helped add some of my personal memories and emotions. I’ve also decided to not include myself or my partner in the drawing, and instead, to add a cat as the main character. This protagonist represents the playful and rambunctious nature of the neighborhood and the people it attracts. Another fun fact is that as a teenager, I had a favorite t-shirt that said “Stockholm”. Even though I knew nothing about Sweden at the time, I used to wear it a lot while skateboarding with my friends; which is why I added a skateboarding cat to the picture.

The theme of this artwork is to share my personal connection to Stockholm by representing the topics of youth, playfulness and love. Through this illustration, I hope to convey the magic of Mariatorget and the joy of discovering a new place and a new love." - Simon Ip

In this tutorial, Simon guides you through his artistic process, sharing tips on using Procreate to create your own vibrant, narrative-driven illustrations.

Recommended Procreate Brushes

• Dry Ink Brush (Ink Folder): Simon’s go-to brush for its organic feel and versatility in creating clean and textured lines.
• Spectra Brush (Painting Folder): Used to add texture and bring depth to the illustration.

Step-by-Step Tutorial from Simon

Ready to have your own attempt at this piece? Follow Simon’s own instructions on how to make this beautiful and thoughtful artwork below.

Step 1: Setting Up the Canvas

Before opening Procreate, remember to define the purpose of your drawing. For example, will you simply publish it on social media or will you decide to print it as a poster?

I previously made a mistake of drawing on a canvas optimized for a digital post.

As my friend wanted the drawing in print, I had to retrace the drawing at a higher resolution. For this drawing, I knew that I wanted to print it as a poster so I set the canvas size to 11-3/4 x 16-1/2 in A3 format at 300 DPI.

Step 2: Gather Inspiration

I used various reference photos that I had taken in Mariatorget, while living in the area. This really helped build a more personal scene. I also like to draw from personal experiences as it makes the artwork more meaningful and unique.

With various reference photos at my disposal, I upload them as a reference canvas on Procreate and started to visualize the scene.

Step 3: Sketch Your Idea

I started sketching my initial ideas using the Dry Ink brush set at 0% streamline.

This allows for free-flowing sketch lines without any correction, which helps capture the spontaneity of your thoughts. I referred to my previous photos to maintain accuracy in the scene while infusing it with personal elements.

Finally, in every one of my drawings, you will find at least one main character in the foreground. I’ve opted for a mischievous skateboarding cat to represent the youthful vibes of the neighborhood.

Step 4: Set Up the Perspective

I decided to use a one-point perspective for the background. This will help create depth and focus in the scene.

I used Procreate’s drawing guides and set up the one-point perspective in the middle of the canvas. I also toggled the drawing assist on to ensure that all the lines, (specifically the buildings, trees and street) followed the correct direction.

Setting up perspective properly from the start is crucial for creating a believable and immersive environment.

Step 5: Trace Your Drawing

Once the sketch was complete, I began tracing the drawing to create clean lines. Creating a detailed background is often more time-consuming than drawing characters, so I took my time to ensure accuracy.

For the character, I decided to use the Dry Ink Brush size at 5% to play with line weight and make him pop more.

For the background, I decided to stick to 1-2% brush size to not put too much visual attention to it. I was inspired by Hergé’s ligne claire aesthetic, a style characterized by clear, strong lines with minimal hatching, simplified contrast, and bold colors.

This technique helps create a clear distinction between the cartoonish characters and the realistic background.

Step 6: Add Color and Contrast

Coloring your drawing is the fun part.

It reminds me of coloring in a coloring book. I’ve decided on a spring-like and vibrant color palette, with hues of bright pink, grey and blue. In my practice, I set up my flat color with a mix of using the lasso tool, clipping masks, and adding a reference layer. 

To add darker tones, specifically on the character, I use a specific technique in most of my drawings. I duplicate the layer with the flat colors and I apply a Gradient Map (Venice) to it.

Venice has nice cool undertones that can be seen in shadows in real life, and warmer tones that can come from nature lighting. 

On that same layer, I set the blend mode to "Multiply", reducing the opacity to 50%. I then select “Mask” to control the visibility of this layer. Using a black Dry Ink brush, I hid parts of the darker layer to reveal the lighter colors beneath. 

Finally, I used the lasso tool to select a specific area and the spectra brush to add some texture to the stone lions and shadows. These techniques add subtle highlights, making the scene feel more dynamic and lifelike.

The Final Result