Block Print Brushes & Patchwork in Procreate

1. Introduction & What You'll Learn: Let's create a beautiful patchwork like this in Procreate. Hi, I'm Vinita, an illustrator and a designer. In this class, I'll show you how to create block print inspired brushes in Procreate. We'll design two types of brushes. One is floral, and the second one is paisley. I'll guide you step by step from the initial sketch to the Procreate settings needed to create these brushes. Once your brushes are ready, I'll guide you on how to use them to create beautiful patchwork motifs. There are plenty of brushes and patchwork examples to inspire you, and to help you get started, I have also included a sketch and few color palettes. So see you in the class. 2. Project and Resouces: Your class project, you can create your own block print inspired brush, and once your brush is ready, you can use it to design a beautiful patchwork motif. This is a Pinterest board, the link of which I have included in the resource section of this class. I have saved plenty of ideas and inspiration for block print motifs here. You can explore a wide variety of motives and color combinations to give your design a more authentic and traditional feel. This is a flower motif, which is very similar to what we will be creating in the class. You can also find some paisley examples. While exploring, I came across some beautiful patchwork designs and patterns that inspired me to experiment with similar concepts. For example, like this patchwork design, where we can combine different patterns in a cohesive, beautiful artwork, for the project of this class, I will also guide you through creating a floral patchwork artwork. You'll also find a few process videos on the board that gives you a better understanding of how traditional block printing works, which can be really helpful for developing your own designs. To help you get started, I have a sketch and a color palette included. Before we begin, make sure to download them from the project and resource section of this class. 3. Creating Brushes - Flower: Let's start creating our block print inspired dual color brushes, for which we'll need a new canvas. For that, I'll tap on this plus sign, again on this tiny plus sign. We can keep the canvas as 3,000 by 3,000 pixel. With 300 DPI and tab done. Next, we can go to the Brush Library. Now with the updated version of Procreate, the brush library is organized into different sections, and each section can contain multiple brush sets. If you want to create a new library, you can tap on this plus icon and choose Create New library. But I want mine inside this library. So I'll tap here and tap on this plus icon again. Here you can see there are two options, create new brush, and the second one is create new set. For our block print, we need to create a new set first. I'll rename this as block print. And tap apply. Next to create a new brush. We'll start by first creating the shape. We need to illustrate the source shape. For that, we need a brush. So I'll go back, and I'll tap on this default Procreate library. Here under the pencil brush set, you can experiment with some of these pencil like brushes. But for now, I'll choose this brush named plan. Tap and select this brush and swipe left and tap duplicate. We can bring this brush dragon drop into the new brush set for the block print that we created because we'll need this brush to create the shape whenever we want to illustrate a new brush. Next, I want this brush to be slightly thicker, so I'll tap and open the settings and under properties, tap on properties. Here, under the maximum size, I'll increase the maximum size to around 50% and the minimum around 5%. And tap done. Next, we need to switch on our drawing guide. For that, I'll go to action. Under action, tap on Canvas. Here toggle on this option called Drawing Guide and tap on Edit Drawing Guide. You'll be able to see a few settings at the bottom, tap on symmetry. Next under options, I'll select quadrant. Under quadrant, make sure your rational symmetry is toggled on and tap done. Next, we can go to the color panel, and we need to select a jet black color. Make sure it is completely black. Next following the symmetry guideline, we can start illustrating our flow motif. A small and simple motif is often referred to as a Buti or a Buta depending on its size. Generally, Buti describes as a tiny delicate motif that is repeated across the fabric, while Buta usually refers to a slightly larger version of the same motif. While I'm illustrating this flower, I am also referring to a variety of traditional block print motifs. I'm mainly looking at them for inspiration for the shapes as well as the way the wooden blocks are carved, which helps guide the overall structure of the motif. I Next, we need to add a new layer below this flower layer. For that, well tap on this plus icon, pull this layer below our flower layer. Each time you add a new layer, you need to switch on the drawing assist for that layer. On this layer we'll create another layer of flour that will appear like an outline in the brushtroke. This also gives the design a very traditional block print vibe. Create an outline around this flour. Make sure it is not too close to the flour. We need to fill this outline with completely black colour. I'll start. Now let's hide our first layer, the flour layer so we can easily fill this. The more texture you keep in the strokes, the more handmade the final brush will look. A Now when you go to layers, there should be one with the flour and the second one with the flour base. Now our next step is to select both the layers and group them, swipe left and duplicate this group, hide the first group, and open the second one. Here we'll add a new layer. Make sure this new layer is inside the group. Now we'll fill this layer with any mid tone color. Okay. I'll select this bright pink, drag and drop into this layer. Go to layers and reduce the opacity to around 50%. So now you should have three layers in this group, one with the color fill layer, and the other two are the flower layers. Next, I'll close this group and duplicate this three times. So in total, you should have four of these groups. Hide all the groups except for the first one. Now we'll select this group under selection, make sure uniform is selected. Under uniform, snapping, her magnetic and snapping should be on Togo on these options. Now we can hold this group and drag in one corner until it snaps and you can see these golden lines vertically and horizontally, and will repeat the same for the other three groups too. Hold and drag to the second corner until you see the golden lines hide the third group, hold and drag to the third corner. Now the last group, the fourth one. I'll unhide my center flower too. Now we'll open each group and we need to delete the colorful layers, the pink layers, swipe left and delete all of them. Now our next step is to select all the flower layers, the first layer in each group, select all of them, and we'll drag them out of the group. So we have them all in one layer. I'll pinch and merge them. And I'll pinch and merge all the other groups. Make sure that is only the one that we split, the corner ones. Don't merge the center for now. Next, hide the flour based layers. Your canvas should look like this with only the first layers of the flour. Now, let's copy the canvas. For that, we'll tap on this wrench icon menu under add, tap on copy canvas. Now let's move on to creating our first brush. For that, we'll go to the brush library. Here we'll tap on this tiny plus sign. And tap on Create New Brush. This will open all the settings we need to create a new brush. We'll start with the first option that is stroke path. For now to start with, we can start typing 32%. You can adjust this later, go to shape, edit, Import and source library. Here we'll select the medium hard brush and tap Okay. Next we'll move to grain. That's where we need to paste our pattern, for that we'll go to edit, import, and paste. Now, to invert this image, we'll tap with two finger on this image and tap done. Next we'll reduce the Zoom as none. Scroll down. Here we'll toggle off this option called offset hitter. Here in this section, you can also experiment with the option movement and scale. For now, we can keep the scale as 25%. Next, we can move to rendering. Here we'll keep the mode as uniform glaze. Next undercolor dynamic Under stroke color jitter, I'll keep the secondary color as 100%, under color pressure, keep the saturation as 100%, brightness as 100%, and secondary color as 100% too. Next, under Apple Pencil, keep the opacity as none. Next under properties, we can increase the brush size. We can increase the minimum size to around 12 and the maximum to around one 50%. And tap, okay. Now to create the second part of this brush, we'll duplicate this brush. For that, swipe left and tap duplicate. Now before we tap on the second brush, let's copy our shape. I'll hide both the flour layer and unhide the flour second layer, the base that we created. Now we can move on to the wrench icon menu under add we'll copy canvas. We'll go back to the brush, tap on the second brush. Here under grain, we'll go to grain. Edit, import, and paste. This will paste our shape from the canvas and tap, okay. Next setting that we need to change for this brush is undercolor dynamics. We'll keep everything as none. So all the settings we did for the first brush will move everything to 0% and tap done. Now we need to combine these brushes. Make sure the flower brush is selected first, and then the base one, the second one, and tap on combine. Now we have our first brush ready here. Let's try this on the canvas. Now, for this, we need to select a primary and a secondary color. So I'll select a lighter shade of pink. And for the dark, I'll select a darker shade of pink. Let's try with the light pink as a primary first. And this is what our final brush looks like. Let's try the darker as the primary. Just select the dark color and it becomes your primary you can see compared to the first one, the colors are inverted, the darker becomes the lighter and the light becomes the dark. Now, another setting I want to show you is to change how the brush looks in your preview. I'll tap on this brush and under preview, you can change the size you can see here it's changing the size. It's going to show you how it is going to look in your brush set. Now, to rename this brush, I'll go back to my library. Here, hold on this brush, and you'll get this option called rename and you can rename your brush. For example, I'm going to rename this as block print one or maybe Buta one or a flower one. I'll keep mine as Buti one as this is a very tiny flower and tap apply. So we are done with our first brush here. Let's move on to the second one in the next lesson. 4. Creating Brushes - Paisley: Now for the second brush, let's start by adding a new layer. Next from the color panel, we'll select a black color. Make sure this is completely black, and we need to select our plan brush. I'll start by roughly drawing a paisley shape. This will work more like a guideline. This is not our final shape. Next, I'll reduce the opacity of this layer to around 50% and we'll add a new layer on top of this layer. And I'll start illustrating my final motif. Here you can customize the shape of the paisley in so many different ways. There are plenty of examples in the Pinterest bow two, or you are also welcome to follow my illustration here in the class two. The symmetry option is still unable on this canvas, but it won't work for this layer unless you turn it on here as well. And Once you're ready with your final motif, we can go back and delete the guideline paisley shape. Or you can also clear that layer, tap on that layer and tap clear. Make sure you make the opacity as 100% again. Same like we did for the first one. Here, too, I'm going to first create an outline and then fill it with the black color. I'll hide my first paisley layer before I start filling the outline. Before we move on to the next step, let's organize the layers first. I'm going to add all the layers from the first brush into one group and close this group so there is no confusion. Next, I'll select both the paisley layer, which is for the second brush and group them. So next we need to add an outline on the second layer of this motif. Keep the outline slightly rough and chunky so that it can have this hand drawn feel to it. Yeah And here we are done with the second layer of our paisley motif. Now our next step is to split this motif. Now you should have two layers in this group. I'll close this group, and we need to duplicate this, swipe left and duplicate. I'll hide my first layer, open the second one, add a new layer inside this group, select a mid tone color, dragon drop this color on this layer, reduce the opacity of this colorful layer to around 50%. Close this group and duplicate this group three times. So in total, you should have four groups. Next I'll hide all the groups except for the first one. Select this group. Under uniform, snapping, make sure your magnetic snapping is on. Drag this group in one corner until it snaps and you can see these golden lines. We'll repeat this for all the other three groups too. You have to make sure that they are not overlapping, and when it snaps, you can see the golden lines vertically and horizontally. Once you're done, we'll open each group and delete the colorful layers. Next, we can select all the first layers of the paisley motif, hold and drag them out of the group, pinch and merge them. Next, pinch and merge the remaining group, which is the base, the second layer of the motif. This step is optional, but you can select the center paisley group, and we can flip this motif horizontally. For that, we'll select this group and you'll get this option called flip horizontal. This is just a tip and we'll create a little variation in the pattern. Next, add a new layer. Make sure this layer is below all the paisley motif layers. Select the jet black color, select your pilon brush, and we'll create a background around this motif. I'll just start filling in with this brush. Now we are ready to paste our paisley shape into the brush settings. We'll start with the first layer of our paisley shape. I'll unhide my layers first. This is what your canvas should look like. Next, we can copy our canvas. For that, we'll tap on our wrench icon menu here under ad, I'll copy Canvas. Go to our brush library. Here I'll swipe left and duplicate our first brush. Tap and open our first brush. Here under grain, edit, import, and paste. Tap okay. Make sure you're pasting this on the first brush. Next, we'll unhide the second part of our brush, the base that we created. So before you copy the canvas, make sure your screen looks like this. Go to your wrench icon menu under add copy canvas. We'll go back to the brush, tap on the first brush. Here, make sure your second brush is selected. Here under grain, edit, import, and paste and tap done. Again, tap done. Now let's try this brush on the canvas. Before we try, I'll add all the layers from the second brush into one groove. I'll add a new layer and we can select a primary and a secondary color. I'll select a darker and a lighter shade of purple. And this is what the brush looks like with light as the primary color. And let's invert the color. I think I want the purple to be more lighter. This is what our final brush looks like. Another example you can create using the same paisley motif is without the background. Let's invert the color with dark as the primary. Now let's see the brush that we just created with the background. You can easily see what is the difference. So you can create two different types of brush with the same motif. Now, another example I want to show you how you can quickly create a different brush with the same motif. I'll go back to the flower shape that we created in the previous lesson. I'll unhide the base layers that we created under the flower. Next, I'll add a new layer, select the jet black color. Select Pelon rush. Next, we need to switch on the drawing assist for this layer. For that, we'll tap on this layer and tap drawing assist. I'll quickly fill in the background because we already had our drawing assist, the symmetry on this canvas. It will not take much time to fill this. For this brush, the only canvas we need to paste is this. I'll copy this canvas. Go to the brush library. I'll duplicate our first brush, the one with the flour motif on it, tap and open the brush setting. Now, select the second brush here, go to grain, edit, import, and paste, and tap done. Done again, now let's try this on the canvas. I'll try this with a darker and a lighter shade of yellow. You can see the difference between both the brushes here, one with the background, and the other one without the background. Now that our brushes are ready, let's see if you artwork that can be created with these brushes. 5. More Examples Brushes: In this lesson, I'll walk you through a few examples of block print inspired brushes I have created, and I'll also show you the pattern that has been used to build each of them. Let's start with the first brush. Here I have used yellow as my primary color and white as my secondary. I'll zoom in so you can see the pattern clearly. The same brush with a darker color. Let's go to the brush setting to see what the pattern looks like. Under the green section, this is what the first brush looks like. Let's see the second one, and this is what the base looks like. Let's move on to the second brush. This is very similar to what we have created in the class. Let's quickly see what the brush looks like in the setting. This is one of my most favorite and the simplest, also very similar to what we have created in the class. I'll skip the pattern for this one because it is exactly what we did in the class. Let's move on to the fourth one. Originally, this is a dual color brush, but I'm using brown and white. Let's see what the brush looks like in the settings. Here I have used a textured brush to erase the motif slightly so that it can have this uneven feel to it. Let's see. The second brush This is slightly different from other brushes. Let's see, the pattern I used to create this in the settings. This is paisley, again, very similar to what we created in the class. It's just different angle of the motif. I hope these examples have sparked ideas and inspired you to start creating your own collection of block print brushes. The last example. And this is what it looks in the settings. This is the first shape. Let's see the base layer, and this is the second one. 6. Floral Patchwork & Examples: Download the flower sketch and open in Procreate, you will be able to find in the Procreate gallery here. I have renamed this file as patchwork flower, tap and open this file, and this is what the sketch looks like. Now, when you go to layers, the first layer is the sketch layer, and I have placed each of these petals on a separate layer, and each layer has a separate clipping mask on them. I'll be adding patterns to these petals using brushes from my library, including the examples I shared in the previous lesson. We can start by selecting a primary and a secondary color. I have included three different color palette in this class. One of them features three different shades of blue. Whenever you're adding a pattern, make sure it is on the clipping mask layer. I'm planning to keep this flower within a limited palette of indigo shades. So each time I choose a pattern, I stick to those tones. I'll keep this lesson short and share a few tips you can follow while creating any patchwork artwork. Start with a simple pase shape like this floral artwork to guide your overall composition. Break the artwork into sections so each area can showcase a different pattern. Use a limited color palette to keep the design cohesive, even with multiple patterns. Mix light and dark tones to create contrast and visual depth. Alternate between dense and minimal patterns to avoid visual clutter. Repeat a few pattern styles across different section to tie the artwork together. You can add leaves or petal extensions to break the rigid patchwork grid and create flow. Don't aim for perfection. Slightly imperfect artwork can enhance the handmade block print feel. So this is what my final artwork looks like. If you want the flower to look more defined, you can also add outline to each petal. Like, for example, I have done here. If I zoom in, you can see I have added this white outline. This is another version of the same artwork with a different color palette. I also have this early brown palette in the resource section. You can experiment with different color palettes and pattern combinations to create a variety of looks. You can also try exploring unique shapes beyond flowers like birds, animals, or even abstract forms. This helps you develop your own style and make your artwork more diverse and creative. 7. Final Thoughts: And that's all for this class. You have learned how to create a block print inspired pattern brush, along with tips and tricks for designing a patchwork artwork. With plenty of examples to guide you, you now have everything you need to start creating your own brushes and unique patchwork designs. I can't wait to see your beautiful brushes and artwork in the project section of this class. You can follow me on Skillshare to get notified when I publish a new class. If you have any questions or doubt regarding the class, you can post in the discussion section of this class. Your feedback through reviews helps me improve and plan my future classes. You can also follow me on Instagram for some behind the scenes and inspirations. Thank you for taking this class with me. See you in my next class.