Six Procreate Drawing Ideas

One of the concerns that I hear a lot from Procreate beginners is that they don’t know what to draw in Procreate. The Procreate iPad app is such a fabulous tool, but it can feel a little overwhelming to know where to start. If you’re looking for Procreate drawing ideas, you’ve come to the right place! In this post, I’ll share six different drawing ideas that you can come back to again and again any time you’re feeling stuck wondering what to draw in Procreate.

If you’re brand new to Procreate I have a couple of resources for you that will help you learn the fundamentals of the app. If you’d like to learn more about how to use Procreate, I walk through some of the basics in this blog post. And if you’re looking to get some hands-on experience with Procreate, I’d love to invite you to join me in my class, Procreate for Beginners. This class will walk you through all of the basics of Procreate in project-based lessons. And the best part? You can enroll in the class for free when you sign up for a free trial with Skillshare!

Enroll in Procreate for Beginners

Now let’s dive into the different drawing ideas!

Procreate Drawing Idea #1: Mandala

Some of my favorite things to illustrate in Procreate are mandalas! It’s one of my favorite ways to zone out creatively, and Procreate makes drawing mandalas super fun and simple! By using the Radial Symmetry tool with Drawing Assist, whatever you draw in one section of the screen gets repeated in all of the other segments to create a beautiful and perfectly symmetrical mandala.

If you want to learn my step-by-step process for drawing mandalas in Procreate, check out this post!

How to draw a mandala in Procreate

With mandalas, there is no limit to your creativity. This is a fabulous drawing technique for exploring different brushes and color palettes in Procreate. I know that color palettes can be another stumbling block when you’re just starting out with Procreate. If you want to take the guesswork out of creating color palettes, I’ve put together 10 custom palettes for you to use in your Procreate illustrations. These are great for mandalas, or any of the other Procreate drawing ideas in this post! You can snag these free color palettes here!

grab your free procreate color palettes

Procreate Drawing Idea #2: Monstera Leaf

Tropical motifs are always big sellers, and monsteras, in particular, are everywhere these days! Whenever I’m not sure what to draw, I always come back to greenery and tropical plants. In this blog post, I walk through the process of sketching a monstera leaf for watercolor painting. But if you want to learn how to draw one in Procreate, join me in my class, Procreate for Beginners, to learn how I drew this one in Procreate step-by-step.

Procreate Drawing Idea #3: Citrus Fruit

Another great motif to draw in Procreate is citrus fruit! This illustration may look like it was hand-painted, but I actually illustrated the whole thing in Procreate.

Citrus is a popular motif for surface designers, and the shapes are basic enough that it’s easy to draw no matter your level of experience. If you want to learn a simple technique for drawing citrus fruit in Procreate, this blog post will walk you through the process step-by-step. Plus you’ll learn some fun Procreate techniques like how to add texture to your illustrations!

Procreate Drawing Idea #4: Hand Lettering

Hand lettering is a great option for drawing in Procreate. There are so many unique brushes to use in Procreate and they can produce some beautiful hand lettering!

Lettered illustrations are popular in the art licensing world, but they’re also fabulous for hobby artists! Hand lettering is great for creating custom greeting cards for your friends and family, or even just sharing one of your favorite quotes on Instagram! Join me for a step-by-step tutorial on how to draw a hand-lettered quote in Procreate in this blog post.

the guide to hand-lettering in procreate

Procreate Drawing Idea #5: Animals

I love drawing animals, and Procreate is a fantastic medium for drawing them. Animal illustrations make up a big chunk of my portfolio, and I never run out of ideas for new animals to draw!

When I’m drawing animals I usually use a reference photo to make sure that I get the shape and proportion of the animal correct, and Procreate makes this process super easy. I’m able to pull the reference photo directly into my iPad and trace over it in Procreate to get an idea of the general shape I want to use.

If you want to learn more about illustrating animals in Procreate check out my class, Draw Animals in Procreate. In this class, I walk through tons of different Procreate techniques and you’ll leave the class knowing how to draw any animal you like! Here are just some of the animals that my students drew after taking this class.

Procreate Drawing Idea #6: Seamless Patterns

I saved the best for last! My absolute favorite types of illustrations to draw in Procreate are seamless patterns!

Seamless patterns (or repeat patterns) are a must if you want to become a surface designer. And even if you’re a hobby artist, creating seamless patterns is a fun and unique way to share your art. Plus, the options are endless when it comes to what kind of motifs you want to create. If you’re stuck wondering what kind of pattern to create, start with the basics - florals! Floral motifs will never go out of style, and they are a staple in the surface pattern design world.

If you’re totally new to pattern-making, I’ve got you covered! It may seem like an intimidating skill to learn but with a little practice, you’ll have it down in no time. Check out this blog post where I share a step-by-step guide to creating a seamless pattern in Procreate.

I hope that these six Procreate drawing ideas sparked your creativity and inspire you to whip something up on your iPad. I know that a blank canvas can feel intimidating, but I want to encourage you to pick one of these drawing ideas and just start creating. Even if what you make isn’t “perfect” you are still putting yourself out there and practicing a skill you feel passionate about. I always feel better after I’ve created something, and I have a feeling that you will too! I’d love to see what you draw in Procreate. Share your work on Instagram and tag me @catcoq so I can like and comment!

Happy drawing!

Looking for a deeper dive into learning Procreate?

I teach in-depth procreate tutorials in my classes. You'll learn new things to draw in Procreate and will get all my best Procreate tips and tricks. You can enroll in any of these classes for free when you sign up for a free trial with Skillshare!

Check out all of my Procreate Classes