How I Started With Procreate Without Feeling Overwhelmed
When I first began exploring surface pattern design, I didn’t have a fancy setup or years of experience with Adobe programs. What I had was my iPad—and one app that changed everything: Procreate.
Discovering Procreate
For those who aren’t familiar, Procreate is a digital drawing app made for the iPad. It’s light, intuitive, and powerful enough for professional work, but simple enough for beginners to dive into without fear. Unlike Photoshop or Illustrator, which can feel overwhelming at first, Procreate feels like opening a sketchbook: you pick a brush and start drawing.
When I first opened it, I remember being surprised at how natural it felt. Double-tap with two fingers to undo, pinch to zoom, swipe between brushes—it was playful, almost like drawing in a paper notebook. My first attempts at patterns inside Procreate were far from perfect, but they felt fun and approachable.
Why Procreate Matters for Surface Pattern Design
For surface pattern designers, especially beginners, Procreate has some huge advantages:
Quick sketching: capture ideas on the spot without overthinking.
Easy experimentation: change colors, brushes, and textures in seconds.
Layer system: simple and visual, great for building repeats.
Export options: save as PNG or PSD to finish work later in Illustrator or Photoshop.
Portability: design anywhere—on the couch, at a café, or while traveling.
I started with nothing but this app and my curiosity. Later, when I finally learned Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, those skills helped me polish and prepare patterns for professional use. But without Procreate, I might never have taken the first step at all.
Learning Through Skillshare
Most of my early knowledge came from Skillshare classes. I took short lessons on brushes, layers, and repeat patterns, and it gave me confidence to keep going. It also connected me to other artists experimenting just like me.
Skillshare made Procreate less intimidating—learning in small chunks meant I didn’t feel like I had to master everything at once.
By the way here are my Skillshare classes using Procreate and you can check them out here:
Learn to Make Custom Brushes in Procreate for Beginners
Procreate for the “Freedom Designer”
Another reason I still recommend Procreate is because it fits perfectly with what I call a “freedom designer” mindset. Not everyone wants to work with big brands, follow strict briefs, or chase clients. Some of us simply want to create, upload our art, and let it live on products through POD (print-on-demand) platforms.
For that kind of independent path, Procreate is ideal. It’s affordable, doesn’t require a complicated setup, and gives you the freedom to design on your own terms. With just an iPad and Procreate, you can sketch in bed, refine ideas on the go, and upload directly to platforms like Redbubble, Society6, or Spoonflower.
That’s why I believe Procreate is more than just a tool. For independent designers who value creativity and freedom, it’s a way to keep art playful, flexible, and truly yours.
✨ Looking back, I don’t regret starting with Procreate. It may not have been perfect, but it was simple, fun, and it opened the door to everything I do today in surface pattern design.
