A simple guide by @dakz.studios
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🎨
The goal: Make a simple, personalized illustration in Procreate out of your personal souvenirs with someone or for a special occassion. At the end of this tutorial you will have a high definition image ready to be printed on a tshirt or a tote bag or as a poster !
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1) What you need 🛠️
- An iPad or a tablet that supports Procreate
- An Apple Pencil (recommended)
- Procreate App (between 10-15 euros, or 13 USD)
- Basic Procreate knowledge
- Reference images
- 10-15 photos of the special items or moments you want to illustrate
- TIP: this is easier if they are objects or monuments or symbols rather than people !
2) How to make it (step by step) 🪜
Step 1 — Set up your canvas 👩🏾‍🎨
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Open Procreate and create a new canvas (with the “+” button on the top right)
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Click again on the “create custom canvas” button on the top right to personalize the dimensions (depending on what size surface you’d like your image to be printed on)
- A2: 4950 x 7020 pixels OR A3: 3508 x 4960 pixels
- DPI: 300

- Choose a background color (white or a soft neutral is easiest)
Step 2 — Choose color and style 🎨
- I recommend keeping the image monochromatic, so choose one color
- TIP: think ahead of the color of t-shirt or bag or background your illustration would be printed on
- You may use different brushes. I personally used the Pipeline brush in the Charcoal section for a chalky look. Other options may be :
- Monoline in the Calligraphy section for a clean marker line
- Dusky in the Pencil section for a sketch-like look
Step 3 — Create your border 🔳
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Create a new layer
- TIP : ALWAYS CHECK YOUR LAYERS: before drawing check you are always on the right layer. Trust me, you’ll regret having to redo everything because your layering wasn’t correct
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In Actions (wrench icon) → Canvas, toggle on the Drawing guide and then tap on Edit Drawing Guide. This will take you to the Drawing Guides screen.

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Tap the Symmetry button on the bottom of the screen.

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When you first open Symmetry, the Vertical Symmetry Guide is shown by default.
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Tap on the Quadrant option so the vertical AND the horizontal symmetry is on.
