How to create a block print pattern in Procreate
- jasminehnatkova
- 22 hours ago
- 6 min read
The Pattern Trend Series: Post 1
Welcome to the first post in a brand new blog series!
Over the next few posts we're going to be exploring some key trending pattern styles.
I'm hoping this series will give you plenty of inspiration and some new styles to try that you can add to your portfolio or Spoonflower shop.
It will be packed with actionable tips, techniques to try in Procreate, and plenty of resources to get you inspired and experimenting. (I can hardly wait!)
My hope is that you walk away from each post with something new to try and a renewed excitement for your next project.
Let’s dive into the first style: block printing - a beautiful and traditional artistic craft that translates so well into digital pattern design.
What is Block Printing?
Block printing is an ancient craft that has stood the test of time. It still remains a trending style of art today. (My block print fish is consistently one of my best sellers in my Spoonflower shop!)
Traditionally an artist would carve an image onto a block and then using ink, press the carving onto a surface such as fabric or paper.
Sometimes multiple blocks were used, each with a slight variation, so that different colours could be layered on top of each other.
Many cultures of the world have their own block printing traditions and it is fascinating to do a bit of research into these specific traditions if you’re wanting to take more of a deep dive into this topic!
Gathering Inspiration
Before getting started with some specific techniques I have gathered a few sources of inspiration for you as you think about this style.
It’s always good to take a look at the original art form before replicating it digitally and in this Pinterest board I have curated a selection of beautiful block print art.
Block Print Inspired Spoonflower Challenge (December 2023)
Floral Block Prints Spoonflower Challenge (April 2025)
The second and third sources of inspiration come from two Spoonflower design challenges that focused on the block print style.
A Spoonflower Design Challenge guarantees that there is a market for this style of art as the Spoonflower team looks carefully at what is currently trending and selling when they create their Design Challenge themes.
Take a good look through these sources of inspiration, making a note of any styles or motifs that particularly inspire you.
How to create patterns in the block print style.
There are many different approaches to creating block print artwork in Procreate.
Recently I created a whole collection using a block print effect and you can see I have used a number of different layouts and motifs in the patterns I’ve created.
Here are a few key techniques and ideas to get you started with creating block print art in Procreate
Use a Textured Drawing Brush
Block print art is necessarily ‘imperfect’
In its original form the block would be carved by hand and then pressed into ink.
With this kind of process there will always be slight imperfections. The texture won’t be consistent, there will be gaps and wobbly lines and perhaps even smudges of ink here and there. This is what makes this type of art unique and beautiful.
Think about how you can replicate these features in Procreate.
One way is to choose a brush that has texture built into it so when you draw it doesn’t come out with a perfect solid line. (Don't use a smooth monoline!)
The Textured Drawing Brush from my free brush pack would work nicely for this.
You could also create your motifs with slightly uneven edges or wobbly lines to replicate the carved pattern on the block which would never be smooth and perfect. (say goodbye to your smooth monoline brush for this project!)
Experiment with repeatable motifs
Often block print patterns are made from repeatable, tesselating motifs that fit together perfectly.
Take this image as an example. The artist in this image has used a scallop shaped stamp and carved a simple floral motif inside. When stamped next to each other, each scallop tesselates perfectly to create a seamless repeat.
To replicate this in Procreate you will need to use a pattern layout template that tessellates.
I have three free tessealting templates you can download to help you get going with this style.
Once you have imported the templates into a new canvas in Procreate, simply fill the template with a simple block print motif and create your repeat!
You can see below I have used the scallop template for my block print floral motif here.
It is so simple and uncomplicated but can be very striking to create a simple motif in a tesselating shape.
Use a limited colour palette
If you take a look at some of the art in the inspiration section above, you’ll notice that block print art often has a very limited palette. Sometimes there are just one or two colours used.
In the original craft, colours would have been layered on top of each other with a separate block for each colour.
This means that each section of a motif you draw in Procreate won’t have shading or gradients, it will be one solid colour (perhaps with slightly lighter or darker patches where you add the texture - more about texture below!)
For those of you would love to add plenty of details or lots of shading this may be a challenge, but the simplicity of this style is what makes it so striking.
Replicate the carved lines with the eraser.
The detail and form of each motif in block print art is created by the absence of colour rather that the addition of it.
In the original craft, carved indents would have been made to form the shape. As these indents don’t touch the surface when the block is pressed down, there will be no ink on these parts, meaning the form of the shape is visible.
We can replicate this really easily in Procreate using the eraser tool.
You can see what I mean by looking at this example of a block print lobster and shell pattern I created below.
To replicate this in Procreate simply ink your shape and use the eraser to create the details!
If you want to see this being done take a look at this Instagram Reel. Here I am using the eraser tool to create the details in the whales and the leaves.
Add texture to give it an authentic look
Authentic block print art has a slightly weathered texture as the block will never give you a clean perfect print. You also may find little specks of ink where the block hasn’t come away cleanly.
This is a really beautiful aspect of this kind of art and again something that you can replicate very effectively in Procreate with different texture brushes.
However, the easiest way to achieve this textured look in Procreate is through applying a seamless texture overlay, or a number of overlays to get an authentic block print feel.
Seamless overlays allow you to add an all-over texture to a completed pattern just with a few taps. You don’t need to worry about the repeat line as the overlays have already been made into a repeat. Simply layer the textures over the top to get a beautiful textured result.
If you have bought my pack of seamless texture overlays you already have everything you need! Once you have finished your pattern add the ‘Block Print’ overlay and the ‘Speckled 2’ overlay, both to the background and to the foreground to get the block print look.
Click on the image below to learn more about the texture overlays and how they can help you create some stunning effects in your patterns!
Take a look at a few block print patterns I have created using the seamless texture overlays below.
So here ends the first post in the Pattern Trend Series. I hope it has inspired you to have a go at this beautiful style.
Stay tuned for the next post in the series where we'll take a close look at another trending pattern style for you to have a go at.
Let me know if you have any thoughts or question in the comments section below! (Or if there are any other specific styles you'd like to see in this series!)