How to make a William Morris Style Pattern in Procreate
- jasminehnatkova
- 4 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
The Pattern Trend Series: Part 3
Weclome to PART THREE of the Pattern Trend Series!
So far we’ve explored block print art and retro florals, and I’ve absolutely loved seeing the amazing patterns you’ve been creating along the way.
This time, we’re diving into a style that’s truly stood the test of time; the beautiful, detailed world of William Morris and the Arts and Crafts Movement.
As surface pattern designers, we owe a lot to William Morris. His work helped shape the foundations of decorative design, showing us that patterns can be both artistic and functional.
Why should you have a go at designing in this style?
You may be thinking that the style of William Morris is too hard, or beyond you as a designer. I certainly have that feeling when looking at his work!
However, as artists, a great way to learn is to study the work of those who have gone before, and there is so much we can learn from the artists of the Arts and Crafts Movement.
The goal isn’t to replicate Morris’ work exactly, but to draw inspiration from his style and incorporate elements into your own creative voice.
Whether it’s the natural motifs, the intricate layouts, or the muted colour palettes, you can take what resonates with you and make it your own.
So, even if you're feeling a bit intimidated by this surface pattern genius - just have a go! Take a few steps to incorporating some of the key features into your patterns and you may surprise yourself by finding a new style you really enjoy!
In this post, we’ll be looking at:
As always, there will be lots of practical tips and links to resources to help you so you can get started on your own William Morris-style pattern right away!
Think rich florals, flowing vines, earthy colours, and beautifully intricate repeats.
What is the Arts and Crafts Movement?
William Morris led the way in the the Arts and Crafts Movement, which began in Britain in the late 1800s as a reaction to the rise of industrial mass production.
At its core, it was all about bringing back the beauty of handmade craftsmanship and celebrating nature, detail, and good design.
In a way I can’t help comparing this to our own situation as artists in 2025 when AI art is on the rise and as surface pattern designers and artists we are seeking to continue to champion hand created designs for the market!
William Morris' intricate patterns and love of natural forms helped define the look of the movement but he was joined by many other artists such as John Henry Dearle, Voysey and May Morris (William's daughter who was a brilliant designer in her own right!)
Gathering Inspiration
I have a curated a few key places you can find inpsiration for this style:
This challenge doesn't focus specifically on the Arts and Crafts Movement, but a lot of artists chose to replicate this style!
The complete Pattern Directory (Affiliate link: I’ve linked to the book on Amazon. If you buy through this link, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you - thanks!)
If you haven't already got this book it's a great one to invest in (or put on your Christmas list!) It is full to the brim of gorgeous patterns but has a large selection from William and May Morris, and other Arts and Craft designers.
V&A Postcards (Affiliate link: I’ve linked to the postcards on Amazon. If you buy through this link, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you - Thanks!)
This is a grogeous set of 100 postcards, all featuring patterns from the Arts and Crafts era. I can't recommend this highly enough. I couldn't possibly post them to anyone, they are all too beautiful to part with, but they are great for getting ideas for motifs, compositions and colour palettes.
5 Key features of William Morris Patterns
And how to replicate them in Procreate!
Composition
Whilst William Morris' patterns may look highly complicated and difficult to replicate, many of them actually use a very basic symmetrical base which we can easily replicate with a tesselating template in Procreate.
Take a look at two of his symmetrical patterns below.
You can replicate this type of pattern composition using a template layout in Procreate. If you haven't already used one of these you can download this free pack of three templates to get you started.
All you need to do is turn on the symmetry function in Procreate and create within the template. Then build your repeat! You can see how I have done this with a William Morris inspired pattern below.
Filler Elements
Most of William Morris' patterns are extremely dense. Often there is very little negative space, with tightly packed elements and overlapping leaves and branches.
However, when he does have open space he often fills this space with filler elements such as dots and dashes. You can see two examples of this below.
I have always enjoyed filling negative design space in patterns with dots and dashes, and it's a great technique to try to add some extra depth to any pattern.
Texture
Many of Morris' patterns actually started their life as block print on paper, so they are full of natural textures, uneven lines and little imperfections.
So, choose a brush that has a texture, and make sure you fill colour sections manually rather than use the Procreate fill tool!
The Textured Drawing Brush from my free brush pack would work well for this, but anything that doesn't have a smooth edge would work. You'll be able to find plenty in the new Procreate bursh library.
Give yourself permission to not be perfect!
You can see below the design process of one of his patterns, which is created in pencil, pen and ink.
There was no opportunty back then to use the 'undo' button that we have in Procreate!
A focus on Nature
William Morris took endless inspiration from the natural world.
His patterns are filled with flowers, curling vines, leafy branches, and the occasional bird nestled among the foliage.
Some key trends to note:
His motifs are very stylised. This means they are not photo realistic - they are a representation of what he has seen. Take a look at the patterns below. The birds and flowers in these patterns are far from being realistic representations of the actual thing.
This is great news for us as designers as it means we don't have to be stuck making everything look exactly as it does in real life!
His style is flowing and organic. Try making a study of the flowers or leaves in his patterns. It took me ages to get the hang of creating flowing, curling leaves, but once I'd done it a number of times, I was getting the hang of it, and it's now a style I can take into many different types of patterns.
Colour Palette
William Morris favoured earthy, muted palettes, often with striking dark backgrounds, which made the foreground colours pop.
He also used monochrome palettes effectively as you can see in the patterns below, where he chose some lighter hues.
Monochrome patterns are underrated, but can be very striking and can also make great blender patterns for your pattern collections
What I love about the one on the right is that it is so simple! No extra shading or intricate details, just beautiful organic shapes in one colour!
Creating your own William Morris style pattern
I hope I've been able to demystify some of the more complex design techniques William Morris used and given you the confidence to give this style a go!
The most important thing to remember is that you don’t need to follow every element rigidly.
You’re the artist!
Take what inspires you and weave it into your own creative style. Maybe that’s the symmetry, the colour palette, or just the love of nature at the heart of it all.
Patterns in the Arts and Crafts style are still in high demand across many creative industries, from home decor to stationery and fabric design. So incorporating even a touch of this timeless style could be a great addition to your portfolio and a rewarding creative challenge too.
Are you feeling inspired to try a William Morris inspired pattern? Or maybe you’ve already created something in this style - tell me about it in the comments! I’d love to know which elements you’re excited to explore or how you might make this style your own.
Keen to learn more?
My Procreate Patterns Class takes you through the basics of creating repeating patterns in Procreate using a template and in this class we make a symmetrical pattern similar to William Morris!
