The BEST way to create textured patterns in Procreate

(in just a few easy steps!)

Creating textured patterns in Procreate can seem like a daunting task.

Tell me if any of these scenarios sound familiar...

• You struggle to find a realistic brush to get the exact texture you’ve been trying to create.

• Getting a texture to repeat seamlessly is a time consuming (or even impossible!) task.

• You struggle to know exactly where to put the texture: Should it be on the background? On the foreground? Both?!

I get it! When I first started designing repeat patterns in Procreate I was desperate to incorporate some of the textures I saw other designers using in their patterns but I was totally at a loss as to how they did it!

I would spend soooooo long trying to create realistic textures, making brushes that didn’t turn out the way I wanted and creating background textures only to realise they didn’t repeat properly….

…sigh…

But what if I told you that achieving stunning, textured designs is easier than you think....? And actually with the tools I’m going to share with you it is totally within your grasp!

Hooray!

The solution to our texture trials - seamless texture overlays.

What is a seamless texture overlay?

A seamless texture overlay is a layer of texture that you place over your finished pattern to instantly add the texture you desire.

As the name suggests, it is already seamless so the hard work has been done for you, you don’t need to worry about making the texture repeat.

All you need to do is adjust the colour and the opacity to achieve the result you want.

No more spending hours trying to get your texture seamless!

No more frustrations trying to find or create realistic texture brushes!

How do texture overlays work?

You can use textured overlays in a few different ways - here are my three favourite methods from simplest to most complex!

Method 1

Below is a completed pattern I created recently. It is a simple pattern with just one background colour and one foreground colour.

When you initially import a texture overlay into Procreate it will look like the picture below. (But don’t worry, we’re not finished yet!)

For the simplest and quickest outcome you can put the overlay ('Linen 1') as the topmost layer of your canvas, then change the colour and opacity of the overlay to get a beautiful textured result.

In this example I have changed the colour to the same as the foreground pattern and I have reduced the opacity to 58% so the texture isn't overpowering.

Remember, you won’t need to spend any time making this texture seamless, it already repeats!

Here's another example with a slightly more complex pattern. I have added this 'Horizontal Thread 1' texture overlay onto the top layer in a slightly lighter colour than the background so it shows up over the whole pattern.

Method 2

If you’d like more control over how the texture shows up on the foreground and background of your pattern you can use the same overlay twice - once on the background and once as a clipping mask over the foreground. Then you can change the colour and opacity of each separately.

You can see here I have added the same 'Linen 1' overlay to the background and as a clipping mask over the foreground. I have chosen different colours and opacities for each so the texture will be visible.

Here's another example of a more complex pattern with a grainy texture overlay applied to the background and foreground separately.

Method 3

This final method is my favourite way to use overlays and although it takes a little more time, you can really take your textures to the next level!

With this method, you layer mulitple different overlays on top of each other to create a rich and varied texture across your pattern. I find the best way is to use the overlays separately on the background and foreground motifs as we did in the previous method to get the most control over how the textures look.

Take a look at this linen effect below. This has 4 unique overlays on the background and the same overlays on the foregound which are applied as a clipping mask. Each overlay is a slightly different colour and opacity to give the effect of real linen, which would have slight variations in thread colour.

If you're wondering how I choose the colours for each overlay, I often use the background or foreground colour as a starting point and using the colour wheel in Procreate I choose a colour that is slightly lighter or darker. A lot of it is just trying different things and seeing what looks good. There are so many variations, there's not a right or wrong!

This block print effect below is made up of two overlays - a block print texture to replicate a stamp effect and a speckled texture which gives the result you can see here. Both overlays are applied separately to the background and foreground pattern so that the colours of the textures can show through.

Where can I find these seamless texture overlays?

The good news is that I have collected my favourite textures - the ones I use in my patterns all the time - and made them into a set of 20 overlays which you can start using on your patterns straight away.

And the best thing?

The overlays come with a style guide for 5 of my favourite trending styles to try and the exact combination of overlays I have used to achieve each style. Both the linen and the block print texture overlays I have shown in the examples above are included in the pack along with lots of others!

Since I made these overlays I have had so much fun experimenting with them and the wonderful thing is that no two patterns turn out the same as there are so many variables. As the designer you have a lot of freedom to be artistic with these - choosing the exact colours to use and the opacity can give so many different effects!

If you have any questions about textures or overlays, feel free to drop a comment below.