What if I'm not good at drawing?
- jasminehnatkova
- Jun 26
- 5 min read
Overcoming Challenges in Surface Pattern Design: Part 2
One of the biggest challenges we face as surface pattern designers (or aspiring surface pattern designers) is the feeling that we simply aren't very good at drawing.
Perhaps you've looked at the work of other designers and thought, 'I'll never be able to draw like that.' Or maybe you've found yourself avoiding certain ideas because you're worried your drawing skills aren't up to the task.
It's easy to compare ourselves to artists whose illustrations seem effortless and polished. Social media doesn't help either as it's often filled with finished pieces rather than the countless sketches, mistakes, and years of practice that came before them.
The good news is that being a successful surface pattern designer doesn't mean you have to be a master illustrator. In fact, many beautiful and commercially successful patterns are built from simple motifs and a consistent style rather than highly detailed artwork.
Drawing is a skill that can be developed over time, and there are plenty of ways to create strong motifs even if you don't feel confident in your drawing abilities yet.
In this post, I'll share some practical tips to help you overcome the drawing hurdle and create motifs with more confidence.
Go simple
Firstly, keep it simple. If you take a look through my portfolio you’ll see there aren’t many complicated motifs, I tend to keep things simple. (You won’t find me drawing many horses… or people…)
Sometimes simple motifs drawn well can be more effective than complicated motifs that aren’t drawn well.
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is trying to draw every detail they can see. Surface pattern motifs are often viewed at a small scale and repeated many times, so complexity isn't always an advantage.
Below you can see one of my more detailed patterns (which forms part of my third collection for Cloud9 Fabrics) and even here I have stuck to very simple motifs such as a notebook and pencil!
Take photos and trace images
Drawing from imagination is a skill that can take years to develop, so make use of all the tools your design software has to offer, such as using a reference image.
As long as you are not tracing other artists' work or other copyrighted material, there is nothing wrong with tracing round images (everyone does!!).
Take your own photos whenever possible. You could photograph flowers in your garden, interesting leaves on a walk, or objects around your home. If you can't find what you're looking for you can use photos on royalty free sites such as Unsplash or Pixabay.
In Procreate there are two ways to use a reference image. Firstly you can import your reference photo into your canvas, adjust it to the correct scale, reduce the opacity and then on a new layer trace over the top.
Alternatively you can go up to the spanner icon, tap 'canvas' toggle 'reference' on, tap 'image' and then import the image from your camera roll. A little reference box will now appear separate to your canvas so you can look at it while working.
If you’re interested in this idea of using reference images, there is a lesson on how to do this in my Procreate Patterns class.
You can see a screenshot below of how I have used a picture of a bird from Pixabay to help me form the outline of the birds in this pattern sketch,
Practise drawing separately from making patterns
Surface pattern design is a form of art that actually encompasses many separate skills, and one of these skills is drawing or illustration.
That's why it's so important to practise your illustrations separately from making patterns, as it's an important skill in its own right!
The more you draw, the easier it will be when you come to draw your motifs in a pattern and the more familiar you will be with your own style and preferences.
Here are some ways to incorporate drawing practice into your creative process:
Carry a sketchbook with you for moments you need to fill (better than scrolling!)
Take a class on illustration.
Experiment with different styles and brushes in Procreate.
Build a personal motif library of all the things you've drawn that you like. Then when you're stuck for ideas you can browse your own library and find things you are confident to draw.
Set yourself small drawing challenges. For example, draw 10 different leaves, 20 flowers, or a page of simple birds.
Redraw the same subject in multiple ways. Try realistic, stylised, geometric, and minimalist versions to discover what feels most natural to you.
Make sketches before inking your designs
If you've taken either of my surface pattern design classes, you'll know that I'm a huge fan of the sketch layer!
When I first started designing patterns, I thought sketching out a pattern beforehand was a waste of time. I was eager to jump straight into creating polished motifs and adding colour. But the more I've developed as a designer, the more time I spend refining my sketches before I even think about inking.
A sketch layer gives you the freedom to experiment without commitment. At this stage, you're not worrying about perfect illustrations, you're simply exploring ideas. You can focus on the size, shape, and placement of your motifs and start to see how they'll work together as a complete pattern.
Sketching also makes it much easier to work from reference images. You can bring in photos, trace basic shapes if needed, simplify details, and adjust proportions before spending time creating your final artwork. It's far easier to move, resize, rotate, or replace a rough sketch than a fully inked motif!
Once your finished sketch is in place, you can spend time on the style and colours of the motifs without worrying about everything fitting together in repeat. It's about focusing on one thing at a time!
If you're interested in a deeper dive into how to use a sketch layer I wrote a detailed blog post on it a while back: The secret power of the sketch layer.
My two Procreate classes also have lessons on how to sketch your pattern before inking:
Focus on developing a consistent style
I know this is easier said than done (we all long for that 'signature style' so people can recognise our work), but focusing on developing a consistent style is more important than having a 'perfect illustration technique'.
If you study the styles of successful surface pattern designers, you'll notice that all sorts of illustration styles can work. Even very simplified, stylised illustration styles can become part of a successful portfolio.
So don't worry if your style is simplified or even 'childish'. You can make it work! Focus on using the same style across all your work so your patterns look unified.
You can make motifs look cohesive by:
using similar line weights
using the same brushes
adding similar levels of detail to each motif
using similar proportions
Ultimately, a cohesive style gives your work personality, and that's what people are far more likely to remember than flawless drawing skills!
Ready to learn more?
If you're interested in diving further into this topic, both my Procreate classes cover the issues I have touched on in this blog post such as finding and using reference images and drawing motifs in a pattern.
