Procreate is an App that is on the Apple Ipad. We really love how powerful this App is and how it can be used to design Home Decor Accessory Product Designs.
We have outlined 10 easy steps to help you design home decor accessory products in Procreate. If you follow these 10 basic steps then you can design some great home decor accessories by using the Procreate app.
You can also watch our video to see how we design a mirror using Procreate. You can view it by clicking on the link below.
Each of the 10 steps is listed below in the order of what we do when we are looking to design a new Home Decor Accessory item.
Step 1 – Find The Shape You Want to Modify
One of the easiest ways to work with Procreate is that you find the shape that you want to modify for your design. We do not copy these shapes but we will use them as a guide for us to do our own design.
This is really a great part of Procreate in that you can easily modify any shape in the Procreate app. This helps you to cut down on the time you need to design sometimes completely from scratch.
Also if you have a design in your collection you want to modify, you can just import that design or a photo of that design. Procreate makes it very easy to change and modify designs you already.
Step 2 – Select a Canvas Size
Once you have found the photo or shape you want to modify, you are ready to select the screen size on Procreate. I will normally use the screen size canvas, but you can decide if you want a specific canvas size or if the screen size is enough for you. Procreate will offer to you a variety of canvas sizes.
You can find the canvas sizes by pressing the plus button at the top of the Procreate gallery. A menu will drop down that will give you all the sizes that Procreate has to offer for their canvas sizes.
If you do not find the size that you need, Procreate also allows you to set a custom size for any canvas size you need. I have found in most of my designing work that the screen size usually worked fine for what I need. But you can decide what is best for your own design needs.
Step 3 – Import Photo
Now that you have decided on your canvas size, you are ready to import the photos on to your canvas. You will see that there is already a background layer. This background layer will remain the background layer for the design.
The default color of the background layer is white, but if you want to change it, you can change it to another color. I have had to change the background color a few times to a light grey color if I am working with a white design. But you can decide the best color for your own background color.
Import the photo of the shape you want to modify as a photo into Procreate. If you look at the layers you will see that it has already automatically gone onto the 2nd layer.
Step 4 – Adjust The Size Of The Photo
You can now adjust the size of the photo as it in Procreate and on your canvas. To adjust the size of the photo do the following:
- Make sure you are on the right layer – To adjust the size for the photo you must make sure you are working on the correct layer. You can only adjust things in Procreate on the layer you are actually on.
- Press the blue arrow button – To be able to adjust or move the layer you must be sure that the blue arrow button is pressed at the very top left-hand side of the screen. When this is pressed then you can adjust the size of the layer you are on.
- Pinch using both fingers – The easiest way to adjust the layer is to pinch with both fingers on the screen. This will allow you to move the layer in any direction or size you want to adjust it. Make sure you adjust it to the size that you will be able to work with. You usually do not want to have to adjust this layer but keep it the size.
- Turn off the blue arrow button – Once you have the photo in the size and position that you need for your design, then you can turn off the blue arrow to lock the photo in place on that layer.
Step 5 – Add A Layer
When working in Procreate for designing you will want to work in layers. This means that every single part of a design should have a new layer. The reason for this is that it will make it much easier to put in the finish on the design when you are completed with the home accessory product design.
One mistake that a lot of people make when they are working with Procreate is they will put everything on one layer and wonder why their clipping mask or other functions do not work correctly. It is important that you layer each side or part of the item you are designing.
For example, if I am designing a box, each side of the box will have its own layer. The hardware will have its own layer. Any part of the box will have its own individual layer.
Step 6 – Set the Correct Procreate Pen or Pencil
Now you are ready to start to trace the shape onto the first layer. When you are tracing the shape, especially when designing for home decor accessories, you need to be sure to use the correct Procreate pen or pencil. To find out more about the ones we suggest you can read our blog on What Procreate Pens or Pencils to Use Procreate’s Clipping Mask Function? by clicking here
In this blog, we have a video to show you the pens and pencils we recommend for clipping masks. You can see that some of them work better than others.
You can also watch our video below where we demonstrate this.
Step 7 – Trace The Shape
Now you are ready to trace the shape on to the layer you just created. Procreate will help your draw straight lines, adjust a box or adjust corners to fit a box or shape. This means you do not need to have an exact shape, you can adjust it after you have drawn it. Just hold the pencil down on the screen and it will automatically straighten out.
If you are drawing a box or another shape, you need to be sure the box or shape is completely closed. If there are any areas that are not closed you can not fill it with the color for the next step. If your lines are not filled enough you cannot use the clipping mask function for the box.
Step 8 – Fill In a Color
You are now ready to fill in the color to the shape you just traced. At this point in the design, I do not worry too much about what color I am using but will use any color. I will usually use a different color for each side of the box and each shape I have drawn so when I do the clipping mask function it is easy for me to see what layer I am on.
As I am also using the clipping mask function I do not worry so much about the color of the pen or pencil I have used and instead will many times use a bright color. This color will not show in the final design as long as I use the clipping mask function.
To find out more about clipping masks you can read our blog and watch our video on 4 Easy Steps to Using the Clipping Mask Function in Procreate by clicking here.
Step 9 – Repeat Steps to Add Layer, Trace and Fill Color
Now you need to repeat the steps to add the layer, trace the shape, and then fill in the color as many times as you needed. Many times when I am doing something that can be complicated, I may have close to 30 or more layers. So it just really depends on your design by how many layers you will need for the design.
Step 10 – Do Clipping Mask
The final steps of all my Procreate design is for me to do the clipping mask function. Now that my design is completely drawn out, and I have filled in the colors for the shape, I am ready to do the clipping mask function.
I have found that importing a color chip or color into Procreate can help make your design look real Also if you are looking for a specific color or finish, it will help you to be able to see how that color or finish will look on a completed design prototype.
To find out more about the clipping mask function you can check out our blog on clipping masks and why we find this such a great feature of Procreate for home decor and home furniture design. Our blog is 4 Easy Steps to Using the Clipping Mask Function in Procreate you can find out more and watch our videos on this by clipping here.
You can also watch our video to see how we use the clipping mask function by clicking on the link below:
The basic steps for clipping mask are:
- Add a Layer – You need to add a layer directly above the shape you want to clip mask.
- Import the Photo – Import the photo of your finish on the layer you want to clip mask.
- Press Clip Mask – Highlight the layer so it is blue., then a menu will appear on the left side, press clipping mask. The photo will clip into the shape of the layer below it.
Once your clipping mask is done then you can export the image to a jpeg or a host of other formats so that you can share it with others. Procreate has a very easy share function on the left-hand side of the screen, which allows you to share designs in a variety of formats.
We love to use Procreate as we find it to be a simple, yet easy solution for designing home decor and home furniture products and accessories. Almost anyone can learn to use Procreate to design amazing products.
Related Questions
How To Design A Home Decor Accessories Tray In Procreate?
Designing a home decor accessories tray in Procreate can be very easy if you follow our 4 simple steps and instructions as 1) find a tray shape to use as a reference photo, 2) import the photo into Procreate., 3) add layers in Procreate for each part of the tray, and 4) use the clipping mask function.
You can read more about how to design a home decor tray in Procreate by reading our blog 4 Easy Steps to Design a Home Decor Accessories Tray in Procreate by clicking here.
Why Use Procreate To Design Home Decor Products?
Procreate is a very easy design program to learn with a lot of great design functions. Using Procreate can help to save you time and money for your home decor and home furniture design needs. It will allow you to set up trend colors in your design palettes so you can easily find them again. You can also make repeat patterns and use the clipping mask function to get a design looking very close to the finished product.
To discover more about Procreate you can read our blog on Using Procreate In Designing Home Decor Products – Why We Love It! by clicking here.
