My Surface Pattern Design Workflow: Procreate to Adobe Illustrator | Elizabeth Silver

Curious how I use Procreate and Adobe Illustrator in my surface pattern design workflow? In this video I give you a front seat view to my process from my sketch to final repeat as I create a surface pattern design from scratch.
#elizabethsilver #surfacepatterndesigner #surfacepatterncourse #surfacepatterndesigntips
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[@pamwaller9396]

Fabulous!

[@ElizabethSilver]

💕💕

[@IrynaBoehland]

Thank you, Elizabeth, it was very interesting to watch. I am not proficient with Illustrator, so I couldn't understand much, but watching it was like a magic happening in front of my eyes!

[@ElizabethSilver]

The magic of speeding up video! So glad you could enjoy it!

[@IrynaBoehland]

@@ElizabethSilver yep, works like a charm! 😂 It is such a relief to know that my art doesn't have to be super advanced (I am not a bad artist 😊but always feel I am never enough), I can relax now - simple design looks very cute in a pattern.

[@forevervirginiadolls]

The end result is so beautiful! Very inspiring. ❤ I was also an adobe disciple but now I use Affinity Designer for its affordability and am learning to “paint” straight to vector. Love seeing your process!

[@ElizabethSilver]

Thank you! I have heard great things about Affinity, and I do love the idea of 'painting' vector. Adobe Fresco has that options but I haven't got the type of (vector) brushes I want/need in there.

[@AmandaReid0000]

Fantastic video. Thanks so much Elizabeth.

[@ElizabethSilver]

You are so welcome!

[@LisaHetrickIndigojadeArt]

Holy smokes Elizabeth! This video is fantastic. I loved watching your process and found this so helpful.

[@ElizabethSilver]

Isn't it great to look over someone's shoulder? There are probably even better ways to do some of this stuff, process videos always help me so much.

[@paulettereid9894]

Hi- I'm binge-watching your videos, very enlightening information. I hope I'll be able to do this soon. Thank you so much!

[@ElizabethSilver]

Thanks for watching!!

[@louiselamirandeart]

I loved this video. It was very interesting to see your workflow. Thanks for sharing !

[@ElizabethSilver]

You're so welcome!

[@michellebeausoliel2566]

I loved watching your process! Thank you for sharing.

[@ElizabethSilver]

You're welcome!

[@KathBorup]

So inspiring and cool to see! Thanks for bringing us along!

[@ElizabethSilver]

Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching and commenting so faithfully :)

[@lovelybillydesigns]

Thanks for sharing, it was great to understand how the procreate to illustrator flow worked. I've been hand sketching on paper and then image tracing straight into AI.

[@ElizabethSilver]

That also works! I used to do that as well!

[@pgtheartist222]

Thanksss beautiful work!

[@ElizabethSilver]

aww thanks!

[@nattyshakti]

Thanks this is really cool! I’m new to this, so wanted to ask: Is there a reason why you started in Procreate instead of jumping straight into Illustrator?

[@ElizabethSilver]

That's a great question. I don't always do it this way, but if I do start in Procreate it's usually for 1 or 2 reasons. The first would be that there are a few brushes in Procreate that I really like how they give me an interesting effect, specifically to my florals- something about the shape and pressure dynamics is just right and it's fun to create expressive petals. The second is that it gets me away from my desk. I can draw on Procreate on my ipad while watching TV in the evening on the couch much more comfortably. That said, I have been trying to shift to Adobe fresco and using the vector brushes more often to make an even easier transition., it just depends on the project.

[@eleen4547]

hi Elizabeth! thanks for the video! :) may i know your canvas setting, the profile & size? i have this issue where i draw in procreate in cmyk, then download it as .psd, the colors become off and it’s no longer my original colors. do you have any advise for me?

[@ElizabethSilver]

That particular canvas shown was 11.5x14.5" at 350 dpi. Because I was just drawing icons and then tracing in adobe illustrator it wasn't specific to a repeat size. As for colors-my understanding is that procreate is only RGB mode, I have not seen CMYK mode available. And when I export, it is also RGB, so the colors are very close, but if need be, I can always adjust them after the fact, especially once they are converted to vector as I show in this video.

[@ezswan]

i have a question. Usually when i download vector from certain web sources, they have 2 layers of objects, the color layer and the "outline/background," which is a copy with "offset." do you know why this is? Does increasing the size of your art effect the stroke look?

[@ElizabethSilver]

Hmm, I'm not really sure as I create my own work, I don't use art from the web.

[@jokesalamidesigns]

I am trying to decide if I should purchase procreate for my iPad to start learning how to illustrate. I saw your video where you said you prefer I believe photoshop? Vs illustrator? I see some artist saying they prefer not to use procreate cuz of the restrictions on layers ? Any advice?

[@ElizabethSilver]

I personally am a big fan of Adobe Illustrator but I use procreate a LOT as well. for the cost of I think 13 dollars currently, Procreate is definitely worth the price if you are just starting your illustration journey.

[@jokesalamidesigns]

@@ElizabethSilver Thanks.

[@Sarah-ht7cs]

Oh wow! This was awesome! I'm very new at this, so it was immensely helpful! Question: After you image-traced, you used the magic wand to delete white. I've been using the "ignore white" in the advanced options before I trace. Is that just 2 ways of doing the same thing, or are you doing something entirely different, or for a different reason?

[@ElizabethSilver]

Good question- totally just 2 ways of doing the same thing!

[@Sarah-ht7cs]

@@ElizabethSilver Super! Thanks so much! ❤

[@luciaaa3962]

Hi Elizabeth, thank you for the (as always) very interesting video! Do you still work with your Wacom display tablet or did the Ipad replace it for most of the parts in your workflow? I am asking because I finally want to buy a pen tablet with a display to work with in Ai. But my sis (not an Ai-user/Designer) recently said I just should get an Ipad...

[@ElizabethSilver]

I do work with the Wacom Cintiq still, but I can see how the ipad could work in the same way. I use the ipad away from my desk for sketching on procreate and I know you can then hook it up to your computer but I use the cintiq at my desk. Not sure which is better, mine works for me!

[@luciaaa3962]

@@ElizabethSilver Thank you for your thoughts! I am now having the same plan: Displaydrawingtablet at my desk and later adding an Ipad to work afk, especially for first sketchings. Thanks and lots of greetings from Europe!

[@olivialovesdesign]

I have the Wacom intuos? Small? I got it in 2018! Never used it! But I realised that although I want to study graphic design it’s actually SPD that I have been called to all these years since I was 10 and I’m now 40 but I never realised what it was exactly until a year ago when I finally left my abusive marriage two tiny babies in tow and had to go back to GD school to get my graphic designer diploma so I can start a a graphic and web design biz to support us. But then I found SPD so I’m also enrolled in my cert 3 visual arts so that I can do bkty art and design as is required in SPD (I’m an obsessive learner and can’t afford the online courses for SPD so this is my way of getting there! I’m so excited and I love you so much Elizabeth- and I just wanted to put my two cents in regarding drawling tablets. Although I haven’t even plugged mine in- I def want to get one with a screen not just a stylus some control buttons and a tiny almost a5 or a6 black cheap flimsy plastic drawing area …. even if it’s a cheaper model off Amazon or eBay etc I would prefer a screen. In saying that my ex smashed my iPad 6 so I’m saving up to get a second hand iPad Pro and Apple Pencil with either 512gb, 1tb or 2tb storage so I can use Adobe CC suite and procreate and affinity etc on it and a mac book Pro 1-2tb storage. And finally when I can afford it a lovely iMac ( one day when making an income I’ll bet the iMac desktop PRO! But I think that’s like $10k plus) so just a standard iMac desktop second hand like the other above stuff from marketplace on fb or a refurbishing Mac store online. I’ve found some iPad pros that are 512gb but they seem to be from 2016-17/18/19/20/22 woukd something of 512gb and made 2018 or earlier up to 2016 be terrible?

[@olivialovesdesign]

Oh! I forgot the reason I interjected here is because you can use a normal iPad or any tablet I think if you get Astro I think it’s called they have a couple of different ways to use it including a device you plug in. Definitely look into it. It mirrors your iPad or other tablet I think, to your computer ! Just like a drawing tablet but there is also many other mirroring apps and there is airplay too isnt there?

[@luciaaa3962]

@@olivialovesdesign Hi Olivia! Thank you for making the effort to write your thoughts! Awesome that you enrolled in the courses, yay (clap) Good luck! I recently checked Ebay for 16" drawing tablets just to see how the market looks like with the plan to get one in 2024. Then an (nearly un-)used 22" (from XP-Pen (checked a lot of reviews before and it seems as a (hopefully) good alternative to the pricier Wacom (btw had an Intous as well ;-) )) hit my way and the seller did send me such a pretty good price offer. I wasn't sure if I should just do it now... if it REALLY is necessary and if and how I will be able to work with it. But the chance blinked too much at me :D so I was crazy enough to just do it, WHOOPWHOOP! I mean 22", I never would have dreamed for this size (even though my 44-years-getting-older-eyes did :DDD)... Now this treasure stands on my desk and until now I don't regret it. I already mananged to assign the express keys and make some first sketching and editing tests. Well, I just have to get used to it, it still feels a little bit tricky here and there. But it's great and I am so much looking forward working on it. I hope it will put me on the next level of my progress even though I am already pretty good with the mouse (practised aaaaa looooot). The point with an Ipad is first of all (at this point in my life) a question of money and even though I love watching Procreate vids here on yt and do see the pros of this app and immediately want to start creating :D, I just looove Ai and working in vector format plus SPD is my main subject/goal just like you/yours. So I thought a drawing tablet should be the first step of new helping tools. But I want to get an Ipad as well, one day. At the moment I am having too much trouble in my life and because of that I am a bit burned out/blocked creating new stuff. So I decided to use this time to fix my creative space on a smarter way and clean up files and pencils aso which includes sorting and scanning aaaaaall my drawings and sketches I made the last maybe 5 years. It is soooo much work so that I thought I should change this process to a smarter way in the future... which leads me to an Ipad again... where I can make my sketches without making new paper mess plus for me and my health situation it is important that I can sketch everywhere, even in bed (I have to rest/lie down often/a lot during the day). Thanks again for your comment and all the best to you and yours kids and your creative path! Kind regards from Northern Germany