Pattern Ladies: Designing Vintage Characters (Skillshare)

In this class, you'll create your own vintage illustration that you can use on cards, stickers, and swag! Using Procreate on the iPad, you'll explore your personal artistic style using vintage illustrations as inspiration for your own character illustration. Using vintage pattern illustrations as inspiration and reference, we’ll build on those images to develop your own unique spin on a recognizable style.

Enroll in course

MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Working with the Procreate app for iPad, you’ll learn how to sketch, refine, ink, and color your illustration. Then we’ll add texture and depth with clipping masks, text, and brushes.

I’m including figure templates you can use as paper dolls to create the basic form of your figure, and 3 texture brushes to create clothing and background patterns.

Whether you’re a seasoned sketcher or starting fresh with figure drawing, I’ll show you how to bring your style into a new form. No experience is required, but an iPad, Procreate, and an Apple pencil is helpful. Or you can work in the medium you prefer!

When you finish this class, you’ll have an image with a background as well as a transparent png. You can use these images to create prints and cards, or to upload to print-on-demand (POD) sites to create totes, t-shirts, mugs, or other products for yourself or for sale.

You’ll create a full-length character with a vintage illustration style. You'll also create your own Pinterest board of inspiration and reference, and I'd love for you to share your sketching and inking progress along the way!

This project should happen in steps:

- References--Post a link to your Pinterest Pattern Lady board or a screenshot of your inspiration photos.

- Sketch--Embrace your Ugly Practice? What does your sketch look like? Share an image!

- Inking--Post your inked Pattern Lady, and tell us how you adjusted the reference image. Did you use the templates? Did you combine multiple photos? c

- Coloring and Texture--What brushes did you use? Did you color drop or color in? Did you use clipping masks and imported textures? Show us what you did!

- Final Pattern Lady and Mockups--What does your Pattern Lady look like on merchandise? Show us your finished character and the swag you're going to make!

Upload each step as you go along so we can follow your progress! I love to see process, and I'm here to give feedback on every step.

I'd love to see you share your work on Instagram, as well! You can use #PaperLadies and #UglyPractice to tag your work.