How to draw an illustrated letter in Procreate
If you've been looking to draw fun illustrated letters (hello, 36 Days of Type!), you're in the right place! These types of letters are perfect for drop caps, book covers, custom illustrations, and basically any time you want to make typography more engaging.
Let me break down my process into 3 simple parts:
Brainstorm & sketch
Digital development
Refinement & color
1. Brainstorm & sketch
First things first—grab that sketchbook! I always start analog because pencil sketches are way more forgiving than digital (we don't need that perfectionist pressure right now 😉).
Pick your theme. What kind of illustrations do you want to include? How will they relate to each other? Is it different types of flowers? Your favorite foods? Popular imagery from a story?
Make at least 3-5 quick thumbnails
Pro tip: Try not to fall in love with your first sketch! Push yourself to explore different styles, scales, and layouts. Your fifth idea might surprise you!
2. Digital development
Time to hop into Procreate! Set up your canvas (I go with 8" x 10" at 300dpi for print-ready goodness).
Perfect your letterform first (trust me on this one!)
Start loosely sketching in your illustrations.
Pro tip: Take a photo of your sketch and use it as a reference layer with the opacity turned way down. Layer magic, amirite? ✨
3. Refinement & color
Check that your illustrations are evenly distributed
Quick color comp to test your palette
Once the sketch looks good, lock down that final linework on a new layer (isn’t it the worst when you accidentally draw your final lines on the sketch layer? 😅 Don’t make that mistake!)
Add final colors (each on their own layer because we love options!)
Pro tip: If you're struggling with your color palette, try going grayscale first! This helps you check the balance of lights and darks before committing to colors.
Take a step back and admire your work!
Maybe grab a snack while you're at it—creating is hungry work! 😉
What’s next?
Challenge yourself to create an entire alphabet or turn your letter into awesome products. The possibilities are endless!
PS—Ready to add even more personality to your letters?
I've got a special set of techniques that'll take your lettering from basic to flavorful! Subscribe to get my free Lettering Spices Set when it launches (and in the meantime, enjoy my Procreate shortcuts cheat sheet to speed up your digital lettering process!) ✨
Did you find this useful? Pin me to bookmark this tutorial! ⤵
