How to Create Ribbon Lettering in Procreate
One method I’ve explored a couple of times now is Ribbon Lettering, and I wanted to share a bit of how I achieve my style with you guys. If you use Procreate for the iPad, then most of what I cover will be fairly familiar to you already, but if you haven’t jumped into lettering yet or want to try something new, then this tutorial is definitely for you. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions!
1. Rough Sketch
To start off, create a new layer.
Loosely sketch out the rough outline of your composition. This definitely doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should generally resemble the placement of your letters.
I usually use the Narinder Pencil, which you can find in:Brush Library > Sketching > Narinder Pencil.
2. Refined Sketch
Reduce the opacity of your rough sketch layer to 20%.
Create another new layer above your rough sketch layer.
Begin to sketch out your letters. I typically freehand the first version, then I go back in and clean up uneven strokes.
Pro Tip:
Sometimes I find it helpful to sketch each individual letter on a separate layer at first. This can give you more control over letter placement if things aren’t lining up right.
Here I am using the Wet Brushpen from @jimbobernaus “Kickoff Brushes” brush set. This brush has a 60% StreamLine built in.
If you are using the default Procreate brushes, navigate to: Brush Library > Calligraphy > Brush Pen or Script Either of these brushes work great. Tap the brush again to set the StreamLine to your liking. This will help to keep your strokes smooth and not bumpy.
3. Duplicate + Alpha Lock
Hide your rough sketch layer by tapping the checkbox.
Swipe left on your refined sketch layer and tap Duplicate.
You will now have 2 identical layers. Tap on each layer and select Alpha Lock. This will make it so that anything you draw stays within the letterforms.
Make sure that the top layer is set to Multiply. You can do this by tapping the ‘N’ to the right of the layer name and scrolling to Multiply.
4. Applying Shadows
Make sure that you are on the top layer that is set to Multiply. This step may be a bit tricky so follow closely.
Tap the Selection Tool. Begin to make a selection around the area where a shadow will fall on your stroke. Your inside-stroke selection is the area your shading will occupy (see below). Make sure that your cut-off point is far enough away from where you’ll be applying the darkest area of your shadow (as you’ll only be able to shade within your selection).
Once your selection is made, tap back over to your brush. Select a shading brush of your liking (Spraypaints > Medium Nozzle) and set the brush opacity to ~60%. Set the colour to black.
Begin shading, concentrating most of your pressure around the fold. Repeat this step for all areas of intersection within your letters. You can freely shade over areas that don’t intersect a fold.
5. Applying Highlights
Create a new layer above the layer you just applied the shadows to.
Tap on this layer and select Clipping Mask.
You can use the same shading brush that you used in the previous step to apply highlights. I’m use the Powdery 03 brush from @jimbobernaus “On The Road” brush set. Set the colour to white.
Begin highlighting areas where light would reflect off the stroke (see below).
You can also play with the transparency settings of this layer to make the highlights pop more (tap ‘N’ to the right of the layer name).
6. Add a Background (optional)
At this point, you could stop after step 5, but adding a background or drop shadow to your piece can really give the composition an extra appeal.
Create a new layer and drag it all the way to the bottom of your layer list.
I’m using the Grain Dense + Grain Dense Shader brushes from @jimbobernaus “On The Road” brush set. You can find similar effects in Spraypaints, although there are many other default brush options that Procreate offers!
