I recently created this fun and easy pattern design tutorial in which I teach you how to make an ogee and an argyle pattern with the Procreate app for Apple iPad.
In this tutorial I take you step by step through the process of making these 2 easy seamless pattern designs, an ogee and argyle pattern, right on your iPad in Procreate. Watch the video below!
I’ve also got a video for Procreate newbies which includes several tips and tricks to help you get started with the app.
I’ve been kind of obsessed with creating designs and patterns in Procreate over the past year. So I’ll likely be creating more tutorials and videos on this topic in the near future.
Let me know in the comments below if this is something you’re interested in, or if there’s something else you’d like me to cover!
Thanks for stopping by, have a great rest of your day.
If you want to start a print on demand business then you’ve come to the right place! I’ve created this list of the top tools for your print on demand business.
I’ve personally been selling my art through print on demand websites for over 8 years and have tried many different tools and approaches. In this post you’ll get all of the top tools and resources I’ve found for getting started with print on demand and scaling your business.
To get started selling your art online you’ll need to create some designs and optimize your artwork for print. Then, you’ll need to decide on a platform and upload your art or list your products there while using targeted key words to help them get found. Finally, you’ll need to market those products to your customers and continue learning to grow your business.
So let’s get into the top tools for your print on demand business!
* Please note, some links are affiliate links. If you make a purchase using the links below I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. I appreciate your support and it helps me create more content for you to enjoy!
Creating your Designs
First, you’ll need to create some designs or digitize your existing artwork so you can upload them to print on demand websites. Keep in mind the type of products you will be selling. A design for a t-shirt will much different than one for fabric for example.
Below are a few different (free and paid) design tools and resources for creating your designs for print on demand.
Procreate – If you have an iPad you can use this app to create your designs
Book Bolt – Design and research tool for Amazon KDP (julie20 for 20% off membership)
Creative Fabrica – Digital assets like fonts, graphic designs etc.(35% discount on monthly all-access subscription)
Websites to Sell Your Art
The next thing you’ll need to do is decide on one or more print on demand websites to sell your designs through. Below is a list of sites I’ve personally used and sold my art through.
Preview of Flying Upload software dashboard and connected websites
Keyword and Niche Research
In order for people to find your products you’ll need to make sure you’re including key words that people are searching for! Include them in your title, tags and description. Here are some tools and resources to help you with this.
Marketing helps drive sales and raise awareness about your designs and the products you offer. You can do this in a variety of ways including through social media, Pinterest, blogging and more. Below are some excellent tools and resources to help you with your marketing efforts.
Place It – Create unique mockups of your designs on products
Buffer – A tool to schedule Twitter, Instagram and even Pinterest posts
Canva – Create blog images, social media posts, image editing and more
Pinterest – Create boards and pin your products, designs, blog posts etc.
Mockups like this can help drive sales
Business Tools and Resources
As your business grows you’ll need to implement good business practices like keeping track of finances, doing your taxes, building a website, email list and general organization.
I’ve recently created an all in one Art Business Toolkit to help you get your business started and organized!
Further Education
In order to grow your business you’ll need to continue learning and honing your skills in both design, marketing and overall business skills. There are many excellent resources out there, here are a few of my favourites!
There are so many resources and tools out there to help you grow your print on demand business. What was your favourite resource? Did I leave something out? Feel free to leave links below so we can all benefit.
Brighten up your virtual Holiday parties with these free festive Zoom meeting backgrounds!
Many Christmas parties are going virtual this year, which is better than nothing and can even be fun! Safely spread some holiday cheer by adding one of these custom festive background to your Zoom or Microsoft Teams meetings.
If you don’t know how to add a custom background here are some links with instructions.
All images were created by me in Microsoft Paint 3D and Pixlr Editor.
Just right click and Save As the images below. They are all 1920x 1080 pixels which is the perfect size.
Free Festive Meeting Backgrounds
I also made some New Year themed background for your virtual New Years Eve parties!
Fun fact: I actually created these for my own office’s virtual Christmas party background, and then decided to do a whole series to share with all of you!
I’d love to know if you use any of these festive meeting backgrounds! Which one is your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.
By now you’ve probably heard of TikTok. It’s an app where you can make short videos along with music, filters and other effects to share with your followers and others using hashtags, similar to Instagram. I’ve been experimenting with growing a following on there so I wanted to share some tips for how artists can use TikTok to expand their audience.
You may think the app is only for teenagers, but now you can find Millennials and even Grandmas amassing huge followings on TikTok, and having a great time doing it.
How to use TikTok for Artists
Create an account and simply observe. Watch videos that come up on your “for you” page. At first there will be a lot of different subjects but as you “like” and interact, the algorithm will begin to show you more videos attuned to your interests.
As an artist, you will want to follow other artists to get inspiration for the kinds of videos you can make on TikTok. You can find them with hashtags or by connecting with people from your other social media channels.
Start experimenting. It takes time to learn how to use the different tools, filters, add music and so on. You can create videos and save them as a draft, then go back and decide which ones to post. Don’t be too concerned with perfection. People like to see “real” and “unfiltered” life on TikTok.
There are some great tutorials on Youtube for how to use the various tools.
Once you’ve figured out how to use the app, check the Discover page for trending hashtags. Many are tied to a particular song or video style. You can work these trends into your videos, like the “wipe it down challenge”. Don’t feel obligated to do this but it might give you some ideas for videos and help you get more views.
ALWAYS attach a song to your video. Use “Trending” songs where possible.
Add a couple of hashtags, but don’t go overboard. If you did a challenge or trend, make sure to include the hashtag for that trend, plus a couple of other relevant ones. 3-4 hashtags per video is enough.
You can download your TikTok videos to your phone to share them other platforms. For example, Pinterest. You can add a link to your TikTok profile, or your website. I’ve seen a huge increase in my Pinterest stats since posting short drawing or painting clips I created in TikTok.
You can also share your videos to Instagram Stories directly from the app, and more recently Instagram Reels! My Instagram followers love to watch my process videos. Instagram Stories can also be shared to your Facebook Stories as well with one click.
Keep in mind, optimal video length is around 15-30 seconds long.
Process videos. Share how you create your art. This could be in real time or time lapse format (I usually create time lapse videos outside of the app , then edit in Tiktok after).
Close ups of yourself creating in real time, again sharing your process.
Finished artwork reveals. Start with your phone on the artwork and slowly pull out until it comes into focus. Or, place multiple art pieces on a table along to music. You can also stand holding one of your art pieces and slowly turn it around to reveal the piece (like my video above).
Real life, behind the scenes. Show yourself and your personality. People love to see who you are and connect with you personally. You could have your artwork in the background and use text on the screen to talk about something like your struggles as an artist, the inspiration behind your art, or even something totally unrelated to your art. It doesn’t have to be all art all the time.
An art spin on trending videos. As mentioned above, use the trends on the Discover page to inspire your own videos, and put an artsy spin on them.
Tutorials. Share your knowledge. Simple drawing or painting videos for beginners. Or a tutorial on how you started selling stickers, or something business related.
Duets and challenges. You can duet with other artists or people who create challenges to increase your audience or try something new!
