Drawing Inside a Font in Procreate | Adding textured art inside of letters | Lettering Art

Made using iPad Pro 2020 in the Procreate app with Apple Pencil using brushes from my new Holographic and Iridescent brush set and colors from the accompanying palettes. Alternately, you are very welcome to follow the tutorial with any other similar brushes that you have.

Iridescent brush set: https://shop.alainajensen.com/b/iride...

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Free Google Font: https://fonts.google.com/specimen/DM+...

Specific brushes used (all Holographic versions):
Kaleidoscope 2
Foil 2
Easter Grass

Today, I wanted to share how I put texture inside of text in Procreate. I’ve done this on several of my product cover images - the text has a texture inside of it such as watercolor, gold, or iridescent. In this tutorial, I will be using my Iridescent and Holographic brush set.

I begin with a canvas 3000 by 2000 pixels. We add text in a pure white shade, “Iridescent.” You can’t see it because it's in white, but I’ll highlight it so you can know it's there.

Once highlighted, we will select a free Google font called “dm serif display” (link above) and make the font size large. Turn off the background layer to get more of a “big picture" view and determine whether the size of the font is where you want it. I turn on my Snapping tool with Magnetics to center effectively.

Next, I create a duplicate layer, so we have two layers of the white centered text in a size we are happy with. I turn off the bottom layer to keep that as an editable text layer, then rasterize the duplicated layer – meaning I turn it into an image. The text is no longer editable, but now you can use it with a Clipping Mask. I duplicate the rasterized layer to create a third layer.

On the bottom rasterized layer, I will use the Alpha Lock tool – meaning I can't put any color other than where it says “Iridescent.” Next, I select a black shade, tap the bottom layer and then tap “fill layer” so now that bottom layer is black and the top layer is white. I turn on my background layer again so that you can't see anything because the white is covering up the black - but what we're going to do while we're on this layer is tap it again and turn the Alpha Lock off so we can have pixels outside of the lettering.

Going to the adjustments and then Gaussian Blur on this layer, we're going to slide so that the shadow starts to take form. 5% is working well - I don't want an obvious shadow, just a bit of one. By tapping the arrow, I move the shadow slightly to the side so that it looks like the light source is coming from one side. I turn off this layer when the shadow is complete.

The white text is in the layer above the Shadow layer. Next, we add layers above the white text layer and turn them into Clipping Masks. The little arrow means that anything in this layer will only show up where this word “Iridescent” is. Now the fun begins!

I use my Iridescent Intense color palette. I will be using my AJ Holographic Brush set since they have a wider variety of color than the Iridescent version. You can use any brush set to do what I’m about to do - the sky's the limit! Selecting the Kaleidoscope 2 brush, I begin filling the letters and see where I am led. Using the brush repeatedly in the same place creates a shiny effect - if you overdo it, things start looking washed out. As always, experimentation is the name of the game. I’m using short strokes in order to have greater control. There's some white peeking through, which we don’t mind at this point. This layer is about overall color distribution.

Next, I add a new layer on top and turn it into a Clipping Mask. Using the same brush in a smaller size and a dark blue shade, I am going for intense, moody, dramatic colors on this layer. I’m using a back-and-forth motion to create chunky areas. Variety is the spice of life.

Adding a new layer on top and turning that into a Clipping Mask, I select my Foil 2 brush in the same dark blue shade, and continue to add bits here and there to layer the texture.

At this point, I notice that I’m not loving the shadow layer. It’s looking a bit too harsh, so I return to my shadow layer, tap the “N” on the shadow and take the opacity down to about 50%.

I return to my foil brush. Tip: Using the Holographic brushes, light pressure = blueish, firmer pressure = pinkish color, and hard pressure = blue and green.

Now that we've got these mirror-like reflective pieces on top of the more colorful background, I add a last layer to create smoother transitions. I make it a Clipping Mask. I select my Easter Grass brush in a green shade to soften the edges of the chunky foil parts.

I decide this layer would actually be better off underneath of the foil layer, so I move it. I continue to soften the edges without drawing on top of the foil because I really like how the foil looks.

And just like that, we are done!