DrawWithMike.net

I’d like to share with you my process for creating a barn owl illustration.

I’m always fascinated by the beauty of the barn owl’s heart shaped face, and the lovely feather pattern on their wings and back. We’re all familiar with them because they are the most widely distributed group of owls in the world, according to Wikipedia. They’re commonly found in the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia, with minor size and coloration differences. The one unchanging characteristic is the large heard, in proportion to the body, and the heart shaped face, so I chose a pose that would reflect these features.

I chose a beautiful photo of a barn owl in flight from Pixabay (if you want to download it, it’s filename is owl-4655594_1920.jpg).

This is an example of what can be done in Procreate.
The method used here can be used to create illustrations of any animal subject. I’ll show my process in future posts, but if you have any questions, please share them here and I’d be happy to answer them. I’d love for you to share you comments too, as well as your artwork if you’re following along with me.

The goal is to create linework with enough detail to let the viewer identify the subject, but not so much detail as to distract from the design. Obviously, this is a subjective exercise and there are many solutions. Everyone can create what looks right to their eyes.

The first step is to import the reference image into Procreate by selecting the wrench icon and clicking on import photo. Next, cut around the subject using the erase tool. I set mine to soft brush in the airbrushing category. Once the subject is isolated, the background can be erased completely, leaving the subject behind. I suggest resizing it at this point using uniform setting under the selection icon at upper left. If you select the default background layer (the bottommost layer which is white by default), you can change the background colour. I chose a grey/brown in order to see those white wing feathers more clearly Now we can create our outline. I duplicated the owl layer, enlarged the owl, and decreased the opacity of this layer. Then I created a layer above that and using the monoline brush under calligraphy, I began to isolate areas on the owl by outlining them. There is no right or wrong here. I just trust my instincts to tell me what looks right to me. This is illustration, not photo realism. I had to think of characteristics that make the illustration instantly recognizable as barn owl. The heart shaped face is obvious, as well as the overall smooth helmet shape of the head. The long legs and talons are important too.

The markings on the wings are actually less important in my opinion, because I was trying to simplify the illustration as much as possible, but they may be important to you so you would incorporate them. I think that the overall silhouette is what’s important here. The question is, can the viewer identify the animal before any details are added.

Now the fun begins! I’m free at this stage to experiment with any style, from a timeless, elegant monochromatic look to patterns that are as creative and eye-catching as my imagination allows.

My first style is whimsical. The first step is to duplicate the black outline layer by swiping the layer to the left using my finger, and clicking on Duplicate. I can then select the duplicate layer and click on the Adjustments icon , second from top left, and click on Hue, Saturation, Brightness. Three sliders appear at the bottom of the screen and by playing with these I can change my outline to any colour I choose. I settle on a light beige.
I add a new layer above the light beige outline, and using the monoline brush in the calligraphy category, I begin to add different designs in each section. Straight lines, squiggles, spirals….anything goes!
I really like this whimsical style, and by returning to the Hue, Saturation, Brightness adjustment, I can change it to any colour I like!

I actually have 2 illustrations at this point, because the outline layer alone makes a lovely illustration by itself. In order to see it separate from the Fantasy layer, I duplicate the outline layer and drag it above all the existing layers using my finger on the screen. Using the transform tool , fourth from the top left, and selecting Uniform in the choices that appear at the bottom of the screen, I get a rectangular outline around my drawing, and by dragging on any of the four corners, I can resize the drawing. I can also drag the drawing somewhere else on the screen. Just be certain to select Uniform otherwise you may distort your drawing.
As always, if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask, and I’ll do my best to clarify any of these steps.

I love that you can experiment, yet still return to an earlier layer if it all goes pear-shaped.

Or duplicate and further extend the experiment, knowing you can backtrack.

And I can already see commercial uses for your whimsical design.

Mike Sibley wrote: Mon Apr 14, 2025 2:47 pm I love that you can experiment, yet still return to an earlier layer if it all goes pear-shaped.

Or duplicate and further extend the experiment, knowing you can backtrack.

And I can already see commercial uses for your whimsical design.

Thank you Mike! That ability to experiment and backtrack makes this a wonderful tool for planning compositions.

I’m working on one now that’s based on a story my mother used to tell us. We were 4 children in my family and I’m sure we all remember the story differently, but it’s my composition so I get to create it my way!

I hadn’t thought of commercial uses for the whimsical design, but I love the idea of trying something like that. I’m all ears!!

I decide that I’d like to try a third design, but there isn’t much room left on my canvas. Of course, when I work on paper I plan ahead of time so this doesn’t happen to me, but the advantage of working digitally is that I can improvise as my ideas develop.

I can increase my canvas size easily by selecting the wrench icon at top left, then clicking on Canvas, and then on Crop & Resize. This brings up the Crop & Resize window.
Now, by clicking on Settings at upper right, Procreate will show the existing dimensions and allow me to change them.

I want a rectangular canvas, so being certain not to select Resample canvas and Snapping, I try different dimensions for the width only until it looks right to my eyes. I settle on 2614 px X 1620 px, and I leave the DPI at 132 since I don’t intend to print this. If you want to print your project, I suggest 300 DPI. The higher the DPI, the less layers are available in Procreate. The total number of layers depends on your iPad.
Now I can click on Done in the upper right corner and I have increased the size of my canvas without distorting my drawings.
i can now move, resize, rotate any of my previous drawings by selecting the layer I want to change, selecting the transform tool at top left, and Uniform in the menu that appears at the bottom of the screen.

A dotted outline will surround my drawings. I can enlarge or reduce by pulling or pushing on any of the 4 corners, and I can rotate using the handle at the top.
I duplicated the layer with the simple outline to place and plan my next design. This will be the largest one, so I centered it on my canvas.

In this third illustration, I was inspired by North American native art here in Canada, where distinct areas of the animal are emphasized, as well as the silhouette, so there is no need for tight little details. Those areas are already identified in my outline, so I can work with these.

Just to keep my layers neat and clean, and to make my work easier, I rename this outline by adding the word Large to it, so I can distinguish it it from the smaller outline. Then I merge the Fantasy layer with the outline layer below which is in fact part of this illustration. Then, I hide the first two illustrations by clicking on the tick mark on their layer, to the right of the N. Now, it’s a little like filling in a colouring book. Anything goes. I decide to stay within my simpler colour palette of beiges and browns. To fill an area, I drag the colour of my choice from the top right menu, to the area I want to fill. I continue colouring my illustration until I’m satisfied with the way it looks. I also un- hide the first two illustrations to get a feel for the overall composition. Although I like it, there’s a way to unify the colours a little more and make it more to my liking. I create a layer above all other layers and fill it with a grey blue colour. Then I change the layer’s blend mode to Color. This tints the whole canvas a lovely blue-grey.

By sliding the opacity slider for the layer to about 70%, I can get a blend of brown and grey that I really like! It takes a little patience and you have to experiment, but you can get just the effect that pleases you.

this is looking great, and your process demonstrates what I have always asserted - these a.i type tools are really just fancy-pants paintbrushes! You need the creativity, ideas and skill of a human mind to create unique works. As demonstrated here!

Thank you Linda. I really appreciate your input! Digital art really is just another medium, but the ability to easily experiment with colour changes or size changes can really feed creativity.

This is first time after months I’m paying a visit in here, trying to catch up updates…
I’m always fascinated the way you posting dear Laurene
It’s step by step, detailed information following the photos attached.
I’m always appreciate your effort you put into to make this user friendly, so if anyone would need to do any project - following your detailed tutorials would be first choice for everybody
Best wishes to you