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This step-by-step guide walks you through making a soothing pattern with minimal supplies: a gel pen and some water. Perfect for travel or a cozy afternoon, it’s an easy way to recharge your creative energy.
I recently stumbled upon a vintage pattern design book on archive.org, and just flipping through its pages was surprisingly soothing. The book breaks down patterns into simple, approachable steps that make the process feel a lot less intimidating. Inspired by that, today I’m sharing a relaxing sketchbook tutorial. You can follow along step by step or use it as a starting point for your own creations!
Whether you’re traveling or curled up on the couch, this tutorial is perfect for keeping things simple. (And during the “holidaze,” simplicity is a blessing!) Here’s what you’ll need:
Trace around a circular object to draw several connected rows of circles in pencil.
Once the circles are finished, draw an elongated “S” that divides each circle in half.
Now, use your pen to draw a curved teardrop shape in one of the circle’s halves. Reinforce the bottom of the shape with additional pen strokes.
Once you have drawn the outline, moisten your paintbrush with just water. Use that water to tease out the ink, which will immediately transform into a lovely gray wash. Continue to paint with water until the shape is filled in.
Next, use your pencil to draw a teardrop shape in the remaining half of the circle, positioning it opposite the first teardrop. Once drawn, fill this new shape with several smaller teardrop shapes.
Now, use your moistened paintbrush to fill in the smaller teardrop shapes.
Finish up the base pattern layer by filling in the diamond-shaped space between circles with four connected diamonds. Then, moisten your paintbrush and fill in those shapes using the same technique you did for the other shapes.
Use your pen and brush to repeat these elements throughout the rest of the sketchbook page. If you’re right-handed, it’s wise to work from left to right. If you’re left-handed, work from right to left.
Continue to draw and paint until you’ve filled up the page with your pattern. Then, when all your ink has dried, erase any pencil guidelines.
Now, use your pen to draw a wavy line of circles between the teardrop-shaped elements in each circle. The middle circle should be the largest, with the circles on either side of it reducing in size until they just become dots.
As you add circles between the teardrop shapes, fill in the space between every diamond with a slightly rounded triangle shape.
Continue to add small circles and rounded triangles until you’ve filled in the entire page.
These next steps are completely optional! At this point, I realized I wasn’t quite ready to stop (the true crime documentary I was watching had me hooked), so I decided to keep experimenting with my pattern. If you’re feeling the same way, try adding some playful phone cord loops inside each of your teardrop shapes.
Then, use the faux calligraphy technique (i.e. reinforce the downstrokes) to add a little more heft to the loops.
Fill in the strokes to add pointed pen calligraphy-like flair to your pattern.
Then, to add a subtle pop of contrast, you can draw tiny black teardrops in the middle of your smaller teardrop shapes.
Feel free to finish up by outlining each circle with a line and some randomly-placed dot groups.
Once the pattern feels full to you and you’re happy with how everything looks, you’re done!
First of all, patterns are a fantastic creative escape (and you can find plenty of inspiration for them in this free book). Once you figure out the basic elements, the repetitive process feels meditative. As I worked on this sketchbook page, I found myself in a peaceful creative flow. It was exactly the break I needed after several intense days of personalizing and packaging The Calligraphy Book.
Second, using black gel pens as watercolors is an incredible art “hack”. I always travel with at least one Pilot G2 pen (of any size) just in case I want to write or make doodles. For example, I once used my pen to craft a pretty note for an Airbnb host.
I also have used it for floral illustration tutorials at home. Paired with Arabic gold, the gel pen ink wash technique can make some beautiful lilies and hydrangeas.
The gel pen is proof that simple tools can lead to incredible results. Whether you’re doodling patterns, sketching flowers, or just experimenting, the process is calming and rewarding. Next time you’re craving a creative reset, reach for your gel pen and a bit of water. You might just discover your new favorite way to relax.
Happy creating,
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