Learn how to draw curtains in Procreate on iPad and iPhone — a step-by-step guide from a textile decorator with 19 years of experience. Includes tips on templates, fabric textures and trim brushes that save hours on every project.
By Svetlana, textile decorator with 19 years of experience and founder of an online school teaching Procreate visualization for curtain and textile professionals on iPad and iPhone.
The most common question I get from decorators who are just starting with Procreate:
"How do I actually draw the curtains?"
It's the right question. And the honest answer might surprise you.
After years of teaching this — and nearly two decades of using visualization in real client consultations — I've learned that drawing curtains in Procreate is not really about drawing at all.
It's about placing, adjusting, and showing.
This article is for you if:
— You are a textile decorator or curtain designer who wants to show clients exactly what their curtains will look like before ordering
— You are an interior designer who needs fast, convincing fabric visualization for client presentations
— You own a curtain salon and want to close more projects during the first consultation
— You have Procreate on your iPad or iPhone but aren't sure how to use it for professional curtain visualization
— You are tired of losing projects to "I need to think about it"
What you'll get from this guide:
By the end of this article you will understand the complete curtain visualization workflow in Procreate — from photographing the client's window to showing three fabric options in under twenty minutes. No drawing talent required. No expensive software. Just a method that works inside a real consultation.
Why "drawing" is the wrong frame.
When most people think about drawing curtains in Procreate, they imagine creating folds from scratch. Building the curtain shape line by line. Rendering each pleat individually.
That approach works. But it's slow. And slow doesn't work inside a live consultation.
The shift that changed everything in my practice: I stopped drawing curtains and started placing them.
A curtain template — a pre-built PNG shape with realistic folds already rendered — drops onto the canvas in seconds. I resize it to match the window proportions. I apply the fabric texture on top using a clipping mask. I adjust shadows and highlights with two additional layers.
The result looks convincing. The client sees their actual room with the curtain already in it.
Total time: ten to fifteen minutes.
That's the workflow I use on every consultation. And it starts not with a blank canvas and a stylus — but with the right tools already in place.
The workflow step by step.
Step 1: Photograph the window
Stand directly in front of the window. Capture the full frame — the entire window plus wall space on both sides. Natural light gives the most accurate colour reading.
Don't worry about mess or clutter in the background. That gets removed in the next step.
Step 2: Prepare the canvas
Open the photo in Procreate. Create a new layer above it. Use the Clone tool to remove distractions — old curtains, construction materials, boxes, anything that pulls the eye away from the window.
Two to three minutes. You're not creating a perfect interior photograph. You're creating a clean canvas for the curtain to live on.
Step 3: Place the curtain shape
This is where most decorators lose time if they don't have the right tools.
Drawing a curtain shape from scratch — building realistic folds, getting the proportions right, making the fabric hang convincingly — takes significant practice and significant time.
The faster approach: use ready-made curtain templates.
The 340+ Textile Templates collection contains over 200 curtain variations — classic drapes, Roman blinds, pleated styles, swags, valances — all as high-resolution PNG files with transparent backgrounds. Drag any template onto the canvas, resize to match the window width and height, and the curtain shape is done.
What used to take thirty minutes now takes thirty seconds.
Step 4: Apply the fabric texture
Import a photo of the fabric sample. Place it as a new layer directly above the curtain shape. Apply it as a Clipping Mask — the texture now appears only inside the curtain form.
Adjust the scale so the pattern repeat looks realistic at window size. This is one of the most important details. A pattern that looks subtle on a 10cm sample can look overwhelming across three metres of fabric. Showing the correct scale is one of the most valuable things a visualization does for the client.
For realistic fabric surfaces — linen weaves, silk textures, velvet depth, quilting stitches — the 190 Procreate Textile Design Master Collection contains 100+ fabric texture brushes covering everything from basic weaves to complex upholstery surfaces. Apply directly to the curtain layer for immediate realism without building textures manually.
Step 5: Add depth with shadows and highlights
Create a Multiply layer above the curtain. Paint soft shadows using a dark version of the fabric colour — never pure black. Focus on fold areas, where fabric overlaps, and where the curtain meets the wall. Opacity around 25-30%.
Create a Screen layer for highlights. Paint where light would naturally hit — fold edges, areas near the window. Keep this subtle, around 20% opacity.
These two layers take five minutes combined. They are the difference between a flat coloured shape and something that looks like real hanging fabric.
Step 6: Add decorative trim
This is the step most decorators skip — and the one that makes the biggest difference in how professional the visualization looks.
Fringe, tassels, contrast edging, decorative borders — these finishing details transform a basic curtain sketch into a complete design proposal.
Drawing trim manually on every project is repetitive and slow. The 50 Procreate Trimmings Brushes cover the full range of decorative trim styles — straight fringe, curved tassels, decorative edging — applied with a single brush stroke directly onto the visualization.
Thirty seconds to add fringe. The client sees the complete picture immediately.
Step 7: Add hardware
Curtain rod, finials, brackets. Use stamp brushes for speed — drawing hardware manually every time is unnecessary.
Position the rod slightly above the window frame, extended beyond the window edges. Add a small soft shadow where the curtain meets the wall.
Thirty seconds. The visualization feels grounded and complete.
Step 8: Show the client
Turn the screen toward the client. Say nothing. Let them look.
Their first reaction tells you everything. If they start suggesting adjustments — "can we try it in a darker colour?" or "what if the panels were fuller?" — the visualization has done its job.
Make the adjustments in front of them. They watch the curtain change in real time.
The decision happens in the room.
Rough version versus polished version.
Not every visualization needs to be finished.
During the consultation — on iPhone, while the client is still in the room — a rough version is enough. The proportions are approximate. The fabric texture is convincing but not perfect. The shadows suggest depth without being meticulously rendered.
That version is for deciding.
Back at the studio — on iPad, with more time — I refine the visualization. Correct pattern scale, clean edges, complete hardware, polished shadows.
That version is sent before the contract is signed.
Rough closes the meeting. Polished closes the contract.
→ Try the first lesson free — no design experience required
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I draw curtains in Procreate without drawing skills? You don't need to draw at all. The fastest approach is using pre-built PNG curtain templates — drag onto canvas, resize to fit the window proportions, apply fabric texture on top as a Clipping Mask. The complete curtain shape is done in under a minute. No artistic skill required. The skill is in knowing which template fits the space and which fabric works in the light.
Can I use Procreate on iPhone for curtain visualizations? Yes — and this is actually how I work on most site visits. The iPhone version of Procreate costs $6 and the workflow is identical to iPad. I photograph the client's window on iPhone, open Procreate, place the curtain template, apply the fabric, and show the client the result — all before leaving the room. Canvases sync seamlessly to iPad via iCloud for studio refinement afterwards.
How do Procreate curtain templates save time in client meetings? Drawing a realistic curtain shape from scratch — with convincing folds, correct proportions, natural drape — takes 20 to 30 minutes even with practice. A pre-built PNG template takes 30 seconds. That difference is the difference between a visualization that exists before the client's attention drifts and one that arrives by email three days later. Decisions happen in the room or they often don't happen at all.
Do I need an Apple Pencil to create curtain visualizations in Procreate? Apple Pencil helps on iPad for detailed work. But for the rough consultation workflow — placing templates, applying fabric textures, adjusting shadows — a finger works perfectly on iPhone. I know decorators who do their entire on-site workflow with a finger and only pick up the Pencil for studio refinement on iPad.
How long does it take to learn Procreate for curtain visualization? Most decorators are creating client-ready visualizations within two to three weeks of starting. Not because they master the app — because the workflow is simple enough to learn quickly. The first consultation where a client says "oh, now I see it" usually happens within the first month.
What actually saves time.
The honest answer about drawing curtains in Procreate is this: the skill is not in drawing. It's in having the right foundations already built.
When the curtain templates are ready — when the fabric texture brushes are organized — when the trim details take one brush stroke instead of twenty minutes of manual work — the visualization happens fast enough to use in a real consultation.
That speed is what changes the client conversation.
Not the quality of the rendering. The fact that it exists before the client leaves the room.
Quick reference — tools used in this workflow:
All collections include commercial license and instant download. Compatible with Procreate on iPad and iPhone.
If you want to build this workflow properly — not just the technical steps but the complete consultation system — that's what I teach inside my Procreate course for textile decorators
If you want to see how this works step by step, here’s a free lesson where I create a full textile visualization from start to finish 👇
This is exactly the workflow I described above
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