How to Draw Ribbon Banners in Procreate

There are many ways you can draw ribbon banners making them more complex by adding folds and multiple layers. In this tutorial, I’m going to take you through different ways to draw a ribbon banner and share some helpful tips for speeding up the drawing process. We will also be using this Glitter Procreate Brush bundle to draw our ribbon banners.

Drawing Basic Ribbon Banners

Basic ribbon banners are really easy to draw as they have no folds. Start by drawing the long sides of the banner. Next, add the ribbon end that looks like a V starting on one side and having the bottom of the V going inward. You can also decide if you want a flat piece on one of the ends (see image below)

Adding Folds

Give your ribbon banner dimension by adding folds on either side. This will give the illusion of your banner face lifting up. Add the long sides of the ribbon and close off the ends. Draw a line starting at the middle of your ribbon end moving away. You can make this as long or as short as you want to.

Then draw the bottom lines on each side leaving a good gap between the bottom centerpiece of your ribbon. Make sure the sideline goes out as far as the other one and draw it further inward. Add in the V cuts and make your folded corners as shown below.

Multiple Layers

You can add more than one ribbon face by giving your ribbon banner more fold layers. Start by drawing your basic ribbon banner and adding the V cut on one end (Optional) and closing off the other side. Now mirror the shape below it leaving a gap between them and placing your V cut on the opposite end.

Next, draw the fold going from the top ribbon face to the bottom. To make it easier you can see in the image below that I start on the 1st ribbon face top corner and draw a diagonal line to the 2nd ribbon face top corner. Repeating the process for the bottom corners.

Curved with Layers

Your ribbon banners don’t always have to be straight lines. Add a more organic look to your ribbon banners by adding curves on your ribbon face and folds. When you add curves you need to take note of the directions your curves flow. When adding multiple layers you want your folds to go in the opposite direction (As shown below).

Helpful Tips

Using 2D Grids

You can use a 2D Grid to help with spacing and straightening your lines. This is very handy when you want to keep your ribbon banner thickness the same or even for drawing multiple ribbon layers. See our How to Use Procreate Drawing Guides tutorial to enable the 2D Grid guide to your canvas.

Duplicating

Duplicating your ribbon banner curves can be so handy for equal sides and speed up the process of drawing multiple ribbon layers. Here are the different ways How to Duplicate in Procreate with steps and images to help you.

Coloring Ribbon Banners

If you want colored ribbon banners you will need to add multiple shades when you add folds. Your ribbon face will have the lightest color, then your sides will be a little bit darker and your fold corners will be the darkest. This will keep the illusion going off your ribbon banner lifting up away from the folded sides.

That’s it, this is how you can draw ribbon banners, and the different ways and tips to help you get started. If you liked this tutorial make sure to check out our other tutorials such as how to use the liquify tool and how to make a paper cut effect in Procreate.