The Busy Artist's Secret Procreate Weapon
May 26, 2025Clone Yourself with Procreate's Secret Tool
If I had a nickel for every time I’ve wished I could clone myself, I’d be sipping cold brew on my own island.
But back in real life? I’m a mom of three with a calendar full of sports events, school concerts, K-pop concerts, and a pattern design biz I’m wildly passionate about. Which means: I don’t have time for tedious art tasks.
And neither do you.
If you’ve ever spent long, tedious hours copy-pasting motifs in Procreate, only to feel your creativity zapped faster than a toddler’s attention span—this post is for you.
Today I’m revealing one of my absolute favorite Procreate time-savers:
👉 The Clone Tool.
It’s the next best thing to actually cloning yourself.
Let’s break it down...
The Clone Tool in Procreate
The Clone tool is one of Procreate’s best-kept secrets. Hidden inside the Adjustments panel, it allows you to paint with pixels from another part of your canvas. Instead of duplicating and moving elements manually, you just “paint” the cloned content exactly where you want it.
Perfect for:
- Filling backgrounds with texture
- Duplicating hand-drawn motifs
- Creating quick pattern repeats
And most importantly?
It saves you hours.
How to Use Procreate’s Clone Tool (Step-by-Step)
This isn’t just a cool trick—it’s a workflow upgrade.
Here’s how to do it in 5 seconds flat:
Procreate Clone Tool Tutorial in 5 Easy Steps:
- Tap the magic wand icon (Adjustments menu).
- Choose Clone from the list.
- A circle appears on your canvas—this is your “clone source.”
- Drag the circle over the area you want to duplicate.
- Now “paint” anywhere on your canvas. The brush strokes will mirror the source!
Need to duplicate a flower element across your background? Boom. Done.
Want to build a textured border without manually copy-pasting every inch? The Clone tool’s got your back.
Real Talk: Why This Matters
If you're designing a collection for Spoonflower or prepping files for licensing, every minute counts. Why waste hours nudging elements around when you could be sketching your next hero print or choosing that perfect boho palette?
Saving time = creating more, pitching more, selling more.
That's the secret sauce behind growing a creative business.
That's it! No more endless copy-pasting. That circle is your cloning source—move it over a motif, like a star or vine, and draw to place it anywhere. It's like painting with instant duplicates, no extra layers or drama.
10X Timsaver Pro Tip: Batch the Boring Stuff
Batching the boring work is a time saver that maximizes your creative energy.
This workflow saves me countless hours:
- Use the Clone tool to build a pattern base
- Check the tile instantly with the Seamless Pattern Tester
- Export like a pro with a smart script (like my EasyScale Photoshop Script) if you’re using Photoshop
- Move on to your next design faster
Remember: perfectionism is not a productivity strategy. 😅 Let the tools do the heavy lifting.
Work Even Smarter
Pair It with These Game-Changing Tools
Procreate Pattern Collection Masterclass
Go beyond Clone basics. This self-paced course teaches you how to create full pattern collections using seamless repeats (full-drop, half-brick, half-drop), expert color palettes, and export-ready files.
Includes:
✔️ 25 repeat templates
✔️ Procreate file prep for licensing
✔️ Workflow strategies to save time and boost quality
Perfect for: Artists who want to build polished, market-ready collections without overwhelm.
Designing with Insight Email Course
My FREE 5-day crash course covering the five essential elements every pattern needs: composition, color, scale, theme, and technique.
You’ll also get my designer self-critique checklist so you can level up your patterns like a pro.
Delivered straight to your inbox. Zero fluff. 100% creative confidence.
Final Thoughts (aka the pep talk part)
You are not a human photocopier.
You’re an artist. A creator.
A builder of beauty.
The more you simplify your workflow, the more time you gain to design what you love—and share it with the world.
So if you’ve been stuck in copy-paste Procreate purgatory, give the Clone tool a whirl today. You’ll fall in love with pattern design all over again.
Stay Inspired & Keep Creating.
