My experiments with can designs for unusual drinks in Procreate

5 min readJun 28

Creating of can designs in procreate 3d illustrations

Of all the areas of graphic design, I am particularly attracted to packaging design. It attracts me because the visual is moving from 2D space to tangible 3D.

In my free time, I often draw illustrations in Procreate. With the addition of the 3D drawing features, I got the idea to design beverage cans based on thematic illustrations.

The first thing I had to do was to figure out how to draw a net that would fit nicely on the can model. In Procreate, you can draw directly on the model, but then the lines can be distorted. You can also draw on the texture, but it is not very convenient. It is not clear where the grid elements are on the texture.

3d drawing in procreate — The texture layer is difficult to navigate.

I decided to create my own texture with markup based on a net in Adobe illustrator.

3d texture of can in procreate — The red line is the junction point. You should not place any important elements on it.

These marks allowed to orient on the canvas when illustrating. I marked a safe space. The segments allow to define a place for the illustration and description. Now I can start sketching.

I decided to choose four drinks from around the world. I started with the familiar for me mors.

Mors — a slavic drink made of lingonberries, red currants and honey.

You can find boxes of mors on store shelves, and they all look the same. Usually it’s just a red box with a picture of berries. Boredom.

Mors design — A classic example of mors packaging in Russian stores

I wanted to create an interesting visual that would look unusual on the can. At the same time, I wanted to keep the idea of a traditional ancient drink. I started to look at different historical patterns and stopped my eyes on Gzhel.

Gzhel — a traditional motif of Russian porcelain painting.

Gzhel in modern graphic design — Plate painted as Gzhel

It was perfect, so I started sketching. I drew a bird in berries, essentially the traditional motif of this mural, and then added the name of the drink in large lettering. The entire jar, including the lid and bottom, was painted in white, which made it feel like a porcelain.

At the end, I added a description and composition, as well as a decorative barcode. It turned out quite a minimalistic and bright image.

I wanted to choose something from Asia as my next drink.

Sikhye — It is a traditional Korean drink that contains boiled rice grains and pine nuts.

On the shelves you can find cans of sikhye. Often they are yellow cans with a picture of the drink.

This drink is quite often found in 0.2 ml

I had a chance to try this drink, it seemed to me very soft and sweet.
So I had to portray it with soft colors and “liquid” shapes. In addition,
I wanted to draw a character.

As a result, I drew a chipmunk holding the rice, with the name next to it. The description of the drink was to be depicted on the plate, for contrast with the text.

The next drink I wanted to make was a wildly flamboyant one. After a long study of an assortment of unusual drinks from different countries, I settled on a potion from the lands of South America.

Ayawaska — A unique drink of Native American tribes from the Amazon. It has a strong psychoactive effect.

You won’t find this kind of drink on store shelves. It is brewed by shamans from special leaves. But what if you imagine, suddenly something like this appears on the shelves? What design would reflect the essence of this drink?

The illustration of ayawaska took the longest. After reading about the peculiarities of this drink, I tried to reflect the psychoactive effects in the context of the wild jungle.

I drew a surreal forest in acid colors, with a comet flying through, symbolizing a break from reality. I gave the texture of the can a matte metallic glow.

I placed the description vertically, with a warning about the psychoactive effect.

The fourth design I wanted to do in an oriental motif. I already knew the right drink for this one.

Karkade — Hibiscus herbal tea from Egypt. It has a rich red color and a deep sour taste.

Karkade is most often sold in the form of dried leaves for brewing, like tea. Occasionally you can find drinks in a bottle.

Unlike to the mors, I decided not to give up the red color in the design of the drink. The key image I chose the pharaoh’s boat on the Nile, decorated in floral motif. In the background is the sun, on top of which is a bowl of rosella. An oriental pattern emanating from the sun like rays.