Create and Self-Publish your own Zines

What you'll learn

Learn how to draw and paint on your iPad using the Procreate app with our Graphic Design Courses in Sydney!

With Procreate, you can unleash your creativity by turning your iPad into a digital art studio. Procreate provides the opportunity to draw or paint using your iPad using its brush and shapes options, using your Apple pencil in combination with hand gesture control. You can also import your existing hand-drawn sketches or photographs and transform them into digital artwork.

Procreate is user-friendly and is accessible to use anywhere allowing you to sketch on the bus, in the park or at home. All you need is your iPad, Apple Pencil and your imagination. Learn how to use Procreate's intuitive tools to sketch, paint, shade, use colour and apply effects in this hands-on Procreate beginners course in Sydney.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

• Understand the history and cultural significance of zines as an independent publishing format
• Create handmade mini-zines using classic folding and cutting techniques
• Plan and design clear, effective zine layouts for print
• Develop content that combines text, drawing, photography, and collage
• Create a digital zine using Procreate for home printing
• Confidently self-publish and share their work using affordable, DIY methods

After finishing this course, you might like to enrol in Learn Procreate Course for Continuers.

Course content

What will be covered in this course?

The course is delivered over two Saturdays (12 hours total), with the option to attend sessions individually.

Week 1: Handmade Zine-Making

• Participants are introduced to a range of handmade zine formats and examples, alongside the history and culture of zines as a grassroots creative movement. Practical demonstrations cover folding and cutting a single sheet of paper into an eight-page booklet, layout planning, and preparing artwork for photocopying or printing. Creative prompts support idea generation and help participants develop a short narrative or theme.

Week 2: Digital Zine Creation

• The second session focuses on creating a zine digitally using the Procreate app. Participants learn how to design pages on screen, adapt handmade aesthetics to a digital workflow, and prepare files for easy home printing. The session also explores blending traditional and digital methods, giving participants flexible options for future zine-making.

Intended audience

Who is this course for?

This course is suitable for adults of all experience levels, including beginners with no prior design or illustration skills. It is ideal for artists, writers, illustrators, educators, photographers, and anyone interested in self-publishing, storytelling, or DIY print culture. Participants may attend either the handmade or digital session individually; access to an iPad and Apple Pencil is recommended for the digital zine session.

Course venue

Rozelle Campus

2A Gordon Street, Rozelle NSW 2039 (corner of Gordon St & Victoria Rd on the grounds of St. Joseph's Church)

Course materials

What to bring to class

• Students need to bring an iPad and an Apple pencil. See the list below for compatible iPads.
• Students need to download the Procreate app (the approximate price of app-only is $14.99 AUD available from the App Store).
• Please make sure all devices are fully charged and also bring a charger to class.
• A pen and notepad for taking notes.

Additional information

Please note the following:

You can use Apple Pencil (2nd generation) with these iPad models: 

• iPad mini (6th generation)
• iPad Air (4th generation and later)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later)
• iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later)

Apple Pencil (1st generation)

You can use Apple Pencil (1st generation) with these iPad models:

• iPad mini (5th generation)
• iPad (6th generation and later)
• iPad Air (3rd generation)
• iPad Pro 12.9-inch (1st and 2nd generation)
• iPad Pro 10.5-inch
• iPad Pro 9.7-inch