From 2D Napkin Sketch to 3D Model — The Secret iPad Pro Workflow


You know those freehand design sketches we all make on napkins or on our iPads — the ones where the proportions feel right, even if there’s no literal scale?
That’s where most of my favorite ideas start.

In this new tutorial, I show exactly how to turn those loose, spontaneous drawings into scaled 3D models — without ever leaving your iPad.

The workflow begins in Procreate or Morpholio Trace, where I rough out a small sustainable cabin design (the same way I’d sketch on a napkin). From there, I show how to:

  • Add a quick graphic scale or known dimension directly onto the sketch

  • Export the drawing as an image

  • Import it into SketchUp for iPad and scale it perfectly to real-world dimensions

  • Start laying out walls and guidelines so the idea can come to life in 3D

The beauty of this workflow is how immediate it feels. No exporting between programs, no desktop needed — just a direct bridge from sketch to model, from imagination to structure.

👉 Watch the full YouTube tutorial to see the process step-by-step and download the free Procreate + SketchUp for iPad files I used in the lesson.
🎥 Watch it here