Today I’ll show you how to draw this tessellation pattern with a step by step tutorial. A tessellation is a way to fill up a surface using shapes with no overlaps or gaps (more info on that here).

You’ll find it easy to follow even if you’re a beginner and I’m sure you’ll enjoy drawing this abstract pattern, let’s get into it!

Tutorial Supplies.

• Dotted paper (Leuchtturm1917 for example).
• Pencil (Faber Castell or Bruynzeel).
• Black fineliner (Sakura Pigma Micron 01).
• Black marker (Sakura Pigma Brush).
• Color marker (Staedtler Triplus).

(These are affiliate links, which means I get a small commision from your purchase at no additional cost to you).

Here’s a quick video tutorial to follow along:

But if you prefer a classic step by step, keep reading!

Step 1: Sketch a square grid.

Use any kind of pencil to draw a squared grid that you’ll use as a reference in the next steps. Each square should be 7 dots wide x 7 dots tall (including the dot where you start drawing). You won’t see these auxiliary lines later.

Step 2: Erase some lines.

Erase some of the lines from the grid to create bigger squares made of 4 small squares together. Make sure you distribute them throughout the page so they don’t touch each other.

Step 3: Ink the grid.

Trace over the pencil grid you’ve been drawing so far. In order to make the lines really thick I suggest you use a fineliner (Micron 01) to draw the outlines first and then a black marker (Pigma Brush) to fill them in.

Step 4: Draw vertical bands.

Grab a black marker (Pigma Brush or similar) and draw vertical curved bands from top to bottom, but only inside the small squares from the grid. Make sure they start where the previous one ended so they’re connected.

You can draw the outlines first with a fineliner if you need it, and then fill them in with the black marker.

Step 5: Draw horizontal bands.

Use the same marker to repeat the previous step, but with horizontal curved bands this time (only inside the small squares too).

Make sure they’re connected from left to right, so they start in the same place where the previous one ended.

Step 6: Fill in the big squares.

Use the same marker  you’ve been using and focus on the remaining big squares. You have to draw a curved cross inside each of them, made of a vertical curved band and a horizontal one. They should be connected to the bands inside the smaller squares you drew in previous steps.

Step 7: Decorate some fragments.

Grab your color marker (I used a turquoise Staedtler Triplus) and decorate all the fragments inside the big squares and half of the fragments inside the small squares.

In order to do this you just have to contour those fragments, outlining the same shape over and over again but a bit smaller each time.

Step 8: Contour the remaining fragments.

Use the same color marker and go to the remaining fragments. Contour all of them as you did in the previous step, but only once this time. That way you’ll have 2 different types of fragments combined that will make the pattern more interesting.

You completed this abstract pattern step by step!

Hope you found the step by step tutorial to draw this tessellation pattern useful! Tag me on Instagram (@mariopatterns) when you try it, I’d love to see it! Make sure to check out some of my other pattern tutorials, or keep scrolling to download my FREE WORKBOOK on How To Draw Geometric Patterns. All the best!