Create Your Perfect Blending Brush in Procreate: Step-by-Step Guide

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 24 May 2023 9 min read

Looking to elevate your digital art skills in Procreate? One of the most effective ways to improve your artwork is by mastering the art of blending. In this step-by-step guide, we'll explore blending brushes in Procreate, teaching you how to create your perfect custom blending brush, and sharing tips and tricks for getting the most out of your new tool. So let's dive in and learn how to make the most of blending brush procreate!

Understanding Blending Brushes in Procreate

Blending brushes are an essential tool for digital artists, allowing you to seamlessly mix colors and create smooth transitions in your artwork. Let's start by understanding the importance of blending, the types of blending brushes available in Procreate, and the default brushes that come with the app.

Importance of Blending in Digital Art

Blending is a critical skill for digital artists because it helps:

Create smooth transitions between colors and shades
Imitate traditional art mediums, such as oils or watercolors
Enhance the realism and depth of your artwork
Improve the overall look and feel of your digital paintings

By mastering blending techniques and creating the perfect blend, you can make your digital art appear more realistic and polished achieving professional-looking results.

Types of Blending Brushes in Procreate

There are various types of blending brushes in Procreate, each with its unique characteristics and effects. Some common types include:

Soft brushes: These brushes create a gentle, smooth blend, perfect for subtle transitions and soft edges.
Textured brushes: These brushes add texture to your blending, mimicking the look of traditional art mediums like oil paint or pastels.
Smudge brushes: These brushes act like a digital finger or blending stump, allowing you to smudge and mix colors directly on the canvas.

Understanding the different types of blending brushes will help you choose the right tool for your specific needs and art style.

Default Blending Brushes in Procreate

Procreate comes with a set of default blending brushes that you can experiment with right away. Some popular default brushes include:

Soft Airbrush
Wet Acrylic
Oil Paint
Smudge tool with various brush options

While the default brushes can be helpful, creating your own custom blending brush will give you more control and flexibility in your artwork. Keep reading to learn how to make a blending brush procreate that's perfect for you!

Creating Your Custom Blending Brush in Procreate

Now that you have a solid understanding of blending brushes in Procreate, it's time to create your perfect custom blending brush. This process involves choosing a brush shape source, adjusting brush settings for optimal blending, and testing your new tool. Let's dive in!

Choosing the Brush Shape Source

The first step in creating a custom blending brush procreate is selecting a brush shape source. This shape will serve as the base for your blending brush, determining its overall look and feel. Procreate offers a variety of brush shapes to choose from, or you can even create your own by importing images.

When selecting a brush shape source, consider:

Texture: What type of texture do you want your blending brush to have? This could range from smooth, soft edges to rough, textured marks.
Style: Are you aiming for a specific art style, such as oil painting or watercolor? Choose a brush shape that mimics the characteristics of your desired medium.

Once you've chosen your brush shape source, you're ready to move on to adjusting the brush settings for your custom blending brush procreate.

Adjusting Brush Settings for Optimal Blending

After selecting a brush shape source, it's time to fine-tune the brush settings to achieve the perfect blending effect. Procreate provides numerous settings to customize your blending brush, including:

Spacing: Adjust the spacing between brush marks for a smoother or more textured blend.
Opacity: Control the transparency of your brush strokes, allowing for lighter or heavier blending.
Flow: Determine how quickly the color is applied to the canvas, affecting the overall intensity of the blend.
Wet Mix: Enable this setting to simulate the blending properties of wet paint, giving your brush a more realistic feel.

Experiment with these settings to create a blending brush procreate that works best for your art style and needs. Remember, you can always make adjustments later to fine-tune your brush even further.

Testing Your Custom Blending Brush

Once you've adjusted the brush settings, it's time to put your new custom blending brush procreate to the test. Create a new canvas in Procreate and start playing around with your brush:

Test different pressure levels to see how your brush responds.
Experiment with blending various colors to ensure smooth transitions.
Try using your brush on different layers and with different blending modes for a more in-depth understanding of its capabilities.

If you're not entirely satisfied with your blending brush procreate, don't worry—you can always go back and tweak the settings until you achieve the perfect blend. Remember that practice makes perfect, so the more you use your custom brush, the more comfortable and confident you'll become with blending in Procreate.

Tips for Effective Blending with Your Procreate Brush

Now that you've created your ideal custom blending brush procreate, let's explore some tips and techniques to help you blend like a pro. In this section, we'll cover utilizing pressure sensitivity, layer management, and color picking techniques for effective blending in Procreate. Ready? Let's jump right in!

Utilizing Pressure Sensitivity

One of the keys to mastering blending in Procreate is learning how to harness the power of pressure sensitivity. When used effectively, pressure sensitivity can make your blending brush procreate feel more natural and responsive, just like traditional art tools. Here are some pointers to keep in mind:

Adjust Pressure Settings: Customize the pressure curve in Procreate's settings to match your personal drawing style and preferences. This will help you achieve more consistent results when blending.
Practice Light Touch: When blending, try using a lighter touch to create smooth gradients and transitions. Pressing too hard can result in harsh lines and less control over your blending brush procreate.

Layer Management for Seamless Blending

Managing your layers effectively is crucial for achieving seamless blending in Procreate. Layers allow you to work non-destructively, ensuring you can easily make changes and corrections without affecting other parts of your artwork. Consider these layer management tips:

Use Separate Layers: When working on different elements of your artwork, create separate layers for each component. This will make blending easier and allow for more precise control over your blending brush procreate.
Experiment with Blending Modes: Procreate offers a variety of blending modes, which can dramatically affect the way your colors interact. Try different blending modes to achieve unique effects and bring your artwork to life.

Color Picking Techniques for Better Blending

Choosing the right colors can make all the difference in the success of your blending efforts. The following color picking techniques will help you create harmonious and natural-looking blends with your blending brush procreate:

Use the Color Wheel: The color wheel in Procreate is a powerful tool for choosing colors that work well together. Selecting complementary or analogous colors will result in smoother, more pleasing blends.
Employ the Eyedropper Tool: When blending colors, use the eyedropper tool to pick precise shades from your canvas. This will ensure accurate color matching and make your blending transitions appear more seamless.

With these tips and techniques in mind, you're well on your way to mastering blending with your custom blending brush procreate. Keep practicing and experimenting, and you'll be creating stunning digital art in no time!

Troubleshooting Common Blending Brush Procreate Issues

As you continue to develop your blending skills with your custom blending brush procreate, you might encounter some common issues. Fear not! In this section, we'll address these problems and provide practical solutions to help you overcome them. Let's dive into the world of troubleshooting and get you back on track with your blending brush procreate journey.

Fixing Uneven Blending

Uneven blending can be a frustrating issue to deal with when using your blending brush procreate. To help you achieve smoother transitions, consider these tips:

Adjust Brush Settings: Tweak the brush settings, such as spacing and jitter, to ensure a more consistent stroke. This will help you avoid patchy or uneven blending.
Practice Your Strokes: The way you move your stylus plays a significant role in blending. Make sure to practice your strokes by creating smooth, continuous motions instead of short, choppy ones.

Dealing with a Laggy Blending Brush

Experiencing lag with your blending brush procreate can slow down your creative process and impact the quality of your artwork. To minimize lag, try these handy tricks:

Reduce Brush Complexity: Complex brushes with high-resolution textures or numerous settings can cause lag. Simplify your brush by reducing texture size or streamlining settings.
Optimize Canvas Size: Working on a large canvas with many layers can also contribute to lag. Consider reducing your canvas size or merging layers to improve performance.

Adjusting Brush Opacity for Better Control

Controlling the opacity of your blending brush procreate is essential for achieving the desired blending effect. To fine-tune your brush opacity, keep these pointers in mind:

Modify Opacity Settings: Adjust the opacity settings within your brush settings, allowing for better control over the transparency of your strokes. Experiment until you find the perfect balance for your artwork.
Use Light Pressure: Remember that pressure sensitivity plays a significant role in opacity control. By applying light pressure, you can create more transparent strokes, which can help you achieve smoother blends.

With these troubleshooting tips, you'll be well-equipped to tackle any blending brush procreate issues that come your way. As you continue to practice and refine your techniques, you'll become an expert in no time. Now, let's move on to our final section: expanding your blending brush procreate library.

Expanding Your Blending Brush Procreate Library

Now that you've mastered creating and troubleshooting your custom blending brush procreate, it's time to broaden your horizons and expand your blending brush procreate library. In this section, we'll discuss different ways to grow your collection, share your creations, and keep everything organized. With a diverse and well-organized brush library, you'll have an arsenal of blending tools at your disposal—imagine the digital art masterpieces you'll create!

Importing Brushes from Other Artists

One fantastic way to diversify your blending brush procreate library is by importing brushes created by other artists. Not only do you get to try new techniques and styles, but you also get to learn from the expertise of fellow digital artists. Here's how:

Explore Online Communities: Join online forums, social media groups, or art platforms where artists share and discuss their custom brushes. You'll find a treasure trove of unique blending brushes to try out in your work.
Support Independent Creators: Many talented artists sell their custom brushes on personal websites or platforms like Gumroad. Supporting these creators not only adds fantastic brushes to your collection but also helps fellow artists thrive.

Sharing your custom blending brush procreate creations with the digital art community can be both rewarding and educational. As you share your brushes, you'll receive feedback and tips that will help you improve your skills even further. Here's how to share your brushes:

Export Your Brushes: Procreate allows you to export your custom brushes as .brush files. Simply tap on the brush, select "Share," and save it to your preferred location.
Join Online Communities: Connect with other artists in online forums or social media groups and share your brushes with them. The exchange of ideas and resources will enrich your blending brush procreate experience.

Organizing Your Brushes for Easy Access

As your blending brush procreate library grows, it's essential to keep things organized for easy access and smooth workflow. A well-organized brush library means you can quickly find the perfect brush for your project without wasting time searching. Here are some tips for organizing your brushes:

Create Custom Categories: Group your blending brushes into custom categories in Procreate. This will help you easily locate and select the right brush when you need it. For example, you can create categories like "Soft Blending," "Textured Blending," or "Edge Control."
Rename Your Brushes: Give your blending brushes descriptive names that reflect their unique characteristics or purpose. This will make it easier to identify each brush at a glance, saving you time and frustration.

By expanding, sharing, and organizing your blending brush procreate library, you'll elevate your digital art skills to new heights. With a diverse collection of brushes and a well-organized library, you'll be ready to tackle any project or challenge that comes your way. So go ahead—dive into the world of blending brushes and unleash your creativity!

If you enjoyed our step-by-step guide on creating the perfect blending brush in Procreate, you'll love the workshop 'Procreate Basics: Making Digital Art' by Sameera Maruvada. In this workshop, you'll learn the essentials of digital art in Procreate, helping you to further enhance your skills and create stunning artwork.