Mastering Procreate: Practical Guide on Scale & Perspective

Published on 11 August 2023 8 min read

Get familiar with Procreate
Use Procreate for scale drawings
Adjust scale in Procreate
Draw with perspective in Procreate
Use perspective guide in Procreate
Create 3D objects with perspective in Procreate
Use perspective assist in Procreate
Tips for drawing with scale and perspective in Procreate

Have you ever looked at a piece of digital artwork and wondered how the artist managed to create such depth and dimension? Well, the key lies in mastering the art of playing with scale, angles, and perspective. And there's no better platform to learn these skills than Procreate. This blog will serve as your practical guide to help you navigate and master these concepts on Procreate. Ready to get started?

Get familiar with Procreate

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of playing with scale, angles, and perspective, let's first get our feet wet with the basics of Procreate. Procreate is a powerful digital illustration app available for iPad. It's loved by artists, designers, and doodlers alike, for its intuitive interface and robust set of features.

Here's what you need to know:

Canvas: When you first open Procreate, you're presented with a blank canvas. This is your playground, where all the art happens. You can customize the size of your canvas based on your project needs.
Tools: Procreate boasts a variety of tools, each with its unique properties. Brushes, smudge tools, and erasers are some of the key tools you'll be using. Each tool has adjustable settings, allowing you to customize them to your liking.
Layers: One of Procreate's most powerful features is its layer system. You can add, delete, hide, or rearrange layers. This is a game-changer when you're playing with scale, angles, and perspective because it allows you to modify individual elements without affecting the entire composition.
Color: The color wheel and color harmony tools allow you to choose and manipulate colors with ease. Understanding color theory can greatly enhance your art, especially when you're crafting scenes with depth and perspective.

Now that you're familiar with the basics of Procreate, you're ready to start playing with scale, angles, and perspective. Let's dive in, shall we?

Use Procreate for scale drawings

Let's start with scale drawings. In essence, scale drawing is the practice of drawing objects proportionally. It's resizing an object while keeping its proportions intact. And guess what? Procreate makes it incredibly easy!

Here are the steps to create scale drawings in Procreate:

Start with a sketch: Sketch out your object roughly on a new layer. It doesn't have to be perfect at this stage. The idea is to capture the basic shape.
Select the sketch: Tap on the 'Selection' tool (the S-shaped icon), then drag your stylus around the sketch to select it.
Resize the sketch: With the sketch selected, tap on the ‘Transform’ tool (the arrow icon). You can now resize your sketch by dragging the corners. Remember to hold down the 'Lock' button while resizing to maintain the proportions of your sketch. This is where the magic of playing with scale happens!
Refine your sketch: Once you're happy with the size, refine your sketch and add details. The scale should remain consistent as you add more elements to your drawing.

And voila! You've created your first scale drawing in Procreate. It's just like resizing a photo, but with your own sketches. How cool is that? But wait, there's more. Now that you've gotten the hang of scale, let's add another dimension—perspective.

Adjust scale in Procreate

Now, let's dive into adjusting scale in Procreate. This is a handy skill to have when you're working on more detailed pieces or when you're playing with scale, angles, and perspective in Procreate.

Here's how you adjust the scale of your artwork:

Make a selection: Just like before, start by using the 'Selection' tool to select the part of your artwork you want to adjust. You can make a freehand selection, or use the 'Rectangle' or 'Ellipse' options for more precise shapes.
Enter Transform mode: Tap on the 'Transform' tool. Now, instead of just resizing your selection, let's play with scale in a different way.
Distort your selection: In the 'Transform' toolbar, choose the 'Distort' option. Now you can drag the corners of your selection independently, stretching or shrinking your artwork in interesting ways. This tool is great for creating the illusion of depth and perspective.
Apply the changes: When you're happy with how your artwork looks, just tap the 'Arrow' again or swipe with three fingers to deselect.

Remember, adjusting scale isn't just about making things bigger or smaller—it's about adding depth and dimension to your work. So play around, experiment, and have fun with it.

Draw with perspective in Procreate

Now that you've got the hang of playing with scale in Procreate, let's delve into perspective. Drawing with perspective can seem a bit daunting at first, but don't worry — once you get the hang of it, it's a lot of fun and a fantastic tool for making your art more dynamic.

Understand the basics: In art, perspective is all about creating the illusion of three dimensions on a two-dimensional surface. It's about making things look 'right' in relation to each other. There are several types of perspective, but let's start with one-point perspective. This is where all lines converge to a single point on the horizon.
Set up your scene: Start by drawing a horizon line across your canvas. Then, place a dot somewhere along this line — this is your vanishing point. All lines in your drawing will lead to this point, giving the illusion of depth.
Start drawing: Now, draw a rectangle somewhere on your canvas, not touching the horizon line. This will be the front face of your building or object. Next, draw lines from each corner of your rectangle to the vanishing point. These are your perspective lines.
Add the back face: Draw another rectangle inside the perspective lines you just drew. This will be the back face of your object. And just like that, you've drawn a 3D object in one-point perspective!

Playing with scale, angles, and perspective in Procreate can open up a whole new world of possibilities for your art. It's not always easy, but it's definitely worth the effort.

Use perspective guide in Procreate

When it comes to playing with scale, angles and perspective in Procreate, the app's built-in Perspective Guide is a game changer. It's like having a virtual ruler and compass combined, guiding your strokes to create perfect vanishing points and horizon lines. Here's how to use it:

Activate the Perspective Guide: Tap on the wrench icon to open the Actions menu. Under the Canvas tab, you'll find the Perspective Guide. Turn it on and you'll see a grid appear on your canvas.
Set your perspective points: You can place one, two, or three vanishing points on your canvas using the Edit Perspective option. Once set, all your lines will snap to these points, making it easier to maintain accurate perspective.
Adjust your grid: The grid size can be adjusted to suit the scale of your drawing. A smaller grid can help with detailed work, while a larger one is great for broader strokes.
Start drawing: With the Perspective Guide active, your strokes will automatically align with the grid. This makes it simpler to maintain correct perspective, especially on complex drawings.

Remember, practice makes perfect. The more you experiment with the Perspective Guide, the more comfortable you'll become with playing with scale, angles and perspective in Procreate. It's a tool that, once mastered, can truly take your art to the next level.

Create 3D objects with perspective in Procreate

Creating 3D objects can be a fun way of playing with scale, angles and perspective in Procreate. The sense of depth and dimension that these objects bring to your canvas can be visually stunning. But how do you go about it? Here's a straightforward process to get you started.

Start with a basic shape: Begin by sketching a simple shape like a cube or a sphere. Use the Perspective Guide to ensure your lines are correctly aligned.
Add depth: To give your shape a 3D effect, you need to add depth. Draw lines from the corners of your shape and connect them at a point (the vanishing point) on your horizon line. This gives the illusion of depth.
Define the object: Now, you can start adding details to your 3D object. This could be anything from windows on a cube-shaped building to the texture on a spherical fruit. Remember to keep your light source in mind as you add shadows and highlights.
Use layers for complex objects: If you're drawing a more complex 3D object, using layers can help. You can draw different parts of the object on separate layers and then merge them when you're satisfied.

Creating 3D objects is not just about technical skill, but also about observation. Pay attention to how objects look in real life, how light falls on them, and how they relate to one another in terms of size and distance. This will help you play more effectively with scale, angles and perspective in Procreate.

Use Perspective Assist in Procreate

Now, let's dive into another handy feature: Perspective Assist. This tool is like a magic wand that helps you maintain consistent perspective throughout your artwork, making playing with scale, angles, and perspective in Procreate a breeze.

Activate Perspective Assist: To start, simply create a new layer, tap on it, and select "Drawing Assist". This will turn on the grid, which aids in establishing perspective.
Set your vanishing points: Now, tap on "Edit Drawing Guide". Here, you can set the vanishing point(s) for your artwork. Single point perspective has one vanishing point, two-point perspective has two, and so on. The lines in your drawing will snap towards these points when you draw, ensuring consistent perspective.
Start drawing: With Perspective Assist turned on, you'll notice that your strokes automatically align with the perspective grid. This is particularly useful when drawing buildings, interiors, or any object with straight edges.
Tweak as necessary: If you need to change the perspective while drawing, simply go back to "Edit Drawing Guide" and adjust the vanishing points as needed.

Remember, Perspective Assist is just a tool. You are the artist. Feel free to turn it off and break the rules when you want to create something unique. Because at the end of the day, playing with scale, angles, and perspective in Procreate is about expressing your own unique vision.

Tips for drawing with scale and perspective in Procreate

Now that you're getting the hang of playing with scale, angles, and perspective in Procreate, let’s talk about some tips to further refine your skills:

Start with basic shapes: Before jumping into complex drawings, practice with basic shapes. Draw cubes, spheres, and cylinders in different perspectives. This exercise will help you understand how objects deform with perspective.
Use layers wisely: Procreate supports layers, which is a lifesaver when playing with scale and perspective. Use different layers for different elements of your drawing, and adjust their scale and perspective independently. This gives you a lot of flexibility and control over your artwork.
Study real-life objects: The best way to understand perspective is to look at the world around you. Observe how objects change in size and shape as they move farther from your view. Take some time to sketch these observations in Procreate.
Experiment with different perspectives: Don't limit yourself to one or two-point perspective. Experiment with three-point and even four-point (fish-eye) perspectives for a unique, dynamic effect in your artwork.
Keep practicing: Like any other skill, mastering scale and perspective in Procreate takes practice. Don't be disheartened if your first few attempts don't turn out as expected. Keep playing with scale, angles, and perspective and soon you'll see improvement.

Remember, there is no 'right' or 'wrong' in art. It's all about expressing yourself. So, use these tips as a starting point, but feel free to break the rules and create your own unique style. Happy drawing!

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