Mastering Procreate: Tips for Stunning Artwork

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 6 min read

Mastering Procreate and creating stunning artwork is a journey of exploration — an exploration of color, texture, and most importantly, brushes. Among the plethora of brushes Procreate offers, the procreate pencil brush holds a special place for its versatility and ease of use. This blog post will guide you on how to become a Procreate expert, harnessing the power of the procreate pencil brush to create striking digital artwork.

Getting to Know Procreate

Like an artist gets familiar with their canvas, getting comfortable with Procreate's interface is your first step. This section covers the basics of the interface, brushes and layers.

Explore the Interface

Canvas Toolbar: At the top of your screen, you'll find the Canvas Toolbar, which houses the Gallery button, adjustments, actions, and more.
Brush Library: On the right side, you'll find the brush library. This is where the magic happens. Especially the procreate pencil brush, which you'll find yourself using quite often.
Layers: On the same side, just above the brush library, you'll find the layers tab. This allows you to organize your artwork efficiently.
Color Picker: At the top right, there's the color picker, your tool for choosing and managing colors.

Mastering the Brushes

Procreate offers a wide range of brushes, but the procreate pencil brush is a game-changer. Here's why:

Versatility: With a procreate pencil brush, you can sketch, shade, and add details. It's your all-in-one tool for creating stunning artwork.
Customization: The procreate pencil brush is highly customizable. You can adjust the size, opacity, and even the pressure curve to match your personal style.
Realism: The procreate pencil brush mimics the feel of a real pencil. It truly brings the tactile experience of traditional drawing to your digital canvas.

Utilizing Layers

Layers are like clear sheets stacked on top of each other, allowing you to work on individual elements of your artwork without disturbing the rest. Here's how to use them:

Creating Layers: You can add as many layers as you need, but remember, each layer consumes memory. So use them wisely!
Arranging Layers: You can move layers up and down the stack to manage the visibility of your artwork elements. For example, sketch your base drawing on a lower layer using the procreate pencil brush, then add colors on a layer above.
Blending Modes: Layers can also have different blending modes, which affects how they interact with the layers beneath them. This is perfect for adding textures or shading.

Creating Color Palettes

Creating a color palette is like curating your own art exhibition — each color is a masterpiece, and together, they tell a story. Let's dive into the world of color theory and learn how to customize your palette in Procreate.

Understanding Color Theory

Color theory is the science and art of using color. And yes, it's as exciting as it sounds! Here's a quick primer:

Primary Colors: Red, Blue and Yellow. You can't make these colors by mixing others.
Secondary Colors: Green, Orange and Purple. Mix two primary colors, and voila! You have a secondary color.
Tertiary Colors: These are the colors you get when you mix a primary color with a secondary color. Think yellow-orange or blue-green.
Complementary Colors: These are colors directly opposite each other on the color wheel. They bring out the best in each other. Pro tip: Use the procreate pencil brush to experiment with these combinations.

Customizing Your Palette

Now that you're a color theory whiz, let's create a custom palette in Procreate:

Select the color picker, then tap on the "+" to create a new palette.
Tap on any spot in the new palette to add a color.
Repeat until you have all the colors you need. Remember, a well-chosen palette can elevate your artwork to new heights!
Feel free to experiment with your procreate pencil brush and these new colors. You might surprise yourself with what you create!

Drawing Techniques

Now that you've got your colors sorted, let's get to the fun part — drawing. We'll start with some basic sketching before moving onto more advanced techniques. And don't worry, your procreate pencil brush will be right there with you every step of the way!

Basic Sketching

Every great piece of art starts with a sketch. Here's how you can make the most of your sketching process in Procreate:

Start with simple shapes: Everything around you can be broken down into simple shapes. Start your sketch by identifying and drawing these shapes.
Refine your shapes: Once you've got the basic shapes down, you can start refining them. This is where your procreate pencil brush comes in handy. Use it to add details and make your shapes more accurate.
Add shading: Shading adds depth to your sketches. Use the side of your procreate pencil brush to add a light layer of shading.

Advanced Techniques

Once you've mastered the basics, you're ready to take your art to the next level. Here are some advanced techniques to help you get there:

Use layers: Layers are your best friends in Procreate. You can use them to separate different elements of your drawing and make adjustments without affecting the rest of your artwork.
Experiment with brushes: Procreate comes with a variety of brushes. Don't be afraid to experiment with them. Your procreate pencil brush is great for sketching, but try using different brushes for coloring and texturing.
Play with colors: Remember that color palette you created? Now's the time to use it. Experiment with different color combinations and see how they affect the mood of your artwork.

Using Guides

Guides are like the GPS of your art journey. They help you stay on track and reach your destination faster. Here's how you can use them in Procreate:

Select the Actions menu (the wrench icon).
Under Canvas, turn on the Drawing Guide. This will overlay a grid on your canvas.
Use this grid to ensure your proportions are accurate. You can also use it as a guide when drawing straight lines with your procreate pencil brush.

Applying Textures

Texture is what gives your art life. It's the difference between a flat, 2D drawing and a rich, 3D piece that looks like you could reach out and touch it. Let's explore how you can apply textures in Procreate.

Importing Textures

Procreate comes packed with a library of pre-made textures that you can import into your artwork. Here's how:

Open the Brushes menu and tap on the "+" button to create a new brush.
In the brush settings, tap on "Grain".
Tap on "Edit" and then "Import" to select a texture from your library.
Once you've imported a texture, you can adjust its scale, rotation, and brightness. Play around until you get the look you want.

And remember, your procreate pencil brush isn't just for sketching. You can also use it to apply textures to your artwork!

Creating Your Own Textures

If you can't find the texture you're looking for in Procreate's library, why not create your own? It's easier than you think:

Create a new layer and fill it with a color of your choice.
Use your procreate pencil brush to draw the texture you want. This could be anything from dots and dashes to squiggles and crosshatches.
Once you're happy with your texture, save it to your camera roll. You can now import it into Procreate and use it just like any other texture.

Creating your own textures is a great way to add a personal touch to your artwork. Plus, it's a fun way to experiment with your procreate pencil brush!

Now that you've created your masterpiece, it's time to share it with the world. But before you do, you'll need to export it from Procreate. Let's discuss how you can do this effectively.

Export Options

One of the many things that makes Procreate so great is its range of export options. You can choose to export your artwork as a layered Procreate file, a Photoshop file, or a flat image file. Here's how:

Select the wrench icon to open the Actions panel.
Tap on "Share".
Choose the file format you want to export your artwork in.

Keep in mind, different file formats are suited to different purposes. For example, if you want to edit your artwork further in another app, you might choose to export it as a Photoshop file. If you're sharing it on social media, a JPEG or PNG file might be best.

Sharing your artwork on social media is a fantastic way to get feedback, build your portfolio, and even attract potential clients. Here's a simple way to do it:

Once you've exported your artwork, open your preferred social media app.
Create a new post and select your artwork from your camera roll.
Add a caption to your post. This could be a brief description of your artwork, the inspiration behind it, or the techniques you used. Don't forget to mention your procreate pencil brush!
Hit "Post" and watch the likes roll in!

Sharing your artwork is the final step in the creative process. It's a chance to show off your skills, share your vision, and connect with other artists. So go ahead, post that masterpiece and let the world see what you can do with a procreate pencil brush!

If you're looking to enhance your skills in creating stunning digital artwork, we highly recommend checking out the workshop 'Intro to Procreate: Drawing with Digital Tools' by Vicky Catalan. This workshop will provide you with the essential knowledge and techniques needed to master Procreate and take your digital art to new heights.