Procreate Palm Support Mastery: Tips for Artists

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 7 min read

Procreate Palm Support is a game-changer in the world of digital art, delivering seamless, immersive, and intuitive experiences. Learning to master this feature can significantly elevate your artistry skills, from sketching to painting. Let's dive into the world of Procreate Palm Support and discover how to harness its full potential.

1. Kick Start Your Journey with Procreate Palm Support

As you begin your journey with Procreate Palm Support, it's like setting out to explore a new territory. There are a few key points to keep in mind to ensure a smooth ride.

Getting Palm Support Set Up

Setting up Procreate Palm Support is pretty straightforward. To get things going, you'll need to:

Launch Procreate on your device.
Go to 'Actions' then 'Preferences'.
Toggle 'Palm Support' on.

Doing so ensures your device will ignore any touches other than your stylus. This means you can rest your hand on your screen without interfering with your artwork.

Choosing the Right Stylus

Another important step in making the most of Procreate Palm Support is picking the right stylus. While Procreate is compatible with many stylus brands, the Apple Pencil tends to be the fan favorite. Not only does it offer high precision, but it also supports pressure sensitivity and tilt functionality, both of which can significantly enhance your artistry skills. Don't forget to set up the pressure curve in your device's settings to match your personal drawing style.

Understanding Touch Gestures

Mastering Procreate Palm Support isn't just about the setup or the right tools—it's also about understanding how to interact with them. Procreate offers a wide range of touch gestures that can greatly speed up your workflow, such as two-finger tap to undo, three-finger swipe for quick access to the copy-paste menu, and pinch to zoom or rotate the canvas. Practice these gestures until they become second nature, and you'll find yourself breezing through your art projects in no time.

2. Optimize Your Workflow

Now that you've got the basics of Procreate Palm Support down, it's time to explore ways to optimize your workflow. A well-optimized workflow can vastly improve your efficiency, giving you more time to focus on your creative process.

Using Layers Effectively

Layers are a powerful feature in Procreate that can help you manage your artwork more effectively. Here's how to use them to your advantage:

Use separate layers for different elements of your artwork. This way, if you want to edit one part, you won't accidentally affect other parts.
Group related layers together. This not only keeps your workspace organized, but also allows you to apply adjustments to multiple layers at once.
Take advantage of layer blend modes. These can create various effects by changing how a layer interacts with the one beneath it.

Remember, mastering layer management is key to achieving a smooth workflow with Procreate Palm Support.

The Quick Menu in Procreate is your secret weapon for boosting productivity. It's a customizable menu that provides shortcuts to your most frequently used actions. To access it, simply tap on the screen with three fingers. You can configure the Quick Menu to suit your workflow—whether that's adding a favorite brush, changing the brush size, or turning the drawing guide on or off. The more you use it, the more it'll feel like an extension of your hand.

Making the Most of Brushes

Procreate offers a plethora of brushes designed to mimic traditional art mediums. But the real magic happens when you start customizing them to suit your style. You can adjust the brush's size, opacity, and blend mode, as well as create your own brushes from scratch. This feature is especially handy when using Procreate Palm Support, as it allows you to draw as naturally as you would with a traditional brush or pencil.

3. Create Stunning Artworks

With a firm grasp on Procreate Palm Support and an optimized workflow, you're ready to take your artwork to the next level. Let's explore some techniques that can make your pieces truly stand out.

Utilizing Color Dynamics

Color dynamics can breathe life into your artwork. It allows the color of your brush to change based on the speed, pressure, or tilt of your stylus. To make the most of this feature:

Experiment with different settings in the Color Dynamics panel. This can help you discover new and exciting effects.
Use color dynamics to create more natural-looking artwork. For instance, you can set your brush to darken the color when you apply more pressure, mimicking the effect of pressing harder with a real pencil.
Remember, subtlety is key. Overusing color dynamics can make your artwork look chaotic, so use it sparingly for the best results.

Playing with Textures

Textures can add depth and realism to your artwork. Procreate offers a range of texture brushes, from gritty pencils to soft watercolors. But don't be afraid to create your own textures:

Use the built-in camera on your iPad to take photos of interesting textures, such as a brick wall or a leaf's surface.
Import these photos into Procreate and use them as a base for your custom brushes.
Experiment with different blend modes to see how they interact with your textures.

With Procreate Palm Support, you'll be able to apply these textures with precision and ease.

Experimenting with Blend Modes

Blend modes can dramatically change the look of your artwork. They control how the colors of your current layer interact with the colors of the layers beneath it. Here are some tips to get you started:

Use the "Multiply" blend mode to create shadows. It darkens the colors, making it perfect for adding depth to your artwork.
Try the "Overlay" blend mode to boost contrast and saturation. This can make your colors pop and add a sense of vibrancy to your piece.
Don't be afraid to experiment. Some of the best effects come from unexpected combinations of blend modes.

Remember, Procreate Palm Support allows you to switch between blend modes quickly, so don't hesitate to play around until you find what works best for your artwork.

4. Troubleshoot Common Challenges

As with any digital tool, you might encounter some hiccups along your Procreate journey. But don't worry, there are solutions to these common challenges. Let's dive in.

Dealing with Lagging Issues

Does your Procreate app lag or freeze at times? This can be particularly frustrating when you're in the middle of creating art. Here's what you can do to solve this:

Close unnecessary apps. Keeping other apps open can slow down your iPad, leading to lagging issues.
Reduce the number of layers. Each layer you add uses more of your iPad's memory. So, try to use them sparingly.
Lower your canvas size. A larger canvas requires more memory, which can slow down Procreate.

With a bit of management, you can keep the Procreate Palm Support running smoothly, ensuring a seamless drawing experience.

Resolving Brush Pressure Problems

Are you having trouble getting the right pressure on your stylus? Here are some solutions:

Adjust the pressure curve. In the settings menu, you can modify the pressure curve. This adjusts how sensitive Procreate Palm Support is to the pressure from your stylus.
Check your stylus. Sometimes issues can stem from the stylus itself. Make sure it's fully charged and properly connected to your iPad.
Update Procreate. The developers regularly release updates that fix common issues, including pressure sensitivity ones.

Once you've sorted out any pressure issues, you'll be able to take full advantage of Procreate's extensive brush library.

Managing Memory Usage

If you're dealing with frequent crashes, it's likely that your iPad's memory is overloaded. Here are some ways to manage memory usage:

Clear the gallery. Old artworks can eat up a lot of memory. Consider exporting them to an external drive or cloud storage to free up space.
Optimize layer usage. Try to use as few layers as possible to reduce memory usage.
Restart your iPad regularly. This can help clear the memory and keep Procreate running smoothly.

By effectively managing memory, you can ensure Procreate Palm Support is always ready when inspiration strikes.

Art is best when shared, and your Procreate masterpieces deserve to be seen. Whether you're working on a personal project or a commission, here's how you can share your work with the world.

Exporting Your Artworks

Exporting your work allows you to save it in a suitable format for sharing or printing. Here's how to export your artwork from Procreate Palm Support:

First, open the Actions menu (the wrench icon), and select 'Share'.
Next, select the file format you want. For most uses, JPEG or PNG will be perfect. If you want to print your work, you might prefer a PDF.
Finally, choose where you want to save your work. You can save it to your device, send it via email, or upload it to cloud storage.

And voila! Your work is ready to be shared or printed.

Social media is a great way to showcase your work and connect with other artists. Here are some tips for sharing your work on social platforms:

Consider the platform: Each social media platform has its own best practices. For example, Instagram is great for single images, while Twitter is better for sharing a series of images.
Use hashtags: Hashtags are an excellent way to get your work seen by more people. Use popular art hashtags, as well as hashtags specific to Procreate Palm Support.
Engage with your audience: Remember, social media is a two-way street. Respond to comments on your posts and engage with other artists' work as well.

Sharing your work online is a great way to get feedback and improve as an artist.

Joining Procreate Community

Finally, consider joining the Procreate community. There, you can connect with other Procreate users, share your work, and get tips and feedback from other artists. Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned pro, the Procreate community can be a great resource for improving your skills with Procreate Palm Support.

If you're looking to improve your Procreate skills and explore new techniques, don't miss out on the workshop 'How to Draw A Fruit In ProCreate' by Vicky Catalan. This workshop will help you master the art of drawing fruits in Procreate while providing valuable tips on palm support for a seamless creative experience.