Procreate Selection Tool Mastery: Seamless Editing Tips

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 6 min read

Unlocking the full potential of your digital artwork starts with mastering the right tools—like the Procreate select tool. This powerful feature can transform your editing process, allowing you to make precise adjustments and shape your artwork just the way you want. In this blog, we'll provide you with seamless editing tips to help you become a Procreate Selection Tool master.

Introducing Procreate Selection Tool

Before we dive in, let's get acquainted with the Procreate Selection Tool. This tool is a vital part of the Procreate app and mastering it will take your digital artwork to new heights.

What is Procreate Selection Tool?

The Procreate select tool is an essential feature in the Procreate app, a popular drawing and painting software for iPad. This tool allows you to isolate and modify specific areas of your digital canvas. Whether you want to move elements, change colors, or apply effects, the Procreate select tool makes it possible and straightforward. It's like having a magic wand that brings your creative vision to life.

Why Use Procreate Selection Tool?

Imagine you've spent hours on a digital painting, but there's one element that's not quite right. Perhaps a color needs tweaking, or an object isn't in the right place. With traditional mediums, you'd have to redraw or repaint, which is time-consuming and risky. But with the Procreate select tool, you can make these adjustments with a few taps and swipes. This tool gives you control and flexibility, allowing you to edit your artwork with precision and ease. It's a game-changer for digital artists.

Now that we understand the importance of the Procreate select tool, let's start with some basic edits.

Start with Basic Edits

Getting started with the Procreate select tool is easier than you might think. Let's begin by exploring how to select areas and transform selections.

Selecting Areas

Firstly, to use the Procreate select tool, you'll tap on the 'S' icon located in the top menu. A range of options will appear at the bottom of your screen—Rectangle, Ellipse, Freehand, and Automatic. These options allow you to select areas in different shapes. For example, if you're working on a geometric piece, the Rectangle or Ellipse selection might be handy. If your artwork is more organic, Freehand lets you draw your own selection. And if you want to select an area of similar colors, Automatic is the way to go. It's all about finding what works best for you and your unique style.

Transforming Selections

Once you've selected an area, you can start making changes. The Transform tool, the little arrow icon, is where the magic happens. With this, you can move, scale, rotate, flip, or distort your selection. It's like having your very own digital putty—mold and shape it until it's just right. Remember, the Procreate select tool is your best friend when it comes to making precise, controlled changes to your artwork.

Now that we've covered the basics, let's move onto some advanced techniques.

Advance Your Skills

Now that we've gotten the hang of the basics, let's level up your editing game with the Procreate select tool. Ready to feather your selections and apply quick mask mode? Let's dive in.

Using Feather Tool

Feathering is a neat trick that can give your selections a soft, diffused edge. After making a selection, you'll find the Feather slider in the Adjustments menu. Slide it right or left to increase or decrease the amount of feathering. Feathering can help blend your changes seamlessly with the rest of your artwork. It's the secret ingredient to avoid harsh, jagged edges and achieve a smooth, natural look. So, next time you use the Procreate select tool, don't forget to feather!

Applying Quick Mask Mode

Quick Mask Mode is another advanced feature of the Procreate select tool that can speed up your editing process. When you enter Quick Mask Mode, your selection turns into a red overlay—this is your mask. You can then use any brush to paint on the mask, adding or subtracting from the selection. It's like painting your selection directly onto your canvas. Think of it as a shortcut to create complex selections quickly and effortlessly. Once you're done painting your mask, tap Quick Mask again to turn your mask back into a selection. Give it a try - you'll be amazed at how much time you can save!

Feeling more confident with the Procreate select tool? Great! But there's still more to explore. Let's move on to mastering intricate selections.

Master Intricate Selections

With the basics and some advanced skills under your belt, it's time to venture into the art of making intricate selections with the Procreate select tool. We're going to focus on two key methods: freehand and automatic selection. So, let's get started, shall we?

Working with Freehand Selection

Freehand selection is one of the most flexible ways to use the Procreate select tool. As the name suggests, it allows you to draw your selection area freely, just like sketching on a canvas. It's perfect for selecting irregular, complex shapes or detailed areas. To use it, simply choose Freehand in the Selections menu and start drawing your selection. Remember, you can close your selection by either joining the ends or just lifting your pencil. Freehand selection — it's all about enjoying the freedom to select exactly what you need!

Utilizing Automatic Selection

Automatic selection is another powerful tool in your Procreate selection arsenal. It's designed to make selecting areas of the same color a breeze. To use it, first, choose Automatic in the Selections menu. Then, tap anywhere on your artwork. The Procreate select tool will select all the contiguous area of the same color. You can adjust the threshold of color similarity by sliding your pencil or finger left or right. It's a real time-saver when you need to select large areas of the same color.

Now you've got a good grip on intricate selections. But are you ready to streamline your editing process even more? Next up, we'll talk about some smart ways to optimize your workflow with the Procreate select tool.

Optimize Your Editing Process

Now that you've mastered the art of selection, let's make your editing process even smoother. We'll look at how to save and load selections for future use, and how to combine different selection methods for maximum efficiency. Ready to level up your Procreate select tool game? Let's dive in.

Saving and Loading Selections

Did you know you can save your selections for later use? That's right! Procreate allows you to save your carefully crafted selections and load them whenever you need. Here's how:

After making a selection, go to the Actions menu and select 'Add' under the 'Selections' tab.
Name your selection and tap 'Done'.
When you want to load your selection, just go back to the 'Selections' tab in the Actions menu and tap 'Load'.

So, no need to redraw complex selections every time. Save them, load them, and you're good to go!

Combining Selection Methods

One of the great things about the Procreate select tool is that you're not limited to just one selection method. In fact, you can combine different methods to make complex selections. For instance, you can start with an automatic selection and then fine-tune it with freehand selection. Or you can add to a rectangular selection with a little bit of lasso selection. The possibilities are endless, and the power is in your hands!

With these techniques, you're well on your way to becoming a Procreate select tool pro. But what happens when things don't quite go as planned? Don't worry, we've got you covered. In the next section, we'll tackle some common issues and how to troubleshoot them.

Troubleshoot Common Issues

Even the most skilled artists can run into a hiccup or two when using the Procreate select tool. But not to worry - we've got some handy tricks to help you get back on track. Let's explore some common issues and how to overcome them.

Dealing with Selection Boundaries

Ever found yourself struggling with those pesky selection boundaries? Well, you're not alone. But thankfully, Procreate has an easy fix:

Once you make a selection, tap on the 'Transform' tool.
Now you can easily nudge, resize, or rotate the selection as needed.
And if you need to modify a specific part of the selection, just switch back to the 'Selection' tool and adjust as necessary.

See? No more wrestling with selection boundaries!

Overcoming Uneven Edits

Uneven edits can be frustrating, especially when they mess with your masterpiece. But fear not, there's a way to smooth things out:

After making a selection, use the 'Feather' tool to slightly blur the edges.
Then, apply your edits. The feathering will help to blend them into the rest of the artwork, reducing any unevenness.

Now you can say goodbye to those annoying uneven edits and hello to smooth, seamless artwork!

Armed with these troubleshooting tips, you're more than ready to face any challenges that come your way. Remember, mastering the Procreate select tool takes practice, so keep experimenting and have fun with it. Happy creating!

If you're looking to further enhance your Procreate skills after mastering the selection tool, we highly recommend exploring the workshop 'Intro to Procreate: Drawing with Digital Tools' by Vicky Catalan. This workshop will provide you with an excellent introduction to using Procreate and its various features, allowing you to create stunning digital drawings with ease.