Procreate Tips: Achieving Smooth Lines & Brushstrokes

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 6 min read

Digital art enthusiasts, you've probably heard of Procreate, a fantastic tool that's transformed the way we sketch, draw, and paint, right in the palm of our hands. Our focus today? Achieving smoother lines and improved brushstrokes with Procreate. Let's dive in and level up your digital artistry skills by mastering Procreate's features and techniques.

Get Familiar with Procreate

Before we tackle the nitty-gritty of procreate smoothing lines, let's first get acquainted with Procreate's landscape. We'll explore its intuitive interface, understand how layers work, and discover the vast brush library at our fingertips.

Exploring the Interface

Procreate's interface is clean, user-friendly, and customizable. Here's a quick rundown of its main elements:

At the top, you'll find the Navigation Bar, where you can access Gallery, adjustments, actions, and more.
The Toolbar on the left is your paint palette, offering color selection, brush, eraser, and smudge tools.
The Layer and Brush Panels on the right let you manage layers and select brushes, respectively.
The Slider on the side controls brush size and opacity—slide up or down to adjust.

Remember, Procreate's interface is designed to give you a seamless drawing experience. Feel free to modify the workspace to fit your unique creative process.

Understanding Layers

Layers are the backbone of any complex Procreate artwork. Think of them as transparent sheets stacked on top of each other, allowing you to work on different elements without affecting the rest of your art. Here's how you can use them:

Create a New Layer: Tap the plus icon in the Layer Panel.
Rearrange Layers: Hold and drag a layer to change its order.
Blend Layers: Tap the 'N' symbol to open blending options.

Working with layers can significantly enhance your workflow, allowing you to edit, rearrange, and refine your artwork with great flexibility.

Using the Brush Library

Procreate's extensive Brush Library is a treasure trove for artists. It houses a wide range of brushes to suit all your artistic needs, from sketching to painting and even texturing. To select a brush, simply open the Brush Panel and scroll through the categories. Remember, you can also customize brushes or even create new ones from scratch in Procreate for those perfect procreate smoothing lines.

Master the Line Control

Now that you're familiar with the Procreate landscape, let's delve into the art of line control. This is where the magic of procreate smoothing lines happens. We'll look at adjusting pressure curves, utilizing the streamline option, and mastering the QuickLine tool.

Adjusting Pressure Curves

In Procreate, you can control how much the pressure you apply affects the brush response. This is done by adjusting the pressure curves. Here's how:

Go to the 'Actions' menu and select 'Prefs.'
Tap 'Edit pressure curve.'
Adjust the curve by dragging the points. A steeper curve means a greater change with less pressure, while a flatter one means you need to apply more pressure for changes.

Play around with the curve until you find the sweet spot that gives you the smoothest lines with the most comfortable pressure.

Use Streamline Option

One of the best features for achieving procreate smoothing lines is the Streamline option. This feature smooths out your strokes by reducing the impact of any small jitters in your hand movement. Here's how you can use it:

Select a brush and open the brush settings panel.
Under the 'Stroke' tab, adjust the 'Streamline' slider.

The higher the streamline value, the smoother your strokes will be. But be careful—not to overdo it, or your lines may look too automated and lose their natural feel.

Use the QuickLine Tool

Need perfectly straight lines in your artwork? Say hello to Procreate's QuickLine tool. To use it, simply draw a line and hold at the end. Procreate will automatically straighten the line for you. For those straight-as-an-arrow lines, the QuickLine tool is your best friend.

Improve Your Brushstrokes

Next up, let's focus on perfecting those brushstrokes. By experimenting with different brushes, adjusting brush settings, and practicing consistency, you'll be creating procreate smoothing lines in no time.

Experiment with Different Brushes

Procreate boasts an impressive assortment of brushes, each with its own unique characteristics. Don't be shy—try them out! The more you experiment, the more familiar you'll become with the effects each brush can produce. You might be surprised at the difference changing a brush can make to the smoothness of your lines.

Adjust Brush Settings

Did you know you can customize each brush in Procreate? By adjusting brush settings, you can fine-tune the brush behavior to suit your style and needs. Here's a quick guide:

Select your brush and open the brush settings panel.
Explore settings like opacity, flow, and size. These can greatly influence the look and feel of your lines.

Remember, getting procreate smoothing lines often involves adjusting these settings until you find your perfect match.

Practice Consistency

Like with any skill, practice makes perfect. The more you draw, the more control you'll gain over your brushstrokes. Try to draw a little each day, focusing on maintaining consistent pressure and movement. Over time, you'll see a noticeable improvement in the smoothness of your lines. Keep at it, and soon you'll be creating procreate smoothing lines like a pro!

Apply Smoothing Techniques

Now that you've got the basics down, let's take a look at some specific techniques to smooth out your lines in Procreate. The smudge tool, Gaussian blur, and layer masks can all be used to create gorgeous procreate smoothing lines.

Use the Smudge Tool

The Smudge Tool is your best friend when it comes to smoothing lines. Here's how you can use it effectively:

Select the Smudge Tool from the top menu.
Choose a brush from the Brush Library. Soft brushes usually give the best results.
Drag the Smudge Tool along the lines you want to smooth out. The intensity of the effect depends on how hard you press.

With some practice, the Smudge Tool can be a powerful ally in your quest for procreate smoothing lines.

Try Gaussian Blur

Gaussian Blur is another fantastic tool to create smooth lines. By applying a subtle blur effect, it can help to soften harsh lines and blend colors. To use Gaussian Blur:

Open the Adjustments menu and select Gaussian Blur.
Slide your finger or stylus to the right to increase the blur effect. Remember, a little goes a long way!

Give it a try and see how Gaussian Blur can add a touch of smoothness to your lines.

Apply Layer Masks

Layer Masks are another excellent way to achieve smooth lines. By hiding certain parts of a layer, they allow you to create smooth transitions and gradients. Here's how to use them:

Select the layer you want to smooth out and tap on the mask icon.
Use the Brush Tool to paint over the areas you want to hide. You can adjust the brush settings for finer control.

Layer Masks might seem complex at first, but once you get the hang of it, they'll become an indispensable tool in your procreate smoothing lines toolkit.

Experiment and Grow

Mastering procreate smoothing lines is just the beginning. Procreate is a wonderful digital canvas that can help you grow as an artist. Let's explore how you can continue to expand your skills and evolve your style.

Try New Styles

Don't limit yourself to one style or technique. The beauty of digital art lies in the limitless possibilities. Try different styles, from realistic to abstract, from minimalistic to detailed. Who knows, you might discover a style you never knew you would enjoy. Remember, each new style you try can teach you something valuable about procreate smoothing lines.

Draw from Life

Drawing from life is an excellent way to improve your observation skills and get a better understanding of form, light, and shadow. It could be a bustling city scene, the serene beauty of nature, or even a bowl of fruit. The more you draw from life, the more naturally you'll be able to capture the smoothness and flow of real-world lines in your digital artwork.

Participate in Challenges

Participating in art challenges is a great way to push your boundaries and improve. Challenges like Inktober or 100 Heads Challenge not only motivate you to draw regularly but also present an opportunity to experiment with new styles and techniques. And who knows, you might even find a new trick to add to your procreate smoothing lines capabilities while you're at it.

In conclusion, mastering procreate smoothing lines is a journey, not a destination. Keep experimenting, keep growing, and most importantly, keep creating. Happy Procreating!

If you've enjoyed learning about Procreate tips for smooth lines and brushstrokes, you'll definitely want to check out the workshop 'Animating with Procreate and Photoshop' by Nyanza. This workshop will take your Procreate skills to the next level by teaching you how to create stunning animations using both Procreate and Photoshop. Don't miss out on this opportunity to expand your digital art expertise!