As I mentioned in my previous article, I have started using Procreate, and for all the new artists out there, here are some tips for using this app! I would encourage you to read my other article first to learn about what Procreate is and its benefits! Here are some tips that I wish that someone had told me about when I first started using procreate.
- Blending
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Blending is a big part of any artwork. It helps make everything look smooth. Blending is difficult when you are making physical art, but Procreate makes it really easy! My favorite blending brush is the airbrushing tool, but you can use different brushes as well. For example, if you are using the oil paints brush, you can blend two colors together! Select the Finger tool in the top right corner.
- Importing brushes
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Procreate starts out by giving you a set number of brushes that you can use and there is a lot of variety. However, sometimes when you are creating specific pieces, you need a certain kind of brush that procreate doesn’t offer. You can import brushes by looking them up online and downloading the brush set. You might have to pay for some of these brushes, but there are many brushes that you can find for free as well! When you go into your brushes, click on the + in the right corner to import download brushes.
- Opacity
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You can change the opacity/transparency of a certain layer by tapping with two fingers on the layer in the layers menu. You can then slide your fingers back and forth on the screen to either increase or decrease opacity.
- Video artwork
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This is one of my favorite Procreate tricks. When you go on TikTok, you can see videos of artists speed painting their artwork. On procreate, you can view a time-lapse of your piece. You can also download this video to your device. If you click the wrench in the top left corner and click Video, you can make and export a video of your artwork!
- Import pictures
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On procreate, you can import another image as a layer. This provides multiple benefits. For example, you can trace the outline of another image or you can pick up a color reference from that image. If you click the wrench in the top left corner and click Add you can include other images in.
- Color reference
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This can be used to pick up the color from somewhere on your screen. If you used a certain color somewhere in your piece and wanted to select it again but do not know the exact color, you can use this tool! If you click the small square to the left of the screen in between the size and opacity of the brushes, that will let you color reference.
These tips really help me when I am using Procreate and I use them every time I make a piece! There are also other tutorials online that you can watch to learn more about everything that Procreate has to offer. I hope these tips help you use Procreate to make your artwork the best it can be!