Getting to know a new digital art program can be tricky, and there are often a bunch of different features that are overlooked.
Procreate, one of the most popular drawing apps of the moment, is packed with amazing features that allow artists to create stunning illustrations on the go.
If you want to learn all about this program Erika Wiseman’s amazing course Digital Drawing in Procreate for Beginners may be just what you need.
To make sure you don’t miss out on any of Procreate’s useful features, we’ve compiled a list of our favorite Procreate tips and tricks you might not know about.
1# Create straight lines and perfect shapes at all times
Have you ever wondered how to draw precise shapes and lines in Procreate? Well, I’ll tell you that Procreate has a super intuitive function for this.
Do you want a perfectly straight line? All you have to do is draw your line with any of Procreate’s brushes and then hold down the pen for a moment at the end of the gesture until it straightens.
This trick also works perfectly with shapes, so you never have to worry about trying to create the perfect freehand circle again.
2# Fill shapes in one step
Many beginners to the Procreate app often don’t realize that you can drag a color from your palette to fill a section of your artwork.
All you have to do is select your desired color in Color Circle and then drag it down on whatever you want to fill.
This fill layer tool trick is great as it allows you to quickly try different colors in your illustrations.
3# Create your own custom Procreate brushes
Have you ever used a default Procreate brush and thought that with a few adjustments it would be perfect? Luckily, with a few simple steps, you can edit or create the brushes you want!
To edit an existing brush, simply swipe left on it in the Brush Library and select ‘Duplicate’.
Once you’ve duplicated your chosen brush, simply double-tap on it to open its settings. There are many different aspects of the brush that you can play with, including Shape, Stroke Trajectory, Conicity, Stabilization, Grain, Blending, and Color Dynamics.
With so much customization available, you’re sure to be able to create the exact brush you’re looking for! Want to create a brush from scratch? Just tap the plus sign (+) icon at the top of the Brush menu and start creating.
4# Use Liquify to deform your illustration
The Liquify tool is one of the often overlooked ones in the Procreate app, even though it has many impressive uses!
You can easily access this tool through the Settings drop-down menu in the upper left corner (Magic Wand icon). Once selected, you can adjust or warp parts of your artwork by simply dragging them with the pencil.
This tool is ideal if you need to make small modifications to your artwork, such as slightly changing the shape of an eye or moving the corner of a character’s mouth. Liquify can also be used to create some really cool abstract effects in your work.
5# Alpha Lock Tool
The Alpha Lock tool can be used to lock the alpha channel of any layer. The alpha channel represents the opacity and transparency values for the entire layer.
When alpha lock is turned on, you won’t be able to draw in any of the transparent areas of your layer.
This is really useful when you want to color your work without leaving the areas that are already colored. To use the Alpha Lock tool, simply open the Layers panel, tap the desired layer, and select Alpha Lock from the drop-down menu.
6# Use blending modes
Like other digital drawing programs, Procreate offers a wide variety of blending modes This tool allows you to change the way colors interact between multiple layers in your artwork.
To access these blending modes, simply open your Layers menu and then select the small letter ‘N’ on the layer you want. A list of blending modes that you can experiment with will open.
There are many different uses for blending modes. For example, the “Multiply” blending mode is great for shadows, while the “Overlay” and “Soft Light” modes can be used to add lights.
Learn how to mix colors in Procreate with our detailed post on how to mix in Procreate.
7# Create custom color palettes
Did you know that you can create your own custom color palette in Procreate? To create your own palette, all you have to do is open the Color Panel, select the Palettes tab, and tap the plus sign (+) icon in the top corner.
Your new palette will be called Untitled, but you can rename it to whatever you want. This color palette will become the new default for your project.
You can even make a custom Palette using an image or drawing! All you have to do is follow the steps above but instead, select ‘New from File’ when you are creating your color palette.
8# Opacity Slider
This tool allows you to change the opacity of your layers in Procreate. To access the opacity slider simply open the Layers menu and tap the layer you want with two fingers.
A slider bar should appear, allowing you to adjust the opacity of your layer.
9# Use the symmetry tool
Do you want to be able to create perfectly symmetrical illustrations in Procreate?
All you have to do is open the Actions Menu in the upper left corner of the screen (wrench icon) > Canvas menu > activate Drawing Guide; select Edit Drawing Guide.
It will then take you to a separate screen where you can select the Symmetry button at the bottom. Vertical symmetry will be enabled by default, but you can also select horizontal, quadrant, or radiant symmetry from the Options menu.
The Symmetry tool can be great for creating accurate drawings of your characters for things like model sheets.
10# Eyedropper tool
Procreate’s interface is known for its truly intuitive gesture-controlled tools.
To select any color on your canvas using the Eyedropper tool, simply tap and hold anywhere on your canvas and then drag the color picker over the color you want to select.
Your selection should now appear in the Color menu so you can draw with it.
11# Clipping Masks
Similar to Alpha Lock, Clipping Masks allow you to keep your drawings within a specific set area. The difference is that clipping masks require multiple layers to be used.
To create a Clipping Mask, simply add a new layer above the layer you want to block your coloring on. Then tap on the new layer and select Clipping Mask from the pop-up menu.
Everything you draw on that layer will now be constrained to the boundaries of the illustration on the bottom layer. This can be a great method to add texture or shading to an object without drawing directly on your base layer.
12# Cut out your illustrations!
To access the Crop & Resize tool in Procreate, simply tap the wrench icon in the upper-right corner (Actions menu) and select the Canvas menu. You’ll see the Crop & Resize button at the top of the menu. Tap this button and you’ll be taken to a screen where you can easily crop your canvas.
13# Move a selection
Want to move an object or selection area in Procreate? Tap the ‘S’ icon at the top of the screen, select Freehand and draw a selection around the object you want to move. Tap the mouse at the top of the screen, then use Apple Pencil to move the object to the desired location.
14# Export a video in quick sequence
Did you know that Procreate allows you to export amazing videos in quick sequence of your drawings?
To access this feature, simply open theActions menu by tapping the wrench icon; go to the Video menu > select Export Quick Sequence Video.
If you only want to watch the video and not export it, try tapping ‘Play Quick Stream’ instead.
Did you know that you can also create animations in Procreate? This blog post teaches you how to animate in Procreate in five steps.
Have these tips inspired you to create illustrations in Procreate? Now that you know all about these basic tools, you’re on your way to making stunning illustrations!