How to draw with finger procreate
Can I draw with my finger in Procreate?
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Yes, you can draw with your finger in Procreate, a popular digital art app for iPad. Procreate is intended to be simple and easy to use, allowing artists to create with their fingertips or a stylus such as the Apple Pencil.
Keep in mind that the original intent of Procreate intended to be used with a pen or a stylus when considering whether or not to purchase it.
It’s possible that if you have an iPad model that supports Procreate but you don’t have an Apple Pencil or a stylus in general, you may wonder if you can even work/draw in Procreate without one.
Yes, in a nutshell. If you don’t have an Apple Pencil or any compatible stylus, you can still sketch in Procreate using your fingers.
In terms of technical capabilities and drawing characteristics, as well as in terms of creative options, you will be constrained. For a variety of reasons, this software is designed to be used with a stylus.
It’s a simple reality that Procreate was designed to replicate the feel of writing with a pen and a pencil. Using a stylus with Procreate is a no-brainer because of all the added functionality that the latest generation of Apple Pencil provides.
Especially if you intend to make a work of art of a professional caliber. Alternatively, you might simply use this drawing program as a hobby.
How to Use Procreate’s Quick Menu for Faster Art
Tips to use your finger to Draw with Procreate
Procreate is an app that works with any iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil. It can be used to create artwork with your finger as well. For this to work you need to configure it for Finger use
1. Reconfigure for finger use
How to Reconfigure for Finger Use:
Navigate to the Actions menu (wrench icon), then to Preferences > Gesture controls > General, and check that Disable Touch Actions is not enabled there.
That’s probably the most important thing to look for – your finger should automatically function until that setting is enabled.
Is it possible that this will restore functionality, or are you still experiencing difficulties?
If you want to play around with the three Palm Support settings available in the iPad Settings app under Procreate, you might also try them out to see which one works best for you.
The Apple Pencil’s default setting is Disabled – this is because the Pencil has its own Palm rejection technology – but when drawing with a finger, you may prefer Standard or Fine Mode over the Disabled setting.
2. Get some “Hands on” by using Finger
If you are used to using an Apple pencil or stylus to work on Procreate, you would take some time to work with your fingers.
Drawing with fingers on Procreate is easy and relaxing.
My friend had carpal tunnel surgery a couple of years back and was unable to physically hold their Pencil with their dominant hand from about Jan 2020 until November 2020 because of the procedure. Drawing with his fingers and setting up his iPad like an easel allowed him to draw for approximately 4-6 hours every day.
Despite the fact that he has had a year to heal, he continues to sketch with his fingers because fingers are often simple and soothing to draw with.
How do you make Mandala on Procreate? A Complete Guide

“Digital design is like painting, except the paint never Dries”
3. No matter what you use Pencil Or fingers Brushes work just fine.
In Procreate, the glides your finger or Apple Pencil makes as it goes across the screen is used to create a stroke.
Your brush shape’s’stamping’ frequency can be controlled here.
A lot of space will cause the brush to appear as a sequence of shapes along the path, separated by spaces. The brush strokes along the path will combine into one flowing stroke if you lower the space to zero.
Randomly offsets each stamp of your brush shape as it moves along the route.
To ensure a seamless stamping experience, turn it off to ensure that all stamps are perfectly aligned. Roughen your brush’s edge by turning the knob up a notch. Use a high setting to distribute your shapes in a random manner.
Rather than starting with full opacity, fade it out as you progress.
If you want to see no fading at all, simply turn it off.
You may quickly fade a stroke to invisibility by turning the knob all the way up.
Can I draw with my finger in Procreate? Tips to use your finger to Draw with Procreate
https://youtu.be/dCWl2pLvTWAhttps://youtu.be/uXPikxHAMEo
Difference between using fingers and Stylus-which is better?
Well, a few of my paintings were created with only my finger, procreate, and a standard iPad.
As a result, working with fingers in Procreate was not difficult. However, the Apple Pencil is an excellent tool for precise drawing, which will save you time and frustration from numerous updos.
What do I prefer?
A stylus, without a doubt! With Procreate, I do a lot of drawing. I use an Apple Pencil and Wacom Bamboo stylus( as an Alternative) to draw.
And it’s been almost a year since I last scratched my screen. Drawing on the screen is all about how much pressure you apply.
Because I enjoy using the stylus so much, I’ve purchased six additional replacement nibs and I have an extra Apple pencil (that my 10 yo daughter uses for her Drawings). Depending on how often you use it, Styluses tend to last about three months.
Personally, I like the finer control provided by a stylus/Apple pencil. The screen hasn’t been scratched in six months of use.
Why Apple Pencil is better Option than using fingers to Draw on Procreate?
Some of the features that Procreate provides are enhanced only with the Apple pencil. Procreate does not require that you connect your Apple Pencil. Just launch Procreate and start drawing as soon as you connect it to your iPad.
Apple Pencil pressure and tilt are supported directly by Procreate’s optimized brushes. While the Apple Pencil’s brush responses can be fully customized, you can also use them straight out of the box.
It’s okay, however, there are several brush qualities that can only be done by an Apple pencil (such as shading or those awesome pressure effects).
Pro Note:
Drawing with the finger is unsuitable for fine drawing: your finger is considerably thinner than a stylus, and it will be difficult to properly control the lines you would draw on Procreate’s Canvas.
The most suitable alternatives
Of course, using a stylus to sketch is a better option. And without a doubt, the Apple Pencil is the best stylus for drawing on your iPad (check its compatibility with the version of your tablet before buying it).
Nothing compares to the accuracy of the Apple Pencil Gen 2 even after testing less expensive styluses from Amazon (the Apple Pencil costs a set amount).
However, if you have any suggestions for anyone looking for an iPad stylus, please share them in the comments.
This essay has come to a conclusion; hopefully, you found it helpful.
Resources:
Check out the Comprehensive List of Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:
Super Important things to know using fingers to Draw in procreate
Well, finger painting should be working out of the box, there is no need for a specific location. As a traditional artist, I never used fingers to draw or paint I always used Brushes.
When it comes to iPad-based apps like Procreate, we can draw using our fingers. However, The Smudge and Erase buttons in the Gesture Control Panel should be disabled if that is the case. If Touch is enabled for either of these tools, your finger will only smudge or erase, not paint.
Check out this other stuff, too:
- If the color you’ve chosen does not match the color of your backdrop, this error will occur.
- you are using the Paint tool (the paintbrush icon is blue)
- The canvas sidebar’s brush size and opacity sliders aren’t set to zero.
- •You haven’t enabled Alpha Lock in your layer (in the Layers menu, tap the thumbnail to access the Layer Options menu and turn off Alpha Lock there). Swipe right on the thumbnail with two fingers, which also turns on Alpha Lock)
“The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity.”
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About the Author:
Manny Acharya is the co-founder of Artmellows. Your go-to place for Design, Digital Art, Digital sculpting, Photography, Design Tools and gears Info, and Product Reviews. Manny is a Digital Artist, 3D Sculpt Designer, Ardent Photography, Drone flying Enthusiast, and tech Lover. He supercharges Digital Art and design by crafting memorable 3D sculptures & 2D Design and art. Learn more About Manny:
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