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Is Procreate Good for Beginners?

Procreate is a drawing and art tool that has swiftly established itself as one of the most distinctive elements of the digital art industry.

Yes! procreate is a Good Beginner Friendly App on iPad made especially for digital Artists on the go.  Beginners will have to go through the learning curve and get more Knowledge on how to use the app to create beautiful artwork.

Procreate has profoundly impacted the creative lives of both my daughter (10 years old) and I.

As a beginner to Procreate, you will need all those technology /Gadgets that will help you learn to procreate smoothly and swiftly. Make good choices when it comes to gadgets!

Any way you look at it, my daughter started off as a total novice with this technology, and she went through the process of finding out how to make it work for her in her digital art Journey. 

It didn’t take that long for her to learn,  I assisted in her learning. Now, she does her own artwork on Procreate App. Recently, she made artwork for her Friend( a pet rabbit) and sold it for $20. Fantastic Is it not?

Nonetheless, as a newcomer entering the world of Procreate digital art medium, there are a few things you should be aware of and consider. 

I am writing this blog to help beginners get through the process smoothly.

let’s begin with what kind of a beginner you are.

1. You are just new to procreate app but you are good at your art. Like my daughter & I, instance, I have been doing traditional art since I was 15 years old and also I’m good at Graphic design and other traditional sketching and digital sculpting. 

When I 1st heard about Procreate I wanted to go for it. So, I purchased the App and started learning its basics. For this Blog’s purpose, let’s categorize as  Pro-Artists & New to procreate an App

 2. You are new to the digital art world and as well as new to Procreating. For instance, my wife is a Good marketer and runs a digital marketing agency. 

She is getting a bit keen on digital Drawing and wants to work on Procreate and digital art. She does not use photoshop or is not familiarised with any form of Art. Let’s call them New to Art & New to procreate App.

Procreate is a digital art tool that is suitable for artists of all ability levels, from complete beginners to experienced Art professionals.

On the other side, those who are just getting started with Procreate App will want to invest their time, energy, and Interest into their learning in order to enhance their talents and get the most out of this cool App.

Resources:

Check out the Comprehensive List  of  Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:

Right Technology/Gadget in the Key

Whether you are a complete newbie to art & procreate or just a newbie to procreate you should be equipped with good gadgets to work on.

Procreate is currently available for $9.99 for lifetime access at the time of writing. There are no monthly fees, add-ons, or hidden costs.

What device do you need to have to use Procreate smoothly?

1. Apple iPad

If you are serious about learning Procreate, don’t skimp on Devices & technology. 

My nifty suggestion is to Invest in a good iPad for your needs otherwise You’ll quickly become frustrated & Irritated if you have a slow iPad with a Home Button that won’t work or battery drains too fast and a cheap stylus that draws  wrong shapes and selects a wrong color.

Arts ; Recommended tools set: My Top Pick from Amazon

2. Apple pencil

Procreate was designed specifically for use with the iPad and Apple Pencil, and it thus performs wonderfully & smoothly with them. 

So, I suggest getting an Apple pencil. Think that as a Business Investment – If you are looking at selling your artwork made from your Procreate App even otherwise it’s investing in a vast amount of learning.

I’ve used and experimented with a number of Non-Apple-Pencil styluses. They have the potential to be sluggish, and buggy. Using an Apple Pencil, on the other hand, is quite comparable to using a traditional pencil. 

You’ll get the impression that you’re writing with a real pencil. Trust me on this one!

3. One time purchase of Procreate App( $9.99) on your iPad

If that appears to be a lot of money, you’ll quickly realize how powerful Procreate is and how the Procreate guys could easily charge that much on a monthly basis if they wanted to and most Artists will take it. I bet on it.

Given everything Procreate can do and how frequently you’ll use it and you will have the ability to make money out of it( by selling your artwork), $9.99 for lifetime access is a Good deal.

4. Additional Brushes and Color Palette

You can purchase additional brushes for Procreate, but with this one purchase, you can use the entire app to its full potential.

“The object of art is not to reproduce reality, but to create a reality of the same intensity.”

Procreate App-Beginner’s Tip

When you are already good at your art and you are already doing artwork on other Mediums be it traditional art or digital art- learning and using Procreate will be quite a smooth journey. 

As you know the stokes, lighting basics, lines & shapes of art, the only things you will need to know are the fundamentals of using Procreate.

I could learn to use Procreate in just a few days.

What makes Procreate so great for beginners is that there is a low barrier to entry if all you want to do is play around with it and get a feel for it. 

Procreate, unlike other digital software or Apps, has an easy-to-use dashboard with quick access to a variety of brushes, pens, pencils, and colours.

Even if you have no prior knowledge of Procreate, you would be able to jump in and figure out how to create something on the platform.

This can make Procreate a lot of fun for artists who want to experiment with the digital world. It also makes things easier for artists as they progress through the platform – and makes it easier for them to stay on top of their game.

Strikingly easy-to-use design and intuitive controls mean that you don’t have to worry about the technical aspects of choosing colours, manipulating the canvas, or selecting brushes. 

When I initially downloaded Procreate for my daughter’s iPad, my daughter and I had a blast learning. I wanted to test what the various brushes could do.

This made me think Procreate may be a great tool for unwinding & Relaxing. But, now I make money out of it. Trust me – I get many commission work that I create on Procreate for my Clients. 

Even though Procreate’s interface is quite basic, you need to understand how to utilise it effectively.

Invest the Time in Learning the Basics of Procreate

When I started using procreate 4 Years back, I thought the learning curve is going to be steep. But I made a list of things you need to learn as a beginner that will help you Master the app sooner.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a seasoned digital artist, a skilled designer, or a complete novice to digital illustration. 

As a long-time user of the app I’ve discovered several new capabilities that have improved my artwork and I have taught my daughter how to use the procreate App.

As a long-time user of the app, I’ve discovered several new capabilities that have improved my artwork.

Let’s Begin:

Learn Quick shapes and quick lines 

The Quick-shape function helps to remove wobbly lines and uneven forms from your hand-drawn work.

The form and size of your lines may be adjusted once Quick-shape has literally fixed them.

By touching the wrench symbol, you can access Quick-shape by selecting Preferences > Gesture Controls > Quick-shape from the menu.

The default option is “draw and hold,” but you may change it to suit your preferences.

Quick Lines are also simple to use for those who have trouble drawing straight lines. Using the Apple Pencil, just draw (or create) a line (or another geometric form, such as a circle or a triangle).

When using the app, you don’t have to worry about perfecting your lines and forms.

Learn how to blend

This is very vital. Making anything seem smoother by zooming into pixels and grabbing colors is a time-consuming and tedious process.

Procreate’s blending tool and Gaussian Blur have saved me and many artists many hours of frustration and anger.

Learn about Alpha Locks and Clipping Masks.

In order to lock your drawing inside the confines of a certain area, you may use the Alpha Lock function.

The checkerboard next to the thumbnail indicates that Alpha Lock has been activated.
Clipping Masks, on the other hand, consist of materials similar to painter’s tape.

When utilizing the blend mode, My daughter and I both find it very useful.

Create your form on a layer, then put a second layer on top of it. Select Clipping Mask from the new layer’s drop-down menu. It’s easy to understand

The eyedropper

It’s one of my favorite things about Procreate because of how much control you have over the colors you choose.

Colors may be picked up by holding the eyedropper tool (which is also adjustable via gesture controls) over an area, or by dragging and zooming in on color.

When you’re aiming to produce a smoother mix, this tool is also useful.

ColorDrop

The ColorDrop tool in Procreate is similar to the bucket fill in Microsoft Paint.

Select a color from your palette and press and hold the color drop in the top right corner to utilize ColorDrop.

Let go of the color after you’ve placed it where you want it on the canvas.

It’s up to you whether you want the color to cover the whole canvas or work around the shapes you’ve previously drawn.

Get Involved with Brush Studio

When you touch a brush in the library again, you’ll be sent to Brush Studio.

If you’re looking for new methods to personalize your brush or build a whole new brush, you’ll find plenty of options here.

Even if you’re not sure what you’re doing, you can see precisely how your brushstroke will appear in the Drawing Pad box.

Nothing will be saved if you just touch the cancel button.
Bringing in brush setsIt’s possible to generate an infinite number of brush combinations even if you don’t utilize Brush Studio.

It’s also possible to get ready-made brush packs from some of the most creative designers on the web.

Resources:

Check out the Comprehensive List  of  Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:

Tips for a Digital Art & Procreate beginner

It will be easier if you start with Art Basics

Illustration, digital paintings,  comic novels, animated movies, and video game visuals may all benefit from digital art.

Digital art might be scary if you’re accustomed to working with pen and paper or if you have little or no prior art experience. 

However, all you really need is the correct equipment and a lot of practice to become good at it.

Begin by selecting a digital software application that you’d want to study, then purchasing a computer/tablet/display tablet that meets your requirements.

What you need to do is as follows:

The first step is to learn the fundamentals of perspective drawing

  • Use perspective to draw cubes, cylinders, and other simple shapes.
  • Learn about light’s properties.
  • Learn how to appropriately render lighting.
  • Color theory is a must-know.
  • Sixth, learn how to use color in a realistic way.
  •  Develop the ability to create realistic-looking drawings using just your imagination and the most basic of situations.
  • Learn composition.
  • Advanced texturing and matte painting techniques should be studied in depth.
  • Learn how to include 3D elements into your artwork.

This is how I learned, and I believe that novices like studying in a logical progression. I get that things might be a little perplexing at first. So, give it a whirl and have fun learning art.

Is Art a talent or skill

Start with your iPad and Procreate App

Digital Tool

You’ll need the essential digital equipment to complete your project. It is necessary to have a tablet of some kind (iPad for Procreate) with a pen( Apple pencil for procreate) that can be connected to your iPad. 

An iPad is responsive to Apple pencil on Procreate App pressure and that correctly sets the lines where you want them is the main thing I would look for when purchasing one.

Arts; Recommended tools set: My Top Pick from Amazon

Software/App

There are a variety of solutions available, including some that are free. There are specialised sketching programmes such as Sketchbook Pro, as well as picture editing software such as Photoshop.

If you are keen on using Procreate, Purchase it for $9.99 on the Apple store and download it and start the fun of drawing.  However, I recommend taking advantage of free trials until you find what you want.

Brushes. Various websites, such as deviant art, provide free brush sets to download. 

You can draw very well with the brushes that come with the program, but having your own brushes allows you the ability to create more artistic effects, patterns, and textures by combining them with other brushes.

It has the potential to significantly accelerate the process.

Get Going on your Procreate App

As previously stated, Don’t forget to learn the fundamentals of procreate App. Once you are through with the basics of Procreate App, do this Workshop to learn your Digital art smoothly.

Open your Procreate App and in your App create a new blank canvas by clicking on the canvas icon. 

When you zoom in to undertake precise work, you want your canvas to be big enough so that your drawing does not pixelate or become fuzzy.

There will be a little bar at the bottom of your canvas that reads “layers.”

If you are a first-time digital artist, I would urge that you make use of layers.

Each layer functions in the same way as a separate bank canvas. In order to create your picture, the layers must be stacked one on top of the other.

If you make a mistake, you may remove a layer and start again.

The backdrop layer is the first layer you’ll create. Close the window and open a new one.

In this new layer, you may begin arranging the layout of your drawing.

For this phase, you may crudely block in colors using a paintbrush. Alternatively, you may use black and white forms.

You may simply just draw a basic drawing to start with. Don’t be concerned with the smallest of details in this situation.

However, it is necessary to take a step back and ensure that the arrangement is visually appealing.

Now look for photographs that are referred to as “references.” These are photographs of the objects that you are attempting to sketch.

If you want your painting to be more realistic, this will assist you in accomplishing your goal. Make an effort to locate photographs of individuals in the postures you are sketching, as well as photographs of faces, objects, and so on.

Make use of the eraser tool and reduce the diameter of your brush in accordance with your recommendations.

Make this a lot more orderly, and pay close attention to proportion and correctness.

Choose a light source and a colour palette that suits your needs.

There are several approaches to choosing a color palette. Colors that are complementary to one another may be used to create interest. 

Colours that are complementary to one another are diametrically opposed on the color wheel.

Alternatively, similar colors are those that are next to one another on the color wheel. Just make sure it has a lot of contrast.

Create a new layer and arrange your palette such that the colours are near to each other. In the future, you may return to this page and use the eye dropper tool to choose the colors you want to use to paint within the current session.

Now, create a new layer and begin painting your masterpiece. Take note of the saturation, brightness, and blackness of the image.

I’d use paint with an opacity close to thirty percent. Please keep in mind that colours get colder and less saturated in shadows, while they become warmer and more saturated in the sunshine.

Using his rule will give your artwork a three-dimensional appearance. In order to create visual complexity, I would also use a coarsely textured brush in this area.

But keep in mind that everyone has their own unique way that may all be really effective. Look for speed painting videos on YouTube that are in styles that you enjoy so that you may experiment with various techniques..

You’re about to start mixing things together. For this, a softer, lower-opacity brush should be used. Using the eye dropper, move the cursor back and forth over the area you want to mix. Everything seems to be in sync once you blend it.

Continue to turn your canvas back and forth to help you get a new perspective on things. You should correct any problems you find.

There is no need to be terrified of repainting anything since there is no deadline.

If you need more layers while working, you may create them as you go. In the layers bar, you may experiment with various effects such as harsh lights and overlays to create a variety of distinct appearances.

Detail work should now be completed with a smaller and rougher brush.

You may increase the opacity and use the magnifier to zoom in closer.

Once you’ve decided on everything, you may experiment with the colour curves, opacity, and other settings to further improve your painting. 

Then save your file as a high-definition (HD) file and give it a name.

You have completed your task. Voila: You just did your 1st Digital Art!

Resources:

Check out the Comprehensive List  of  Digital Resources needed to Start your Digital Art & Digital Sculpt Journey:


About Author:Emma Culbert is a seasoned graphic designer & Blogger from Melbourne, Australia dedicated to creating impactful visual narratives.

With experience in digital and print design, her unique approach blends innovation and precision. From logos to full branding strategies, Emma consistently delivers captivating, high-quality designs.

Learn more About Emma

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