Top Five Procreate Tips to Enhance Your Digital Illustration

Procreate is my main app for digital illustration. I love that it runs on my iPad so I can take my full suite of tools everywhere I go. It has absolutely changed the game for digital artists.

I love learning new app features, some I’ve missed or some that are newly added, so I’m here to share my top five tips for enhancing your digital illustration in Procreate!

1. Master Layer Management

Alpha Lock: This feature allows you to paint within the existing pixels of a layer, which is perfect for shading or adding textures without affecting the overall shape.

Clipping Mask: This layer feature is useful for non-destructive editing. You can add shading or details without altering the original layer. It is my favourite layer feature and how I apply texture, shading, and highlights!

Reference Layer: Converting a layer to reference allows you to use the shapes/spaces on that layer to guide other layers. In other words, you can set your line art to a reference layer and drag and drop fill colours on a different layer, keeping them separate!

*The line work in this image of Mona is set to Reference, so every colour layer can just be dragged and dropped to fill in!*

2. Use Custom Brushes and Brush Settings

Procreate comes with an array of brushes, but creating custom brushes or downloading them from online resources can give your work a unique touch.

Adjust brush settings like size, flow, and texture in the brush studio to achieve the exact effect you’re aiming for. Experimenting with different blend modes can also significantly affect how colours and textures interact. I recommend MaxPacks to get you started with custom brushes. The Gouache set is just INCREDIBLE!

3. Utilize Gestures for Efficiency

Learn Procreate's built-in gestures, such as:

Undo/Redo: Tap with two fingers to undo and with three to redo.

Pinch to Zoom: Easily zoom in for detailed work and out to see the overall piece. You can also rotate the work while pinching.

QuickShape: Hold your finger after drawing a shape (like a circle or straight line) to correct it to a perfect shape automatically.

The more complicated your illustration the more you will be ever-so-grateful for these shortcuts as you can zoom in and out on small details, quickly fix a poorly drawn line with a double tap, or get beautifully perfect circles, ovals and lines!

4. Take Advantage of Drawing Guides

The drawing guides built-in to Procreate are probably my most used tool. Create custom grids to help you place comic panels or write text in a straight line, draw in perfect symmetry or isometrically, or create instant perspective grids. These tools are easy to use and toggle on or off as needed throughout your process.

*Drawing guides, such as this one-point perspective tool, can be found under the Canvas menu*

5. Leverage Time-Lapse and References

Procreate automatically records your process as a Time-lapse Video, which is great for reviewing your technique or sharing your workflow.

You can also use the Reference Tool (found under Canvas settings) to pin an image on your workspace for better accuracy while drawing from references without switching between apps.

With these techniques, you’ll streamline your workflow and elevate your digital illustrations on Procreate!

Procreate's one weakness is comics panels - but I've gotcha covered with this tutorial on making perfect panels in Procreate!