digital artists are always on the hunt for some great Procreate features for digital artists that can make our creative process a simple task.
One of the most popular iPad drawing apps, procreate has now become a go to for digital art software and a complete digital art tools with an awesome easy to use interface.
We have explored the 7 best Procreate features for artists that turn procreate into a best in the business iPad drawing app. We’ve got you covered with this great comprehensive guide to The 7 best Procreate features for artists you have to know about to start using this mobile art creation app.
Through fusing traditional artistic techniques with cutting edge technology, procreate has revolutionized the way an artist lives his or her life creating digital art, whether you are a seasoned pro bringing work to life, or a new comer dipping your toes into digital art, these features will help you wander into the abyss of creativity and capability.
Or Whether you are a professional or perhaps starting your digital art journey, these features will enable you to traverse the realities of creativity and performance.
Let’s dive into the seven best Procreate features for artists that we’ll be covering in this article:
- Brush Studio for custom brush creation
- Advanced layer system for complex compositions
- Powerful blending modes for realistic effects
- Time-saving gestures for efficient workflow
- Advanced color selection and management tools
- QuickShape feature for perfect geometric shapes
- Alpha Lock and Clipping Masks for precise editing
The specific benefits of each of these features can be very powerful in helping you enhance your digital art creation process.
Let’s take a closer look at each one, and see how they can improve your artistic workflow.
Table of Contents
How to Use Procreate’s Brush Customization Tools
The Brush Studio in Procreate is one of the most powerful features for artists out there. This is a very important digital art tool for any creative professional since it is a feature that lets us create custom brushes that meet our artistic needs.
Here’s how we can make the most of Procreate’s brush customization tools:
- Access the Brush Studio by tapping on the brush icon and then the “+” symbol
- Experiment with shape, grain, and dynamics settings
- Adjust pressure and tilt sensitivity for Apple Pencil users
- Create and save custom brush sets for different projects
- Import and export brushes to share with other artists
| Brush Customization Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Shape Editor | Define the overall shape and texture of the brush |
| Grain Editor | Adjust the internal texture and pattern of the brush |
| Dynamics | Control how the brush responds to pressure and tilt |
| Apple Pencil Settings | Fine-tune sensitivity for pressure and tilt |
| Brush Set Management | Organize and share custom brushes |
Once you learn how to use these brush customization tools, you can learn to create brushes that are just perfect for your artistic style and project needs.
Looking for more creative apps to expand your digital art toolkit? Check out our guide on “10 Top Creative Apps for Aspiring Artists” to discover a world of artistic possibilities beyond Procreate.
Maximizing Creativity with Procreate’s Layer System

The ability to create and manage layers in Procreate is one of the most powerful tools for artists, but it’s also one that is often forgotten! This feature makes iPad drawing app into professional level artistic application to handle complex digital artwork.
Let’s explore how to make the most of Procreate’s layer system:
- Create new layers for different elements of your artwork
- Use layer groups to organize related elements
- Adjust layer opacity and blending modes for various effects
- Utilize layer masks for non-destructive editing
- Experiment with adjustment layers for color and tone modifications
| Layer Feature | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Layer Groups | Organize complex compositions |
| Blending Modes | Create unique visual effects |
| Layer Masks | Edit specific areas without affecting others |
| Adjustment Layers | Non-destructive color and tone adjustments |
| Layer Management | Easy reordering and visibility control |
Mastering Procreate’s layer system allows us to create more complex and professional looking artworks with more control over our mobile art creation process.
Enhancing Digital Art with Procreate’s Blending Modes

Procreate has painting modes that are a very important tactical help as they help us create realistic effects and give the canvas we work on a special look.
This allows for so many things to happen when you build on top of this; these modes dictate how colors interact with one another on different layers.
Here’s how we can effectively use Procreate’s blending modes:
- Experiment with different blending modes to find the right effect
- Use Multiply for shadows and depth
- Apply Screen or Add for highlights and glow effects
- Utilize Overlay or Soft Light for texture and contrast
- Combine multiple blending modes for complex effects
| Blending Mode | Effect |
|---|---|
| Multiply | Darkens and intensifies colors |
| Screen | Lightens and brightens colors |
| Overlay | Increases contrast and saturation |
| Soft Light | Adds subtle highlights and shadows |
| Color Dodge | Creates intense, bright highlights |
Converting digital art from a black and white to a color image is the best way to use the millions of colors on your computer, but mastering these blending modes will help us to add depth, texture, and realism to our digital art, elevating it to new heights of sophistication.
Interested in exploring more professional-grade design tools? Our article on “8 Reasons Adobe Creative Cloud is Worth It” offers insights into another powerful suite of creative software.
Time-Saving Procreate Gestures for Efficient Artwork

Game changing feature for artists, who just want to simplify their workflow, are Procreate’s intuitive gesture controls.
By allowing users to perform common actions quickly and efficiently, these gestures help smoothen the mobile art creation process and also make it more fun.
Let’s explore some of the most useful Procreate gestures:
- Two-finger tap for Undo
- Three-finger tap for Redo
- Pinch to zoom in and out
- Two-finger rotate to adjust canvas orientation
- Quick Menu for easy access to frequently used tools
| Gesture | Action |
|---|---|
| Two-finger tap | Undo last action |
| Three-finger tap | Redo last undone action |
| Pinch | Zoom in or out on canvas |
| Two-finger rotate | Rotate canvas |
| Four-finger tap | Show/hide interface |
If we incorporate these gestures into our workflow, we can make huge time savings in navigating through menu bars and we will be more productive as a whole.
Exploring Procreate’s Advanced Color Selection Features

Procreate has some very advanced color options when it comes to digital art, and these color options are essential Procreate features if you are an artist that likes to create bright, harmonious artwork, thus making this process itself intuitive and precise. These are must have Procreate features for artists who want to make beautiful and harmonious art.
Here’s how we can make the most of Procreate’s color selection tools:
- Use the Color Picker to select colors from your canvas
- Experiment with the Color Wheel for precise color selection
- Create and save custom color palettes for different projects
- Utilize the Values slider for quick adjustments to brightness and saturation
- Take advantage of the Harmony feature for complementary color schemes
| Color Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Color Picker | Select colors directly from canvas |
| Color Wheel | Precise color selection and adjustment |
| Custom Palettes | Save and organize color schemes |
| Values Slider | Quick brightness and saturation adjustments |
| Harmony Feature | Generate complementary color schemes |
Once mastered, these color selection tools allow us to produce more cohesive and visually pleasing artwork within our entire digital art creation process.
Looking for a user-friendly design tool for non-artists? Check out our article on “5 Compelling Reasons to Upgrade to Canva Pro” to explore an accessible alternative for graphic design needs.
QuickShape: Procreate’s Feature for Perfect Geometric Shapes

QuickShape is one of the coolest Procreate features for artists to have because it makes perfect, geometric shapes so easy.
This is especially useful on architectural drawings or logos and any art work that includes sharp edged shapes.
Here’s how we can effectively use the QuickShape feature:
- Draw a shape freehand and hold the pencil at the end
- Procreate will automatically perfect the shape
- Adjust the shape’s size and orientation before releasing
- Use snapping to align shapes perfectly
- Combine shapes to create complex geometric designs
| Shape Type | Use Case |
|---|---|
| Straight Lines | Creating grids or perspective lines |
| Circles and Ellipses | Drawing wheels, eyes, or circular patterns |
| Rectangles and Squares | Designing UI elements or architectural plans |
| Triangles | Creating patterns or geometric art |
| Polygons | Crafting complex shapes for logos or icons |
Once you have learned the QuickShape feature, it allows us to add precision and professionalism to our digital artwork, and become more capable of being a great digital artist.
Alpha Lock and Clipping Masks: Precision Editing in Procreate

These Procreate features of Alpha Lock and Clipping Masks are great ways to unlock editing precision and non destructive workflows AND these tools are great at building complex layered artwork and yet still allow flexibility throughout the creative process workflows. They’re necessary for building complex, layered art and keeping things flexible through the creative process.
Let’s explore how to use these features effectively:
- Use Alpha Lock to paint only on existing pixels in a layer
- Create Clipping Masks to constrain effects to a specific shape
- Combine Alpha Lock with blending modes for unique effects
- Use Clipping Masks for non-destructive shading and highlighting
- Experiment with multiple Clipping Masks for complex compositions
| Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Alpha Lock | Paint only on existing pixels in a layer |
| Clipping Mask | Constrain effects to a specific shape or area |
| Alpha Lock + Blending Modes | Create unique textures and effects |
| Clipping Mask for Shading | Non-destructive shading and highlighting |
| Multiple Clipping Masks | Create complex, layered compositions |
Once we master Alpha Lock and the Clipping Mask, we expand the range of precision and flexibility for our digital artwork and can start to experiment even more.
Interested in exploring UI/UX design tools? Our article “Figma vs Sketch: 6 Factors to Consider” offers insights into two popular platforms for interface design.
Procreate’s Time-Lapse Recording Feature

One of the unique features to be had with the artist Procreate is their built in time lapse capability, which auto records your whole drawing process, allowing you to share the content or to go over your technique, so you can create engaging content for social media, or to review your own technique.
Here’s how we can make the most of the time-lapse feature:
- Enable time-lapse recording in the Actions menu
- Adjust the time-lapse settings for frame rate and quality
- Use the recording to create engaging social media content
- Review your process to improve your technique
- Export time-lapse videos in various formats
| Time-Lapse Setting | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Frame Rate | Adjust the speed of the final video |
| Quality | Set the resolution of the recording |
| Duration | Choose between full or 30-second versions |
| Export Format | Select MP4 or GIF for different platforms |
| Playback | Review your process within the app |
Along the way while helping us understand our own artistic process this time lapse feature also makes a great avenue for sharing our mobile art creation journey as well.
Procreate’s Perspective Guide Tools

Procreate perspective guides are a necessary feature of Procreate for students who work on architectural drawings, landscapes or any other work where perspective is needed, so that we can effectively create a realistic sense of the depth and dimension in our digital art.
These are the tools with which we create our digital art as if coming alive.
Let’s explore how to use Procreate’s perspective guides effectively:
- Access perspective guides through the Canvas menu
- Choose between 1-point, 2-point, or 3-point perspective
- Adjust the horizon line and vanishing points
- Use the Drawing Guide to snap lines to the perspective grid
- Customize guide color and opacity for better visibility
| Perspective Tool | Use Case |
|---|---|
| 1-Point Perspective | Creating depth in frontal views |
| 2-Point Perspective | Drawing objects at an angle |
| 3-Point Perspective | Depicting extreme high or low angles |
| Isometric Guide | Creating isometric illustrations |
| Symmetry Guide | Ensuring perfect symmetry in designs |
With these perspective tools mastered, we make our skills as digital artist more realistic and visually compelling.
Procreate’s Text and Typography Features

While it is an iPad drawing app, most think of it as a way to work with text and typography and it’s these features that really come in handy for the book cover, poster, and general text integration artists who work w/ text and typography.
These are especially helpful for artists who’ve got work to do that requires integration of text into the work.
Here’s how we can effectively use Procreate’s text features:
- Add text layers to your artwork
- Choose from a variety of pre-installed fonts or import custom fonts
- Adjust text size, color, and alignment
- Use the transform tool to manipulate text shape and perspective
- Apply layer effects to text for unique visual styles
| Text Feature | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Font Selection | Choose from various styles or import custom fonts |
| Text Manipulation | Adjust size, color, and alignment |
| Transform Tool | Warp and distort text for creative effects |
| Layer Effects | Apply blending modes and effects to text layers |
| Text on a Path | Create curved or circular text layouts |
Our ability to develop more self-contained designs by adding these text features to our workflow will consist of more full blown ‘illustration and type’ and less ‘illustration overlaying type.
On a tight budget? Check out our guide on “9 Free Alternatives to Expensive Creative Apps” to discover cost-effective options for digital art creation.
Conclusion: Harnessing Procreate’s Features for Artistic Excellence

In this, the complete guide to the use of Procreate, we have already dived in to see how powerful a digital art tool like Procreate really is by letting you know its built features that can be used to make it a better tool by accessing Procreate alternatives.
From the Brush Studio and the Alpha Lock and Clipping Masks, these tools give us the flexibility and precision to realize our highest ideals in creative work.
All of these can be a part of a robust toolkit for artists to work with: the seven best Procreate features we’ve talked about – brush customization, layer system, blending modes, gestures, color selection, QuickShape, and precision editing tools – together more than enough for artists of just about any style or need.
Mastering these features can spare us by bringing to the highest level of professional and creativity through Digital Art work. But pros and beginners alike will benefit from Procreate’s easy to use intuitive interface and power packed features.
Whatever we’re creating, either complex illustrations, a logo design or concept visualization work – the platform gives us the means to convey our creativity in a speedy and effective manner. Just like with any other artistic software, the most important is to practice and experiment.
We hope you’ll dive into these features and find out what’s possible with this amazing iPad drawing app. By becoming dedicated to the magic of Procreate, we can enrich our digital art arsenal with this incredible, intuitive and fantastic tool to draw and paint beautiful pieces of art in practically any situation.
back to top | Latest blogs | Home | Web Application
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Procreate only available on iPad?
Yes, Procreate is exclusively designed for iPad and requires iPadOS. However, there is a separate app called Procreate Pocket for iPhone users. iPad drawing app. iPad drawing app.
Can I use Procreate without an Apple Pencil?
While an Apple Pencil provides the best experience, you can use Procreate with your finger or a third-party stylus. However, some pressure-sensitive features may not be available. digital art tools. iPad drawing app.
Does Procreate offer a free trial?
Procreate does not offer a free trial. It’s a one-time purchase app available on the App Store. artistic software. digital art tools.
Can I import custom brushes into Procreate?
Yes, Procreate allows you to import custom brushes created by other artists or create your own using the Brush Studio feature. digital art tools. Procreate Features for Artists.
How many layers can I use in Procreate?
The number of layers available depends on your iPad model and the canvas size. Newer iPads with more RAM can handle more layers. digital art tools. Procreate Features for Artists.
Can I export my Procreate artwork to other file formats?
Yes, Procreate supports exporting to various formats including PSD, PDF, JPEG, PNG, and TIFF. digital art tools. artistic software.
Does Procreate support vector graphics?
Procreate is primarily a raster graphics app. While it has some vector-like features like QuickShape, it doesn’t support true vector graphics. artistic software.
Can I animate in Procreate?
Yes, Procreate offers basic frame-by-frame animation features, allowing you to create simple animations directly within the app. artistic software.
Is Procreate suitable for professional work?
Absolutely. Many professional artists and illustrators use Procreate for commercial projects due to its powerful features and flexibility. artistic software.
How often does Procreate release updates?
Procreate typically releases major updates once or twice a year, with smaller bug fixes and improvements released more frequently. digital art tools.
#ProcreateTips, #DigitalArtTools, #iPadDrawingApp, #ArtisticSoftware, #MobileArtCreation, #DigitalIllustration, #ProcreateTutorial, #ArtistWorkflow, #CreativeTech, #DigitalPainting, #ArtApps, #iPadArt, #ProcreateBrushes, #DigitalArtist, #FreeTrialTracker