Essential Procreate Techniques for Novice Artists to Master
In the realm of digital art, Procreate has emerged as a favourite among iPad users for its versatility and user-friendly interface. Here, we share expert tips from professional artists to help you streamline your workflow and elevate your artistry.
One of the key practices is using an external keypad, such as those from Xencelabs, Huion, or XPPen, to speed up your workflow. This allows for quick access to essential functions like undo, redo, and tool switching, without the need to tap the screen repeatedly.
Creating a custom QuickMenu for your most-used tools and actions is another time-saver. This streamlines your creative process by reducing the need to navigate through menus frequently.
Saving your favourite brushes and sizes is also a must. Having your preferred tools at your fingertips can significantly boost productivity and consistency in your work.
When it comes to colouring, utilising Clipping Masks can be a game-changer. They allow you to add colour layers and effects that don’t affect other parts of your artwork, offering more control and flexibility.
Preparing 3D references within Procreate can assist with accurate perspective and complex forms, boosting drawing accuracy. Customising gestures and settings to suit your style is also important. For instance, disabling unwanted Pencil gestures can help avoid accidental actions, while adjusting the Apple Pencil hover effect can improve cursor control.
The QuickShape tool is another valuable asset. It allows for the effortless creation of perfect shapes like circles, squares, or straight lines, enhancing the precision of your artwork.
Time-lapse recording is another useful feature, allowing you to automatically capture your drawing process. This can be beneficial for reviewing your technique or sharing your workflow on social media.
Maximising performance settings is crucial for maintaining smooth brushes and app responsiveness. Working on appropriate canvas sizes depending on your iPad’s power and layer needs is essential to ensure a seamless experience.
Some lesser-known but equally useful tips include Alpha Locking a layer in conjunction with Clipping Masks to keep things clean and contained during the colouring stage. Tapping a finger down in addition to the pen while drawing a circle can help form a perfect circle. Shadows can be added at the end of the process by creating a layer set to the Multiply Blend Mode and reducing the opacity, using dark blues for shadows and oranges/reds for skin. Light yellows are predominantly used to paint highlights.
These tips, gathered from professional Procreate artists and experienced users, highlight both workflow improvements and creative techniques to enhance digital art creation on the iPad. Happy creating!
[1] Procreate Tips and Tricks: https://www.procreate.art/tips-and-tricks/ [2] Procreate: Customising Gestures and Settings: https://support.procreate.art/hc/en-us/articles/360000623113-Procreate-Customising-Gestures-and-Settings [3] Procreate: Advanced Techniques: https://www.procreate.art/advanced/
- A digital artist might find an external keypad, like those from Xencelabs, Huion, or XPPen, useful for speeding up their Procreate workflow.
- Creating a custom QuickMenu for frequently used tools and actions can save time and streamline the creative process.
- Saving preferred brushes and sizes in Procreate can considerably increase productivity and consistency in digital art pieces.
- Clipping Masks can provide control and flexibility when adding color layers and effects in a digital painting without affecting other parts of the artwork.
- Preparing 3D references within Procreate can help artists achieve accurate perspective and complex forms in their drawings.
- Customising gestures and settings to suit an artist's unique style can help avoid accidental actions and improve cursor control.
- The QuickShape tool in Procreate offers effortless creation of perfect shapes, enhancing the precision of digital artworks.
- Time-lapse recording is beneficial for reviewing artistic techniques or sharing the workflow on social media.
- Maximising performance settings and working on appropriate canvas sizes helps ensure smooth brushes and app responsiveness.
- Alpha Locking a layer in combination with Clipping Masks can maintain a clean and organized workspace during the coloring stage.
- Shadows can be added to a digital art piece by creating a layer set to the Multiply Blend Mode and reducing the opacity, using dark blues for shadows, oranges/reds for skin, and light yellows for highlights.
