Procreate Basics: Set Yourself Up for Success
If you’re just starting out in Procreate, it can be kind of overwhelming to figure out what to focus on first. From a million different choices of colors and brush textures to keeping track of layers, there’s a lot happening. I’m here to share a few important tips, so you can make the most of your Procreate experience (and avoid a few little disasters), right from the start. Here we go…
CHECK YOUR CANVAS SIZE AND RESOLUTION
Have you ever made a drawing in Procreate that is just *chef’s kiss* perfect … and then you realized that your canvas was set at a resolution so low it would only print as a blurry mess? Well, I have, and let me tell you it SUCKS. Because Procreate is a pixel-based application, you can’t size up your drawing without losing resolution, meaning that your finished drawing would be pixelated if you tried to scale it up. I’m too embarrassed to admit how many times I’ve started a drawing without double-checking the resolution and spent hours perfecting it before realizing my mistake. Hours! Wasted! And then I had to start the entire thing over again. Don’t be like me. Check - and then check again - that your canvas is set to the physical size you’d like to print it, at a minimum DPI of 300. Don’t @ me. You know I’m right about this. Nobody likes an accidentally pixelated art print.
WORK THOSE LAYERS
I’ll admit it: I’m a lazy artist. Sometimes I just want to keep going in my flow and not bother with creating or keeping track of new layers. Unfortunately, I usually regret that later in the process when I want to easily recolor something or fix a minor detail without upsetting the rest of the drawing. My best tip to you: If your iPad has the capacity for separate layers for every color you use, use them! You can thank me later (like when you’ve saved yourself hours of painstakingly recreating shading and textures after recoloring all the flowers in your artwork. No, I’m not speaking from experience, why do you ask?)
DUPLICATE YOUR CANVAS BEFORE MERGING LAYERS
So you think you’re done with your artwork and you want to merge all those layers? Not so fast! Duplicate your canvas first so you can keep a copy with all the original layers intact. You never know if you’ll want to come back later to change the colors, whether that’s to update a pattern for a new season’s colors or by request of a client. Better safe than sorry.
LIMIT YOUR COLORS
Does that make me sound like a killjoy? I’m not here to destroy your dream of a unicorn rainbow drawing, I promise! All I’m saying is … all those color options in Procreate can get messy quick, and if you haven’t decided on a color palette going in, it’s tempting to just keep adding new colors to the mix. It’s fun in the moment, but sometimes you step back to look at the whole picture and wonder why the colors just don’t quite work. As a beginner especially, I also felt beholden to using colors that were true to the nature of my subject … but the beauty of art is of course that you can use whatever colors you want!
Limiting your choice of colors from the outset can make your finished artwork look more cohesive and sophisticated, and with fewer colors to choose from, you can focus fully on your drawing technique instead of being distracted by shiny new colors. My favorite way to create a limited color palette: Choose 1-2 colors that work cohesively together, add a light and dark shade of each, then choose a third color that pops in contrast. Optionally, add one neutral light and dark (like an off-white and dark grey) and you’re off to the races. For example, I often like to work with an emerald green color, adding light and dark shades of the color to add depth; a mustard yellow or warm red to pop, and adding neutrals as needed. Try it out and let me know what you think!
LIMIT YOUR BRUSHES AND TEXTURES.
OK, this one might be controversial, but hear me out: You don’t need to use ten different brushes in on Procreate drawing. Yes I know they are fascinating and beautiful! They can mimic incredible textures! But the unfortunate truth is, if you don’t use them judiciously, all the textures can make it hard for the eye to focus on your gorgeous the artwork because it’s distracted by all the juicy texture. I recommend starting out by picking a favorite sketching pencil, a brush for putting down basic colors, and a brush for shading and sticking with that across the whole painting. Or even a whole collection of paintings! Make those textures your thang.
There you have it! Five fundamentals to get started off right in Procreate. Do you have any to add to the list? Drop a comment below!