10 Tips to up your Procreate game!

Ramona Wultschner, a digital art instructor, shares 10 essential Procreate tips.

Hey there, all you talented digital artists! I'm Ramona Wultschner, your instructor for the exciting course called "Atmospheric Scenes in Procreate: Paint with Color and Light" on Domestika. Today, I want to share with you the 10 most useful Procreate tips and tricks that have greatly improved my working process. Whether you're new to Procreate or looking to refine your skills, these insights will help you elevate your artwork to new heights. And to enhance your learning experience even further, I have a special treat for you — a free downloadable resource called the "Light Quiz," designed to test your understanding of how light behaves in different situations. Alright, let's get started!

1. Stop slipping around:

The iPad's surface is much smoother than paper, which can make it challenging to draw accurate lines. To improve stylus control, try using a matte screen protector. My top pick is this screen protector by Mumbi (I’m not affiliated with Mumbi in any way).

2. Break the frame:

You don't need to stick to the initial canvas size throughout your painting. The Crop and Resize tool allows you to adjust the canvas anytime to suit your composition's needs. You can find it under the “Actions” tab.

3. Push your colors:

Instead of relying solely on the color wheel for picking or adjusting colors, give the RGB color slider a try. It might take some getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you'll have better control over color mixing, leading to rich color variations in your image.

4. Explore blending modes and adjustments:

Use blending modes smartly to optimize your workflow. For instance, incorporating a black layer with the "Color" mode on top of your layer stack helps you maintain control over the values in your image. You can also use other blending modes to add warm or cool tones, adjust brightness or darkness, and manipulate contrasts. To add a magical atmosphere, play around with blur, bloom, and other adjustments to enhance the mood and bring out the best in your creations.

5. Efficiency through layer groups:

When working on a complex image, you'll end up with many layers. To stay organized, group them together! For example, create separate groups for elements in the foreground, background, and middle ground. This way, even if you forget to name each layer, finding a particular element is much easier!

6. Know your gestures:

Procreate offers a range of gestures and shortcuts that can really speed up your digital painting process and enhance your overall experience. Take some time to familiarize yourself with these useful gestures, such as using two fingers to undo, three fingers to redo, and tapping to pick a color. And don't forget the magical three-finger downwards swipe that opens the QuickMenu! You'll have all those frequently used actions like copy, paste, and cut right at your fingertips.

7. Unleash your brushwork:

Procreate provides an incredible amount of brushes that you can customize to suit your artistic style. However, having so many brushes can be overwhelming. To simplify things, pick a few brushes that you really like and group them together. That way, you'll have them all organized and ready to go! If you join my course, you can download my personal custom brushes that I use in the majority of my artworks.

8. Flip the canvas:

If you've been staring at an image for too long, it's easy to miss its flaws. To gain a fresh perspective, try flipping your whole canvas vertically. It's like seeing your work with new eyes and can help you spot issues you might have missed before. Give it a shot!

9. Lock in your details:

Make the most of Alpha Lock! Tap on a layer and choose 'Alpha Lock' to paint only within the existing content on that layer. This way, you can add textures and details without worrying about going over the edges. It's a real game-changer because it allows you to work on your edges and textures separately!

10. Embrace the power of reference:

Using reference images can add a lot of believability to your paintings. Import reference images directly into Procreate, or use the split-screen feature to view references alongside your artwork. This will enhance your accuracy and take your illustrations to the next level.

Using reference images can add a lot of believability to your paintings. Import reference images directly into Procreate, or use the split-screen feature to view references alongside your artwork. This will enhance your accuracy and take your illustrations to the next level.

I hope these 10 tips and tricks have made a positive impact on your art journey and inspired you to test it out on your own. Remember, observation, practice and experimentation are key to honing your skills.

And now for the promised treat: If you're eager to put your observational skills to the test, I've got just the thing for you – download my "Light Quiz"! This resource will challenge you to analyze different lighting scenarios and deepen your knowledge of how light behaves. It's the perfect companion to my course "Atmospheric Scenes in Procreate: Paint with Color and Light" on Domestika where I explain light situations and many of the above mentioned features in depth in the lessons.

Now, armed with these insights, it's time to unleash your creativity and create captivating digital illustrations. Embrace the endless possibilities Procreate offers and let your imagination soar! Happy creating!