Procreate’s brushes are where the real fun begins. Whether you’re sketching, painting, or adding texture, brushes give you the freedom to shape your style. Procreate comes with hundreds of built-in brushes — and you can customize or even create your own.
The Brush Tool
To open the Brush Library, tap the Brush icon at the top right of your canvas. Brushes are organized into categories like Sketching, Inking, Painting, Textures, and more. Just tap on a brush to start using it.
Each brush is pressure-sensitive (especially with Apple Pencil), meaning the harder you press, the bolder the stroke.
Brush Settings
Tap on a brush name again to open the Brush Studio, where you can tweak how the brush behaves. Some of the main settings include:
-
Stroke Path: Controls spacing and jitter.
-
Shape: Defines the texture of the brush tip.
-
Grain: Affects how texture flows along the stroke.
-
Rendering: Changes how the brush blends with the canvas.
-
Apple Pencil: Customize how pressure, tilt, or speed affects the stroke.
If that sounds overwhelming — no worries. You can start with small tweaks, or duplicate a brush first so the original stays untouched.
Importing and Creating Brushes
Want more brushes? You can:
-
Download brush packs from artists or marketplaces.
-
Import them by tapping the + in the Brush Library, then selecting Import.
-
Create your own from scratch by tapping the + in any brush set.
You can also drag and drop brushes between sets or organize them however you like.
Brush Size and Opacity
On the left sidebar of your canvas, you’ll find two sliders:
-
Top Slider: Controls brush size.
-
Bottom Slider: Controls brush opacity (how transparent the stroke is).
You can also tap the square icon between them to switch to smudge or erase using the same brush style — super useful for consistent textures.
Quick Tip: Use Brushes for More Than Drawing
Brushes aren’t just for lines and colors. You can use textured brushes for:
-
Shading
-
Highlights
-
Lighting effects
-
Adding grunge or patterns
-
Creating hair, clouds, foliage, and more
Experiment with different categories and try layering textures — that’s where Procreate really shines.
Procreate’s brush system is incredibly deep, but it’s also easy to start using right away. Once you’re comfortable switching brushes, adjusting size and opacity, and exploring new textures, your art will start to take on a life of its own. In the next post, we’ll look at color tools — how to choose, save, and blend colors like a pro.
