Given that this is an era of technology, major technological changes take place that completely change the way of our personal as well as professional lives.
Following the technological era topic, there are apps for everything. Regarding design, Procreate is one of the elite ones. If you are into the app and want some tips for beginners, you want to know some must-know Procreate tips and tricks that can help you get the most out of Procreate for illustration, you are in search of some hidden features that can help you to move around the interface like a pro, or you are just wondering if is Procreate easy to use, then this article will provide all those answers.
What is Procreate
Procreate is a stunning and powerful digital illustration tool that comes with a lot of features that artists value. It comes with a minimalistic interface, not having a bunch of icons on the canvas. It does not mean that it has fewer features, but this app leaves the space clear for the artists so they can design their art without any interruption.
This painting and sketching app provides the ability for artists to create their artwork easily by using more than 130 Procreate brushes. They can also edit, delete as well as share their work by using the Apple Pencil flawlessly. If you do not have an Apple Pencil, here is what you need to know about using Procreate without an Apple Pencil.
For many people, how to use Procreate directly involves using an Apple Pencil. This app is so responsive in such a way that it can allow you to feel like you are making art on paper. Available for iPad, the Procreate app allows artists to recreate their experience of using paint, pencil, and pen by using the styling tools digitally. It is the most powerful drawing app that can rule out all other drawing and illustration applications.
5 Tips for Using Procreate
In this section, we will discuss some practices that you need to do if you want to use Procreate to your favor and start doing incredible design on the app. These are the tips.
1. Take Full Advantage of Alpha Lock
This tool is perfect for adding shadows, colors, and textures to your drawings. Here is how it works. First, you should create your general shape. Then go into your layer menu and select “Alpha Lock”. That way, any details you add will stay within the boundaries of your layer, meaning you will not color outside the lines of your original shape.
2. Explore New Possibilities with Blend Modes
Procreate will automatically cover the content of one layer completely with another layer. Though, there are tools you can use so that the shapes, colors, and textures of different layers interact with one another. Blend Modes is an option with Procreate that can take your drawing in entirely new directions.
You can access Blend Modes by opening your Layers menu. You will see the letter “N” on the right side of each layer, which stands for “Normal Mode”, which is the default Blend Mode setting. Tap on that letter, and you will open up your Blend Modes menu, which contains options to lighten, darken, control layer opacity, and much more.
3. Play Around with Recolor Methods
The app comes with a variety of ways you can quickly, and efficiently try out different colors. Alpha Lock is great for staying within the lines of a particular layer, but it is also a great way to change the colors within a layer. To try it out, simply turn on Alpha Lock, choose a color from your color menu, and begin coloring over your drawing. The color you have selected will stay within your current layer, so no need to worry about coloring outside the lines. You can also choose “Fill Layer” within your Alpha Lock menu to quickly fill the entire layer with a single color.
There is also a tool in Procreate that is named “Recolor”. To find it, open your Adjustments menu. Choosing the Recolor tool will automatically fill in wherever your crosshairs are on the screen with your chosen color. To change where the color lands, simply drag the crosshairs to a different area or shape on your drawing, using your Apple Pencil.
4. Master basic gestures
Gestures are like keyboard shortcuts, but you use your fingers. For instance, you can undo and redo your work by tapping two or three fingers on your canvas. In order to clear a layer, scrub your canvas with three fingers, or tap four fingers to hide the user interface and view your work full screen.
5. Create a Color Palette Using the Eyedropper Tool
Procreate Eyedropper tool makes it effortless to grab and save hues directly in the app. To activate Eyedropper, simply tap and hold on the screen over the color you like. You will notice that the color dot in the upper right corner of your screen has changed to match it.
You can take this one step further, using Eyedropper to create a custom Color Palette for your drawings. Open the color menu, click the plus sign to create a new palette, then tap on the brush icon to the left of your color menu.
Now, use the same tap-and-hold technique to activate the Eyedropper, moving it around on the screen to pick up different colors. Every time you find a color you like, all you have to do is tap your Apple Pencil within your new palette to save it.
Final Thoughts
If you implement these practices in Procreate, you will find that your work and your designs will be improving in no time, given the simple and awesome use of the design tool.
