The Best Procreate Brushes Every New Artist Should Try
1. HB Pencil Brush
The HB Pencil brush is a versatile essential for sketching and line work. This brush mimics the texture of a real pencil, allowing for fine details and soft shading. Perfect for beginners, it helps in creating fluid, sketchy lines that can form the backbone of any illustration. The pressure sensitivity feature allows the artist to vary the line weight with relative ease, making it ideal for practices like figure drawing or quick studies.
2. Round Brush
One of the most commonly used brushes, the Round Brush can be employed for various styles, from painting to calligraphy. With its smooth edges, it’s perfect for painting soft strokes or defining shapes. Artists can customize the brush settings to create dynamic textures ranging from thick to thin, enabling a professional quality that can elevate any artwork.
3. Watercolor Brush
To achieve a beautiful watercolor effect, the Watercolor Brush is invaluable. It mimics the fluidity of traditional watercolor paint, allowing for transparency and layering. When experimenting with this brush, artists can create stunning textures and blended color washes that give depth to their pieces. The blend mode simulates real-world watercolor bleed, which can help beginners understand the layering technique in traditional painting.
4. Inked Brush
For comic artists or anyone interested in line art, the Inked Brush offers a fantastic way to create bold, dramatic lines. This brush gives the work an illustrative quality akin to ink on paper. The variable pressure sensitivity allows for dynamic line thickness, which adds character and energy to every stroke. The Inked Brush is a go-to for typography as well, helping artists produce polished letters easily.
5. Floral Brush
Floral Brushes are crafted to enable the quick creation of botanical elements in designs. Perfect for those who want to incorporate nature into their artwork, these brushes come preloaded with a range of flowers, leaves, and stems. They are excellent for creating backgrounds, embellishments, or more detailed floral studies. The combination of shapes allows for a variety of styles, giving the user creative freedom to customize designs.
6. Blender Brush
A Blender Brush plays a crucial role in achieving seamless transitions between colors. This brush is perfect for artists who want to create a soft, smooth gradient without hard edges. By layering different colors and using the Blender Brush to merge them, beginners can create dimension and depth in their illustrations. It’s particularly useful in portrait painting, where skin tones must blend harmoniously.
7. Texture Brush
The Texture Brush adds realism and depth to artwork through its intricate patterns. Ideal for creating backgrounds or adding detail to existing layers, it can simulate various surfaces, such as fabric, clouds, or wood. Experimenting with the texture will help beginners understand how different elements can add richness and complexity to their work.
8. Eraser Brush
In Procreate, the Eraser Brush does more than just erase. By customizing the shape and texture, artists can create unique effects when erasing portions of their artwork. For example, using a textured eraser brush can give an impression of scratched or weathered surfaces, while using a smooth eraser brush can clean edges sharply. This adds strategic depth to edits and adjustments in an illustration.
9. Pixel Brush
The Pixel Brush is perfect for those delving into pixel art or retro styles. This brush allows artists to create crisp, blocky designs that evoke nostalgia for 8-bit graphics. It supports the creation of quick cityscapes, character sprites, or anything that requires a pixelated aesthetic. Mastering the Pixel Brush can provide a fun challenge while developing an artist’s precision and eye for detail.
10. Watercolor Splash Brush
This brush adds spontaneous splashes of color to any artwork, bringing a sense of energy and playfulness. Artists can use the Watercolor Splash Brush for abstract expressions, or layer it on top of existing designs to give them a lively twist. It can be an excellent tool for quick sketches or energizing backgrounds, facilitating creative exploration.
11. Chalk Brush
The Chalk Brush provides an outstanding option for those who want a more textured finish. It mimics the soft strokes of chalk on a board, offering a unique touch to digital illustrations. The brush is particularly effective for pastel styles and is a popular option for rough sketches, concept art, and adding subtle texture to backgrounds.
12. Gouache Brush
For artists who love the look of traditional gouache, this Procreate brush replicates the unique aesthetic perfectly. It combines opacity with texture, allowing users to create vibrant layers with a matte finish. The Gouache Brush is ideal for blending while still maintaining a distinct brush mark, making it a favorite among illustrators who lean towards a hand-painted feel.
13. Calligraphy Brush
For those who are interested in hand lettering or calligraphy, this brush is a must-have. It is designed to mimic fluid ink flow, allowing for elegant strokes and elaborate designs. Whether you are creating greeting cards, branding materials, or artistic quotes, mastering the Calligraphy Brush can vastly improve an artist’s typography skills.
14. Texture Overlay Brush
The Texture Overlay Brush is excellent for photographers and digital painters who want to add an artistic flair to their images. This brush can be applied in various modes, such as multiplying or screening, to create layered effects that enhance photos. Artists can use this brush to add grain, bokeh, or other textural effects, making it a versatile option for mixed media work.
15. Faux Fur Brush
For those looking to add realistic fur to their animal illustrations, the Faux Fur Brush is an exceptional tool. With its unique shape and bristles, it creates layered fur effects that can be adjusted based on brush pressure. This brush is excellent for character designs, animated creatures, or any other artwork that features furry animals.
Brush Customization and Sourcing
While the brushes listed above provide a strong foundation for any new Procreate artist, customization is key. Adjusting settings such as brush size, opacity, and flow can transform a basic brush into something that better fits a personal style. Additionally, exploring online marketplaces like Gumroad and Creative Market can yield an array of additional brushes tailored for specific techniques or aesthetics.
Final Thoughts
With a wealth of brushes available, these selections will ensure that new artists are well-equipped to explore the diverse possibilities of Procreate. Experimentation will cultivate a distinctive art style while fostering confidence in digital artistry. Each brush serves as a gateway to new techniques and creative avenues, paving the way for artistic growth and mastery.
