Are you a beginner artist looking for a way to practice your skills and create from anywhere? Look no further than Procreate for the iPad! As a traditional illustrator who loves working with watercolors, gouache and colored pencils, I was hesitant to try digital illustration at first. When I saw all the amazing art that illustrators were creating in it, I became curious and decided to give Procreate a chance. Not only is it an affordable option (no monthly subscriptions!), but it offers a wide range of features and tools that made creating on the go so much easier.
With Procreate, I can take my iPad and Apple Pencil wherever I need to be and have everything I need to create with me. And let me be fully transparent… with winters in NH sometimes that means I am drawing in bed under a warm comforter and electric blanket.
But Procreate isn't just great for creating on the go – it's also an excellent tool for practicing your technical skills and making beautiful art. With features like layers, masks, animation assist and top-notch brushes, it is a creative playground possibilities.
I haven’t given up on traditional mediums, not at all… I’ve got plenty of sketchbooks, paints, markers and brushes in the studio with me. These days, I describe myself as a "tradigital illustrator," using a mix of both digital and traditional methods in my illustrations. While sketchbooks are portable (and lighter), having the convenience of traveling with my iPad means I can work on my illustrations with tools that I enjoy even when I'm not in the studio.
And the BRUSHES! One of my favorite things about Procreate are the brushes - they are so versatile and have the added flexibility of custom creations and saved size preferences. My collection is quite vast, but I typically stick to my own curated brush faves that depict the organic quality of the traditional mediums I enjoy.
A few of the most commonly loved features and benefits of Procreate are:
Affordability: one-time purchase app that doesn't require a monthly/yearly subscription, making it a more accessible option for artists.
User-friendly interface: Procreate's intuitive interface and customizable settings make it easy to use and navigate, even for beginners.
Tools and features: a wide range of brushes, textures, and effects, as well as features give artists more creative freedom and control over their work.
High-quality output: Procreate supports high-resolution file exports.
Seamless integration with Apple Pencil: Procreate is optimized for use with the Apple Pencil, which provides a natural and responsive drawing experience similar to traditional media.
Updates: developers regularly release updates with new features and improvements, ensuring that the app stays up-to-date with the latest trends and needs of the art community.
Procreate is an affordable value with a wide range of features that make it a fabulous tool for any digital artist. And with the added convenience of being able to create on the go, there's never been a better time to try it out for yourself.
For those of you who have Procreate and want to expand your brush collection, I have shared a few of my personal favorites in Crew’s Nest, a private resource library of goodies for Creative Crew members. These brushes are full of texture allowing you to add some sweet details to your illustrations.
