Procreate Review: An Honest Look from a Digital Artist
As a self-taught digital artist who has been using the Procreate app for over three years, Procreate has given me more than just tools and an easy to use application. It has given me the opportunity to build connections with other like-minded digital artists who use Procreate, to collaborate with two brands and design artwork for their merchandise, and to share my newfound Procreate expertise across different social media platforms.
The Procreate user community is vast and is probably bigger than those who use other competing creative applications. Procreate is even used by those who simply want to casually draw and are not specifically trying to make art in order to build a business. I personally first learned of Procreate a couple of years ago through a girl friend who wanted to draw for fun and make art for herself. It came highly recommended from her and now, after a quick (though initially hesitant) decision to purchase Procreate three years ago, my life has forever changed because of that one decision.
How much is Procreate?
While Procreate is not free, it only costs a one-time payment of $9.99 USD from the Apple store. That one-time purchase allows you to get updates from Procreate for life, or for the duration of how long you will use your Ipad or how long your Ipad works. It is important to note that even though Procreate is a low cost purchase, you will also need to purchase an Apple Ipad and an Apple pencil to use it, which could total up to $400 to $900 USD. There are other creative application alternatives out there that may cost less or can be used on an Android system; however, I personally find that in my own community, many people use Procreate, so this has allowed me to build deeper connections with them over our shared experiences of this program.
Drawing with Procreate
The simple, easy-to-use interface allows a not so tech savvy person like me learn how to use its tools and features fairly quickly. You can start with the basic, standard tools first, which can allow you to create art that matches your style and personality. Experimenting and exploring the basic features initially will help you improve your understanding of Procreate, as well as, create art that fits your unique style.
Once you become more familiar with the platform, you can try more advanced things with Procreate, such as creating a new brush or stamp. As someone who has been using Procreate for over three years now, using and sticking to the basic tools can still allow you to make beautiful and creative artwork - it’s really all about how you use the application.
Limitations of Using Procreate
I draw almost daily on Procreate and the one limitation I have found is that after drawing for a couple hours straight, both my Ipad and Apple pencil run out of battery - this is probably the same for any other tablet and pencil you use, so this not atypical. The additional downside I would like to point out is that the Apple pencil (and sometimes the Ipad) slows down and does not work as effectively as a if it were fully charged. For reference, I have the 10.5-inch Apple Ipad Air (3rd generation) and the first generation Apple pencil.
The duration of charging the Ipad and Apple pencil may vary, depending on the type of charging cable and charger you use. From my personal experience, I use the Anker cable and charger and it takes about 2 to 2 1/2 hours to charge the Ipad and under an hour to charge the Apple pencil. If you do not want to wait to charge them individually, I recommend getting a second cable and charger so you can charge them simultaneously while you do something else for the time being.
You can charge the Ipad while drawing, but I find this slightly overheats my Ipad and this will affect the performance of the Apple Pencil and, therefore, will impact whatever you are drawing. To be efficient of your time, allocate several hours of drawing on Procreate, along with a few hours charge your Ipad and pencil in between.
Procreate Features
Procreate has standard painting features such as Paint, Smudge, Layers, Selection Tools, and Clipping Mask that I regularly use. There are a couple of additional unique Procreate tools I enjoy and love listed below.
Drawing Assist
Drawing Assist helps you to draw things in a more perfect way. You can draw straight horizontal or vertical lines when activating “Assisted Drawing” in the selected layer. You can also activate “Symmetry,” which allows you to draw shapes in a symmetrical or “mirrored” form, either horizontally or vertically. There are advanced symmetrical options, such as Quadrant, Radial, and Rotational Symmetry, which are fun tools to try and explore.
Alpha Lock
Alpha Lock is a unique tool that allows you to draw within the extents of an existing linework of a current layer. This is a useful feature for when you want to add details within the limits of an existing linework and want to draw directly on the same layer. This is similar to the Clipping Mask tool, but on the same layer. The downside to this is that all the art and details will be placed in one layer and you cannot adjust or edit them as easily as if they were on different layers.
Reference
Activating the Reference feature in a linework layer will allow you to fill color in another layer within the extents of the referenced linework above. This is a useful tool if you have linework already drawn and would like to add and fill the the linework with color in a separate layer. Make sure the referenced linework is placed at the top and simply add a new layer below to color. In case you change your mind about the color, you can easily adjust without affecting the original linework layer.
Adjustments
The Adjustments options include the typical features such as, Color Balance, Curves, Hue, Saturation, and Brightness. There are also blurring tools such as Gaussian Blur, Motion Blur, and Perspective Blur. The two unique adjustment tools in Procreate I frequently enjoy using are Bloom and Liquify.
The Bloom adjustment feature allows you to create a “glow” effect and is perfect for adding a glow when drawing a moon or a star. This helps enhance your artwork, especially when you have a dark background - see the artwork below I drew as an example!
Liquify is another cool feature that allows you to “liquify” and create a marble-like effect from a single layer with multiple, solid colors. It is a great tool to help add depth and an interesting effect to your artwork or text. The below image shows an example Liquify effect.
Animation
You can easily create an animation or GIF from your Procreate drawing using the Animation Assist feature. There are additional settings that will allow you to set your animation to your desired preferences and format. The animation below can give you an idea of a fun way to animate a drawing.
Time-lapse Replay and Recording
The crème de la crop of Procreate is the time-lapse feature where you can visually see the drawing process of your artwork from start to finish. You can use this to take note of your own steps to make your artwork or share your process on social media like an Instagram reel. This is one my favorite features in Procreate because I can see how I iterate and evolve in my artwork and, after using Procreate for many years, you can see how your process has changed from your old artwork to your latest one.
The list presented highlights the core features I enjoy using in Procreate, but is by no means comprehensive. There are many other additional tricks and tips in Procreate that I often use and can dive more deeply in another blog post. I also share Procreate tips and tricks regularly in the form of videos here.
Additional Benefits of Procreate
Because Procreate is an application within an Ipad, a primary benefit is that you have access to Apple features such as AirDrop and other Apple specific tools. Admittedly, after using Procreate for the past couple of years, the benefits of Procreate are not just gaining more technical knowledge about a program and getting better at drawing digital art.
I have come to learn that the benefits extend beyond the creation of beautiful, positive art. It has been rewarding to be able to help Procreate beginners learn interesting features and fun, creative ways to draw art. I have also been able to slowly build a niche community who are using and learning Procreate, just like me.
Procreate has given me the confidence to pursue digital art with its minimalist, easy-to-use interface. Up until three years ago, I have never drawn digital art before and thought it would be a huge learning curve to learn Procreate AND learn to draw digitally. While I have been a creative all my life doing crafts and hand-drawn graphics (along with the fact that I am a professional landscape designer), drawing digital art was something that used to terrify me.
It was not because I did not want to learn it - it was because there were so many already talented digital artists out there that I did not feel that I would ever meet their level. Now, I have just come to terms that while I surely don’t draw like a Disney or Marvel artist, I embrace my own unique creativity and style.
Is Procreate Worth It?
To wrap up my thoughts on Procreate, I believe it is a fantastic program for first-time and self-taught digital artists, especially those who want to make art and build their brand or business. In a way, learning Procreate has given me a community, brand collaborations, and opportunities I never dreamed of three years ago. None of this would be possible if I didn’t make that $10 decision to purchase an application I only knew about from one friend. So, take the leap in your creative journey and the impossible will start to feel so much more possible.
I hope that whatever drawing program you decide to use, you will find the path of a digital artist rewarding and enlightening, just like I have.
What is your experience with Procreate like? Do you have any favorite tools or tools you find challenging? Share your thoughts below, I would love to hear them!
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