Online Creative + Digital Lessons

Digital Design Using Procreate

What is Procreate?

Procreate is fast becoming ‘the’ go-to app for digital creatives to create illustrations, animations and even 3D models. Normally, apps with such creative potential are reserved exclusively for the professional markets due to steep learning curves, high price points and/or unobtainable technical requirements. 

Procreate bucks this trend with its relatively accessible platform (currently distributed on Apple iPads) and its extremely affordable price tag of £8.99, for a one-off lifetime purchase.

Learn Procreate with Digital Arts Box

We decided to help aspiring Procreate artists by producing a short series of tutorial videos to help guide them through some fundamentals of creating digital art and illustrations.

This project’s aims are to produce FREE online creative and digital activities for the whole family to enjoy. We want to provide people of all ages with the ability to learn from industry experts, in order to get creative and make their own digital art.

Digital Arts Box believe that everyone should have the chance to be creative and learn new digital skills and express themselves. This project has been designed to deliver free creative online activities to families in Halton and beyond.

What you will need to learn Procreate?

In order to make art using Procreate and follow along with our video tutorials, you will need:

1. A compatible iPad
2. A Stylus or Digital Pen
3. A copy of the Procreate app downloaded to your iPad

Please note: A lot of the skills and techniques covered in these tutorials will translate to other graphic design applications. Although these videos are delivered using Procreate, you might find that you can use these ideas in other programs with other hardware and software. 

Lesson 1: A Beginners Guide to Procreate

This tutorial is ideal if you want to get started using Procreate with little to no prior knowledge. In this video tutorial we look at:

• Creating a New Canvas in Procreate
• The Standard Procreate Layout and interface
• The Procreate Brush Library
• Undo and Redo Gestures in Procreate
• Selecting Colours in Procreate
• Setting up a Reference in Procreate
• Using The Colour Picker in Procreate
• Drawing Shapes in Procreate
• Scaling and Moving Elements in Procreate
• Using The Fill Tool in Procreate
• Managing Layers in Procreate
• Duplicating Layers in Procreate
• Merging Layers in Procreate
• Hiding Layers in Procreate
• Rotating Elements in Procreate
• Backgrounds in Procreate
• Gradients in Procreate
• Adding Textures in Procreate
• Using Alpha Lock in Procreate
• How to Save Your Work in Procreate

Lesson 2: Understanding Layers and Masks in Procreate

This tutorial is ideal if you’ve got the basics of Procreate down and want to get a better understanding of how to use layers and the different ways layers can interact with one another. In this video tutorial we look at:

• Understanding Layers in Procreate
• Using the Alpha Lock feature
• Using Clipping Masks
• Using Layer Masks
  

Lesson 3: How to make a Paper Cutout Monogram in Procreate

Looking for something a bit more advanced? This tutorial is ideal if you’ve worked through lessons 1 + 2 and you want to combine all these skills and features into your own bespoke artwork. 

This tutorial looks at ways you can utilise layers, masks, selections and adjustments in Procreate to create a sense of depth and perspective. Create a style of your own in the form of a customised Monogram with the illusion of layered cutout paper. In this video tutorial we look at:

• Setting Up Your Canvas
• Adding Shapes
• Adding Shadows
• Masking Out Your Letter

Project Funders and Partners

This project has been made possible thanks to Tesco Bags of Help Community Grants in partnership with Groundwork Cheshire.