Let’s just get right to it. Set your soul free. Regain your sanity 🤣 Lemme ask you: Are you overwhelmed by the plethora of Procreate brushes? Stupid question, I know.
The other day I was building the massive brush pack that’s going inside of Procreate Lettering Lab and kept having this recurring thought: Why am I doing this to people? Like it was a bad thing? Here’s why I had that thought …
This is something I wish someone had told me:
Focus on creating your pieces with just three brushes to start.
Understanding how to use what you have to achieve your desired results will significantly enhance your lettering work and make the learning process less daunting. Then, when you do finally branch into other options, those brushes will feel like they have more of a purpose and you’ll better understand how you actually want to use them, as in, deliberately, versus trying to get them to do the work for you.
The 3 go-to Procreate brushes to focus on:
- a sketcher
- a liner
- a shader
Here are some good go-to options to make the core of your drawings with. Choose ONE in each of the three categories.
Sketching brushes
Sketching brushes assist in the foundation of your art in Procreate. When you begin an illustration or lettering piece with a “pencil” in Procreate, it lifts pressure and assists you with staying in an experimental mindset so you can create organically, without thinking that the first draft must be the final product.
I used to be resistant to sketching first. I even remember saying something about it in a workshop. BUT I can change 😅 and it’s become such a staple over the years as I’ve been more disciplined, and I’ll tell you what, it has paid off. I am sooo much happier with my work now, and the process has become second nature.
I’d recommend one of these two Procreate sketching brushes:
- Pigeon Pencil (if you have my Vintage Texture brush set)
- 6B Pencil (in Procreate’s Sketching brush set)
Liner brushes
Liner brushes in Procreate are ideal for creating crisp lines and refined edges, and they serve as the backbone for both simple and intricate illustrations and lettering projects. I highly recommend selecting a liner brush that has full opacity. You can apply texture later using a clipping mask.
- Studio Pen (in Procreate’s Inking brush set)
- Pulpy Pointed Pen (inside my Vintage Texture brush set)
Liner Procreate brushes for even line width
(aka no pressure sensitivity on the weight lines)
- Monoline (in Procreate’s Calligraphy brush set)
- Vintage Monoline - adds a little texture to your lines while maintaining full opacity (also in my Vintage Texture brush set)
Shader brushes
Shader brushes breathe a ton of life into Procreate artwork with a dynamic range of possibilities for adding depth, texture, and dimension. You have the ability to blend colors in a whole new way and create gradients that give your illustrations and lettering pieces a lifelike appearance. And by manipulating the pressure and tilt of your Apple Pencil, you can achieve varying degrees of intensity, whether you’re looking to create soft shadows, gentle highlights, or complex textures.
- Attic (yep, another one in my Vintage Texture brush set)
I unfortunately don’t like any of the built-in shader brushes in Procreate 😒 but I’ll suggest a couple because I always want to find a solution to work with what we already have.
- Some versions of Procreate include a brush called Bonobo Chalk (in the Sketching set)
- The only other Procreate built-in brush I’d go with is the Noise Brush in the Materials set. It’s a pretty opaque texture brush but it’ll do the job.
Challenge time
Select the THREE brushes you’ll use through the rest of the month 😳
This approach has helped many in our community (maybe even you!) find their footing and start creating works they're proud of.
What's next?
Procreate Lettering Lab has finally opened it's doors, so if you're ready to level up your lettering game, the time is now!
