How to Use Procreate on iPad for Beginners

Learn Procreate basics on iPad. Master brushes, layers, gestures, and essential tools to start creating digital art with confidence.

1. Create your first canvas. Open Procreate and tap the plus icon in the top right corner. Select a preset canvas size like 'Screen Size' for practice, or tap 'Custom' to set specific dimensions. Tap 'Create' to open your new artwork with a blank white canvas.
2. Select and customize your brush. Tap the brush icon in the top toolbar to open the brush library. Choose 'Sketching' from the left menu, then tap '6B Pencil' for natural drawing. Adjust brush size using the left slider and opacity using the right slider above the brush icon.
3. Learn essential touch gestures. Use one finger to draw. Pinch with two fingers to zoom in or out. Touch and hold with one finger, then drag with another to pan around the canvas. Two-finger tap undoes your last action, and three-finger tap redoes it.
4. Add and manage layers. Tap the layers icon (two overlapping squares) in the top right. Tap the plus icon to create a new layer. Drag layers up or down to reorder them. Tap a layer to access options like duplicate, delete, or adjust opacity and blend modes.
5. Use the color picker effectively. Tap the color circle in the top right to open the color picker. Use the outer ring to select hue and the inner triangle for saturation and brightness. Tap and hold on your canvas to sample existing colors with the eyedropper tool.
6. Master selection and transformation tools. Tap the 'S' icon for selection tools. Choose 'Automatic' to select areas of similar color, or 'Freehand' to draw your selection. After selecting, tap the arrow icon to transform, move, resize, or rotate your selection using the handles and controls.
7. Save and export your artwork. Tap 'Actions' (wrench icon) in the top left, then select 'Share'. Choose your preferred format: PNG for high-quality images, JPEG for smaller files, or PSD to preserve layers for Photoshop. Tap your export option and select where to save or share your artwork.