7 things you need to know about the Procreate drawing app, BEFORE you buy!

In this post, I’m going to talk about the 7 things that you need to know about the Procreate app BEFORE you buy it! 

This app is really powerful and can do a lot of different things, but not everyone knows how to use it properly. So whether you’re just starting out or have been using it for a while, there’s definitely something in this post for you.

The Procreate drawing app is an amazing tool for artists of all levels. It’s packed with features that allow you to create beautiful works of art, and it’s constantly being updated with new tools and capabilities. If you’re thinking about using Procreate, or if you just want to learn more about what it can do, here are seven things you need to know.

1. It’s great for beginners. Procreate is user-friendly and intuitive, so it’s great for people who are just starting out with digital art. There are lots of helpful tutorial videos available, too, so you can learn all the different features at your own pace. 

I have been a graphic designer my entire adult life. Before computers, I loved to draw in pen and ink. Once I became a professional graphic designer, I rarely drew freehand as everything was done on the computer. After nearly 25 years in the Graphic Design industry, I felt burned out with computer work and began sketching and inking in a traditional sketchbook in my free time. After meeting a fellow artist who drew in Procreate, I knew I would love to try it out!

Holding a digital pencil and drawing on a glass screen felt funny at first, but I stuck with it.

I soon found out about “paper like” (affiliate link) and fell in love with the paper-like feel. My creative spirit was happy as the pencil felt like my pencil gliding along on my traditional sketch book.

As a beginner, I began using “ink” and line art techniques to emulate my pen and ink drawing style. I have since come to love all the different brushes, textures and styles I can use on the iPad app.

2. You can use it on your iPad or iPhone. The app is designed for use on iOS devices, so you can take it with you wherever you go.

When I first decided I wanted to draw using Procreate, I had no iPad OR iPhone. I found out from my friend that you could order an iPad on your phone plan with the different cell providers and that is what I did. 🙂
I ended up canceling that plan once I was allowed to and I just use my iPad mostly for Procreate and creating digital art for other people and to sell online!

3. It has a lot of features. Procreate includes everything you need to create stunning digital art, from basic drawing and painting tools to more advanced features like perspective guides and symmetry tools.

When you first get your Procreate app installed, there will be some ‘sample art’ installed on the app to show you what is possible. Do NOT let that intimidate you! They chose works from artists who are very talented and can do some pretty epic things with it.
Just open up a new canvas and play around with all the brushes and styles the app comes with!
Doodle, sketch, import a photo and trace over it! Don’t overthink it, just have fun!
Once you get a feel for it, your creative mind will open up to all the things you can create and the features that are important to you will come to light! Then you can spend the time researching “how to ” do this and that until you feel more comfortable. You want using this app to be an enjoyable experience and if you overthink it to death, you will not find your creative flow with it.
Even to this day, after 3 years creating in the app, I am discovering new things I can do and I sometimes just open up the app and doodle to get my creativity flowing before I get to “work” on a commission or art piece.

4. It’s constantly being updated. The developers behind Procreate are always working on new updates and adding new features to the app. This means that there’s always something new to explore, and your creative possibilities are endless.

Oh no! Updates! These seem to screw evrything up, at least on our smartphones! No need to worry, the updates on Procreate will not turn your world upside down like the updates on your phone. After 3 years in the app, I have yet to encounter a drastic update that caused me to lose my bearings or be confused.

5. You can share your work with the community. There’s an active community of Procreate users who share their artwork and offer feedback and support to one another. 

Procreate Folio is an online community of Procreate users who share their work, ideas, suggestions, support and even a marketplace. There are also FB groups with Procreate users.
I started a Digital Art FB group you can join here, and even though it is not specific to Procreate, we do talk about Procreate and we also discuss making money selling art and that applies to every Procreate user, even if you are NEW! 

6. It’s for digital art, but don’t let that fool you. In Procreate you can create original works of arts in nearly any style with the various brush textures and settings.

Yep, I got into Procreate to create digital art, BUT, at the time, I was a member of a local gallery in my old hometown and I would print off my digital paintings, frame them and sell them over and over in the gallery! So, while Procreate is a digital app, you can definitely create FINE ART with it and sell those prints over and over again! 

7. It’s affordable. Considering all the features it offers, Procreate is a very reasonably priced drawing app compared to other similar apps on the market.

Looking back to when I first learned about Procreate, I had it in my mind that it was probably very expensive. I subscribe to Adobe Creative Suite which is a monthly subscription and so I thought this would be no different!
I was pleasantly surprised at the ONE time price of $9.99 and after 3 years of using it professionally to make an income, I would GLADLY pay MORE for this awesome tool! (Shhhh, please do not tell Procreate that, as who doesn’t love getting a great deal on amazing software? 

Wrapping it up!
Procreate is an amazing drawing app that offers users a lot of features and flexibility. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned artist, Procreate is a great option for anyone who wants to create beautiful digital artworks. At just $9.99, it’s also very affordable compared to similar apps out there! So if you’re looking for a great tool to help you unleash your creativity, be sure to check out Procreate today!