HOW TO MAKE A DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION IN PROCREATE

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You stopped here because you want to know how to make a digital illustration in Procreate.

So, in this blog post, we are going to go over every step you need in order to make a beautiful digital illustration on your iPad.

We will look for the best picture to draw, the canvas size to use, the brushes to start with, and then, the drawing process + export.

Ready? Let’s dive right into how to make a digital illustration in Procreate.

1- WHERE TO FIND AN IMAGE OR PICTURE TO DRAW?

So, you wish to draw an illustration but wonder what image you should use?

Well, the best advice I can give you here is to choose an image that is clear, simple, and light.

What I mean by this is that you want your picture to be clear enough for you to draw over it!

You also need to choose a picture that doesn’t have a lot of details at first (because you are starting out), and you want something bright enough for you to see details to draw on.

You can find that kind of picture on Pinterest, Unsplash, or Pexels.

2- WHAT'S THE RIGHT CANVAS SIZE?

Well, there are no right answers here!

You can decide to use the entire iPad screen or the size of an Instagram portrait post or a square.

The important part will be the DPI.

The higher your DPI is and better your Artwork will look for print.

If you do not want to print your Artwork, your DPI doesn’t have to be high.

So, note that the higher your DPI is, and fewer layers you will have to work with! Keep that in mind.

3- BRUSHES I LOVE AND USE

Alright, we are starting with the fun part.

So, let’s talk brushes.

Here is the list of the brushes I am using to sketch, outline, draw and add texture.

SKETCH

6B Pencil
Technical Pencil
HB Pencil

OUTLINE AND DRAW

Technical Pen
Studio Pen
Script
Monoline

TEXTURE

Vine Charcoal
Noise Brush
Carbon Stick

4- THE DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION DRAWING PROCESS

So, in Procreate tap on the + button and choose the size of your choice.

I will go for 4×5 inch in P3 with DPI 300.

Now, click on the wrench, then add, and insert a photo.

From here, you will have to resize your photo because you want it to cover the entire canvas.

You will notice that your photo has now its own layer.

So, in the layer panel, beside Layer 1, you will see the letter N, click on it, and drop down the opacity of your picture!

Alright, now add a new layer by clicking on the + button.

From there, select the brush of your choice, I will use the Technical Pen.

So, you are going to start by creating the outlines and then fill them up with the colors.

You can choose the color of your choice or use the colors from the picture.

To use the colors of the picture, press and hold with your finger on the color you want to use.

Now, make the outline and drag the color into “closed stroke”.

Procreate will fill up the entire layer if your lines do not touch each other.

Pro tip: Use a new layer every time you are drawing something new out of the picture! This will help if you need to erase and redo a part of the drawing.