Procreate
Design intricate art with customizable brushes, learn digital art basics with tutorials, and share artwork on multiple platforms.
What is Procreate?
Procreate is a digital art application designed primarily for iPad, allowing artists to create illustrations, paintings, and designs using many customisable brushes. The tool caters to beginners learning digital art fundamentals through built-in tutorials and to experienced artists seeking professional-grade drawing capabilities. Its strength lies in the intuitive interface, extensive brush library, and performance optimisation for touch-based drawing. Artists can export their work in multiple formats and share directly to social media platforms, making it practical for portfolio building and online publishing.
Key Features
Customisable brushes
Create, modify, and import brushes to suit your artistic style and workflow
Layer support
Work with multiple layers for non-destructive editing and complex compositions
Tutorials and learning resources
Built-in guides to help beginners understand digital art techniques
Export and sharing
Save artwork in various formats and share directly to social platforms
Selection and transformation tools
Standard digital art tools including selection, transform, and distortion options
Animation Assist
Create frame-by-frame animations within the application
Pros & Cons
Advantages
- Intuitive touch interface optimised for iPad input
- High performance with minimal lag, even with large files and many layers
- Large community and abundant third-party brush resources available
- One-time purchase option available, no subscription required
- Professional export options support industry-standard file formats
Limitations
- iPad-only application; no native versions for Windows, macOS, or Android
- One-time purchase cost may be higher than some subscription alternatives
- Learning curve for artists unfamiliar with digital tools or iPad workflows
Use Cases
Creating digital illustrations and concept art for games, animation, or publishing
Designing book covers, album artwork, and promotional graphics
Learning digital art fundamentals as a beginner artist
Producing webcomics or graphic novels panel by panel
Creating portfolio pieces for freelance or professional artist applications