In this post I’ll be sharing my favorite Procreate brushes to use for digital illustrations.
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You may or may not know that my brand+biz TWG Designs leans heavily on 2 things: creativity and Procreate. Procreate is THE best digital artwork app in the world. Obviously my personal opinion but there’s just nothing quite like it.
If you have a tablet + stylus and like to draw, doodle, paint, or create in any way… please give it a try!
Today I’m sharing my go-to brushes for all things digital illustration, from initial sketches to final touches, and a bit of everything in between.
My favorite Procreate brushes for digital illustration
- HB PENCIL: This is usually the first brush I use in my drawing process. It’s perfect for creating an initial sketch. This one is pressure and tilt sensitive so it reacts just like a real pencil based on the way you hold and angle the Apple pencil.
- TEXTURED INK: This brush has been my go-to lately for adding a subtle “vintage” or distressed texture to my artwork. I use it to fill in large areas of color. It’s a semi-opaque brush so the background will show through certain parts of its texture.
- WATER BRUSH: I love this brush the most for shadows and highlights. This brush offers such a realistic watercolor texture with rough randomized edges. I like to use it at a lower opacity to really build up color manually and control the amount of texture I’m adding.
- LOTS OF STARS: This is the only brush from this list that doesn’t come with the app. It’s part of a brush pack that I purchased years ago from Creative Market. This brush is essentially a group of randomly spaced dots with slightly blurred edges. I use this often to add texture to elements like ceramics, fruits, pastries, etc.
- LIGHT PEN: Simply the perfect for creating a glow effect. I love that it automatically creates a slightly diffused edge and intensifies the color in the center. I typically use this brush for lightbulbs, candles, or neon signs.
- SOFT AIRBRUSH: This brush is so versatile and acts just like a can of spray paint. I like to use this for soft highlights and gradients.
- MONO: A basic monolined brush that is perfect for outlines, quick color fills, handwriting/notes, and so much more. I often use this brush to create white background fills on illustrations that have sheer textures or sticker borders. This brush is not pressure or tilt sensitive so you will get a smooth and consistent line no matter what.
Check out this IG Reel to see the brushes in action and watch a quick demo showing how I use all brushes together in one illustration.
If you’re feeling creative and want to try the brushes out for yourself, check out this post for a freebie digital coloring page download! Or click here for ALL posts about digital art + illustration.
Xx Laura
