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Things to Draw on Procreate | Beginner Drawing Ideas

Procreate has become a favorite amongst creatives and intrepid beginners. It’s a beginner-friendly app and boasts an affordable price. This app is exclusive to iOS and iPads.

It’s a fantastic way to develop your graphic design skills. So if you’re feeling blocked creatively, Procreate is an excellent way for you to grow. There are many things to draw on Procreate for beginners. You can draw anything your imagination can think of – from mythical beings to expansive landscapes.

Don’t worry if you’re not that skilled, as we have some easy drawing ideas for Procreate.

Be sure to have a look over our beginner’s guide to Procreate if you’re just starting out.

Best Things to Draw on Procreate

There are many easy things to draw on Procreate. The easier way to get started on Procreate is by creating a new canvas and trying out the different tools and textures they offer. Procreate also has various tutorials which can guide you on more advanced functions, should you need them.

Here are 7 things you can draw on Procreate.

Abstract landscape on Procreate on iPhone

1. Abstract Designs

A cool thing to draw on Procreate is abstract designs inspired by your imagination. This is a great way to flesh out the app’s features without worrying about how it turns out. Play around with different shapes, colors, and layers to create a fun piece.

You can use various tools such as paintbrush, eraser, sliders, magic wand, or smudge to do this. The blend mode function is a fantastic tool for abstract artwork, allowing you to blend your different layers. Do this by clicking the “n” in the layer menu. “N” stands for normal mode, the default blend setting for all layers. 

Tip: Check out this guide on the best Procreate brushes.

2. Flowers and plants

Take inspiration from your surroundings, and draw a plant or flower. This could be your favorite plant baby or a bunch of tulips. Layering can be a great way to start.

  • Gather inspiration online via Google or Pinterest or by studying your chosen plant.
  • Next, sketch out a rough outline of the plant, creating a sketch layer.
  • Then create a layer called shapes, where you can begin to develop your larger elements.
  • Select a color palette that you like (don’t get too adventurous just yet), and create a layer for each element of your composition.
  • You can drag the color from the top right of the app into your shape to fill the element.
  • Draw and hold to get a curved line, perfect for your leaves.
  • Now turn off the sketch layer and turn on the blend mode to multiply.
  • Use the alpha lock tool to get the finer details and shadows. This feature allows you to lay down a shape and lock it so you can only draw inside it.

3. Still lifes

Your surroundings can be an awesome inspiration for artwork. Make an artwork of your living room or your bedroom. You could even draw your kitchen after you just made a meal.

You can either work directly or take a shot of your still life. A remarkable feature of Procreate is that you can use photos as your direct canvas. You need to change the opacity, so you can barely see the reference image. Then, you will need to add a layer.

You can now use the pen tool to create a rough sketch/outline of your still life. This can develop structure and depth to your artwork without relying too much on your creative ability. Use the color palette function to add the original image’s colors into your artwork.

4. Animals

We love our pets. They’re cuddly and loving. Without a doubt, they make our lives better. So what better thing to draw on Procreate than an animal?

You can draw them either super realistic or in a cute animated style.

To get started, you can download a reference photo onto your iPad and trace over it in Procreate to get the exact proportions of the animal you are drawing.

Portrait of a cat on Procreate

5. Portraits

For portraits, you typically need to focus more on your subject’s facial and bodily features. In Procreate, you can use the Quickline tool to make continuous straight lines without much work.

You can draw people in various formats, such as watercolor or comic strip style. Once you get used to Procreate, you can make artwork and pieces for loved ones as gifts to show appreciation for how they help you in life.

An Apple Pencil is a great way to ensure your artworks are more refined. If you are not satisfied with the default brushes, you can always install new Procreate brushes.

Hand drawing a portrait on Procreate

6. Food

Food is a staple in life. As such, it’s a great way to get started with drawing in Procreate.

  • A great way to begin is by drawing a quick line drawing on your first layer.
  • After this, add your base colors. You can separate different parts of your object by layering them.
  • Then add in the shadows and use the blend function on a separate layer to add dimension to your work (use the clipping mask function to attach this to the base color).
  • Now, use a separate layer to create the highlights of the object. Tools such as Color Dodge can help you create a lighter color for this.
  • Lastly, ensure your background layer is set as your Base Layer and blend colors that complement your food.

Tip: To get textures just to your liking, read this guide on how to make Procreate brushes.

Photo of an animated banana on Procreate

7. Landscapes

Landscapes are a great way to start on Procreate if you’re struggling to overcome creative block. Select a few colors and play around with different shapes and textures. You can make silhouettes to create a composition in your work. You can either use a reference image or your imagination to develop a fantastical world.

The great thing about Procreate is you can put any fun ideas into creation. It’s a great way to produce conceptual art.

Want to Sell Your Digital Art?

Do you excel at Photoshop and Procreate? Do you feel like you have unique and cool art? Want to make some money off your work?

Here at Pixelsmith Studios, we offer a platform where you can sell your digital artwork. Check out the Pixelsmith Creative Marketplace here.

Final Thoughts on Procreate Ideas for Beginners

These Procreate ideas for beginners should spark all kinds of creative thoughts in your mind.  Remember that all it takes is picking up your iPad and starting. Procreate is not about perfection every time, but we’re sure that you’ll be excelling within no time.

Procreate can help you grow as an artist. It could even potentially lead to a career. Make sure to check out these South African illustrators for more inspiration.

 

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AUTHORS

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Matt is about 80% nerd, 10% writer, 10% animal lover. His love for PC's started at the tender age of 4 and his love for animation and motion graphics fairly soon after. You can normally find him behind a computer screen or playing with his dog Rusty.

Matthew

Matt is about 80% nerd, 10% writer, 10% animal lover. His love for PC's started at the tender age of 4 and his love for animation and motion graphics fairly soon after. You can normally find him behind a computer screen or playing with his dog Rusty.

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