Make Your Own Brushes in Procreate
One of the coolest (and most addictive) features in Procreate is the ability to make your own brushes. When I first discovered this, I thought it would be way too technical for me—but once I started playing around, I realised how easy and fun, it actually is.
I still use a lot of Procreate’s default brushes, but over time I’ve built up my own collection of custom brushes that suit my style perfectly. Some mimic real pencils and inks, others feel like chalk or watercolour, and a few are just for adding quirky textures to backgrounds.
Here’s how I approach brush-making in Procreate, and a few tips if you want to try it too.
Start by Duplicating an Existing Brush
This is my number one tip: don’t start from scratch. Pick a brush you already like—say a pencil or inker—duplicate it, and then start tweaking. That way, you’re not staring at a wall of settings feeling lost.
The brush studio in Procreate has a lot of sliders, but you don’t need to master them all. I usually play with things like:
Stroke path: changes how smooth or jittery the line looks.
Shape: controls the overall brush tip shape (round, textured, grainy, etc.).
Grain: adds texture—great for making brushes feel more like real paper or paint.
Pressure: lets you adjust how thick or thin lines get depending on how hard you press with the Apple Pencil.
Importing Your Own Textures
Here’s where it gets really fun: you can actually import your own shapes or textures to make totally unique brushes.
I’ve scanned in pencil scribbles, splatters of paint, even a photo of a sponge once, and turned them into brush grains. Suddenly, I had a set of brushes that looked exactly like my traditional sketchbook. It’s the quickest way to add personality to your digital art.
Test as You Go
Brush making is trial and error. I’ll tweak a setting, make a few test strokes on the canvas, then go back into the brush studio to adjust again. Sometimes the smallest change—like spacing or tilt behaviour—makes a huge difference.
If you’re not sure what a setting does, slide it wildly in one direction and see what happens. It’s a great way to learn by feel rather than memorising technical terms.
Organise Your Brushes
Once you’ve created a few custom brushes, it’s worth keeping them organised. Procreate lets you create new brush sets (kind of like folders), so I group mine into categories like Sketching, Inking, Textures, and Special Effects.
That way I’m not scrolling endlessly every time I want to find my “favourite chalky pencil.”
Why I Love Making My Own Brushes
Custom brushes give my work a voice that feels uniquely mine. Instead of scrolling through endless brush packs online, I can create tools that match exactly how I like to draw. And honestly—it’s just plain fun.
If you’re curious, start simple: duplicate a brush, tweak a few sliders, and see what happens. Before long, you’ll have a little library of brushes that feel like they belong to you.
Hey, there! I’m Jasmine Berry, a freelance illustrator based in sunny Perth, Western Australia. Most days you’ll find me sketching away on my iPad or surrounded by pencils and cats, chasing new ideas. I like to think of myself as eternally optimistic—always seeing the fun, the colour, and the possibility in every project I take on. Send me a message if you would like to collaborate on a project.