My Top 10 Procreate Tips
I’ve been using Procreate for years now, and while it’s an intuitive app, there are so many little tricks tucked away that can make your workflow smoother and your art process more fun. I thought I’d share my top 10 Procreate tips—the ones I wish I’d known earlier!
1. Learn the Gestures NOW!
Procreate is all about gestures. A quick two-finger tap undoes, three fingers redo, and pinching to zoom or rotate is second nature once you get used to it. Learning these early saves heaps of time.
2. Hold for a Perfect Line or Shape
If you hold your Apple Pencil down after drawing a line or shape, Procreate automatically straightens it. Perfect for neat circles, squares, stars, and smooth lines.
3. Use QuickShape to Edit
After Procreate snaps your shape, tap with another finger and it will turn into an editable polygon—you can then adjust corners, make perfect triangles, or tweak proportions.
4. ColourDrop with Ease
Drag a colour swatch into an area to fill it instantly. If it’s spilling outside the lines, adjust the ColourDrop Threshold by sliding left or right before you lift your pencil.
5. Alpha Lock is THE Game Changer
Swipe right with two fingers on a layer to lock it. Now you can paint only on the pixels that are already there—great for shading, highlights, and textures without going outside the lines.
6. Clipping Masks for Extra Control
Instead of using Alpha Lock, try a Clipping Mask on a new layer above. It only affects the layer beneath but keeps your edits separate, so you can adjust or delete them later.
7. Group Your Layers
Trust me, “Layer 47” is not helpful. Take a moment to name your layers or group them by character, background, text, etc. It makes a huge difference when projects get more complex.
8. Streamline for Smoother Lines
If your line art feels shaky, open Brush Settings > Stabilisation/Streamline and adjust the slider. It helps your strokes flow smoother without losing their natural feel.
9. Use Reference Layer for Easy Colouring
Set your line art layer as a Reference Layer (tap the layer > Reference), then you can use ColourDrop on blank layers beneath and Procreate will still recognise your line art boundaries.
10. Back Up Your Work!!!
This one’s not flashy but it’s the MOST important! Export finished pieces as procreate files and save them to iCloud, Google Drive, or an external hard drive. Nothing worse than losing hours of work.
AND DON’T FORGET TO Experiment!
Don’t be afraid to experiment—half the fun of Procreate is stumbling across new techniques by accident. I’ve discovered some of my favourite brushes and textures just by messing around.
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.