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The Beginner's Quick-Start Guide to Using Procreate

Curious about Procreate and wondering what all the hype is about? Maybe you’ve seen it pop up while searching for how to make stickers, create your own characters, or design cute illustrations for your Cricut… and now you’re thinking, ok but what actually is this thing? You’re in the right place, friend.

In this post, I’m walking you through the basics of Procreate so you can finally understand how it works and what you can make with it. You’ll get a simple overview of the app,  and a step by step photo tutorial you can scroll through at your own pace. And if you’ve got questions, no worries. I tucked a full Q&A at the bottom to help you feel totally comfy diving in.

If this is your first time opening Procreate, this is the perfect place to start. Grab your iPad, take a breath, and get ready to play. You’re about to unlock a whole new world of creative magic. ✨🎨

Table of Contents

QuickStart Guide: How to Use Procreate for Total Beginners

If you’re ready to learn Procreate but don’t know where to start, you’re in the perfect place. This beginner friendly Procreate tutorial walks you through the basics step by step so you can finally feel confident using this magical little digital art app. We’ll look at the Procreate canvas, essential tools, the brush library, layers, QuickShape, color panels, exporting your art, and more. By the end, you’ll know exactly how to use Procreate to draw, design, and create your own digital art.

Grab your iPad and let’s jump in together. You’ve totally got this, and it’s about to be so fun. 🎉💛

1. How to Open a New Canvas in Procreate and Zoom, Rotate, or Move It

When you first open Procreate, you’ll land on the Gallery page. In the top right corner, tap the little + sign to open the canvas options.

Ignore all those other canvas sizes for now. They’re just custom ones I’ve added over the years. For beginners, choosing Screen Size is perfect. Tap it and ta da… your first Procreate canvas is ready.

To move around the canvas:
• Two fingers = move, zoom, rotate
• Pinch in = zoom out
• Pinch apart = zoom in
• Two fingers + twist = rotate

This is your playground now. Get comfy moving it around while you draw.

Open a new canvas in Procreate Gallery

2. Get to Know the Procreate Canvas Tools and Interface

  1. Before you dive into drawing, it helps to know what all the little buttons actually do. On your canvas you’ll see:
  2. A toolbar across the top
    A slider panel along the side

Let’s break them down below! ⬇️

The Toolbar

Gallery

Takes you back to all your Procreate projects.

Wrench (Actions Menu)

Popular actions under the wrench toolbar

This is where you’ll add photos, import files, insert text, share your artwork, and more. You’ll use this menu a lot.

Magic Wand (Adjustments)

popular image adjustments under the Magic Wand

This includes Hue/Saturation, Gaussian Blur, Liquify, Gradient Maps, and other fun editing tools. Great for sticker borders, shading, and special effects.

Ribbon (Selection Tool)

Popular Selection Panel Tools in Procreat

Gives you options like automatic selection, freehand/lasso, or rectangle. You need something selected before you can use…

Arrow (Transform Tool)

Move it, resize it, rotate it, warp it, distort it, or flip it. This tool is your ticket to placing things exactly where you want them.

Brush Tool

Tap it to open the Brush Library. This is where the fun begins.

3. How to Open the Brush Library and Choose a Brush

Tap the brush icon to open the Brush Library. You’ll see folders of brushes that mimic real art supplies like pencil, charcoal, markers, watercolor, acrylic, glitter, and so much more.

Procreate also lets you use “stamp” style brushes that act like instant little graphics. These are awesome for beginners and anyone designing stickers, planners, or cute Procreate illustrations.

Procreate comes with a LOT of native brushes, but you can also import custom brushes or make your own. And if you want free Procreate brush sets, I’ve got tons waiting in my Free Library.

4. How to Change Brush Size, Brush Color, and Use Color Palettes

To change brush size, use the slider on the right side of the screen.

To change your color, tap the little color circle in the top corner. This opens the Color Panel with the color disc.
Outer ring = hue (the main color)
Center = shade/value (how light or dark the color is)

 

how to change the hue and saturation of your color in Procreate

Tip
This is the easiest way to grab highlights and shadows so your drawings instantly look more dimensional without even trying.

Under the disc, you’ll see color palettes. You can use the default ones, create your own, or import pre made palettes that match your project.

But here’s the part beginners LOVE…
You can also use stamp brushes, which act like instant little graphics. These make Procreate incredibly fun and approachable for anyone, even if you don’t consider yourself an artist yet.

Procreate comes with loads of native brushes, but you can also import custom brushes or even design your own in Brush Studio.

And if you want stamp brushes, pencil brushes, or fun themed sets, I have free brush sets waiting in my Free Library.

Choosing a Brush from the Brush Library in Procreate

5. Start Drawing in Procreate

You’ve got your brush. You’ve got your color. Time to draw.

To erase, tap the eraser icon.
Remember, the eraser is also a brush, so choose a crisp brush (like the hard airbrush) to get clean edges.

To undo, use the back arrow or the two finger gesture.

You’re officially creating digital art now. Yay, you!

6. Use QuickShape to Make Perfect Lines and Shapes

QuickShape is one of the coolest Procreate tools for beginners. You can draw a line, hold your finger or stylus down for a second, and Procreate snaps it into a perfect line.

Same for circles, squares, triangles, arches, and more.

After you draw and hold:
Tap Edit Shape at the top
Then choose the version you want
Move the blue nodes to tweak it

QuickShape makes your art look polished without any stress.

7. Create a New Layer

Layers are the magic of Procreate. Think of them like clear sheets stacked on top of each other. You can draw on one sheet without messing up anything underneath.

Tap the two overlapping squares to open the Layers Panel. Tap the + to add a new layer.

To clear a layer:
Swipe left on it, tap Clear

8. Move Layers Up or Down

Tap and hold a layer until it lifts slightly. Then drag it where you want it in the stack.

Layers on top appear in front. Layers underneath stay behind. It’s like arranging paper pieces on your desk.

9. Add Color Under Your Sketch

A classic Procreate workflow is:
Sketch on Layer 1
Add a new layer (Layer 2) and drag it underneath
Color on Layer 2 while your sketch stays safely on top

When you’re done, you can hide or delete the sketch layer.

10. Add Text in Procreate

Go to the wrench icon, tap Add, then choose Add Text.

A text box appears and you can type right in it. The Text Panel lets you change:
Font
Size
Kerning
Leading
Alignment

You can even warp your text using the Transform Tool for fun effects.

11. Export Your Procreate Artwork

Under the wrench icon again, tap Share.

Choose PNG, JPEG, PSD, PDF, or even export your whole Procreate file.

For Cricut projects, PNG with transparent background works best. Just uncheck the background layer before exporting.

For sublimation, JPEG or PDF usually saves smaller file sizes.

12. Save Your Procreate Image (So You Can Use It on Cricut or Anywhere Else)

I recommend saving your art to iCloud Files or your Photo Gallery. iCloud makes it super easy to grab your designs from your desktop when you upload them into Cricut Design Space.

Table Of Contents
  1. The Beginner's Quick-Start Guide to Using Procreate
  2. QuickStart Guide: How to Use Procreate for Total Beginners
  3. 1. How to Open a New Canvas in Procreate and Zoom, Rotate, or Move It
  4. 2. Get to Know the Procreate Canvas Tools and Interface
  5. 3. How to Open the Brush Library and Choose a Brush
  6. 4. How to Change Brush Size, Brush Color, and Use Color Palettes
  7. 5. Start Drawing in Procreate
  8. 6. Use QuickShape to Make Perfect Lines and Shapes
  9. 7. Create a New Layer
  10. 8. Move Layers Up or Down
  11. 9. Add Color Under Your Sketch
  12. 10. Add Text in Procreate
  13. 11. Export Your Procreate Artwork
  14. 12. Save Your Procreate Image (So You Can Use It on Cricut or Anywhere Else)
  15. Answers to your Most-Asked Questions About How to Use Procreate
  16. Beyond the Beginner's Guide to How to Use Procreate
  17. Love This Post on How to Use Procreate? Share it!

Answers to your Most-Asked Questions About How to Use Procreate

What is Procreate?

Procreate is an iPad-only drawing app for digital art. Although professional artists use it, Procreate is so popular because it is easy for anyone to use. Anyone, of almost any age, with any background, can create with Procreate. 

This is huge because it means you don’t have to be a graphic designer with a professional graphic design program like Adobe Illustrator to make your own designs to craft with. AND the best part is you don’t have to spend hours learning the program or spend big money on a subscription either!

How Much Does Procreate Cost? And Are There In-App Purchases?

Procreate for iPad is usually $9.99 in the Apple App Store, and Procreate Pocket Edition is usually $4.99. There are no in-app purchases, and updates are always free.

And although Procreate does not sell them, you can purchase additional brushes, stamp sets, paper textures, and even color palettes.

Online marketplaces like Etsy, Design Bundles, Design Cuts, and more have great selections to choose from. But, you can also get lots of these brushes and palettes free from blogs like this one!

What’s the Best iPad for Procreate?

I have an entire post that answers this question! My husband, the techy, wrote it (and I chimed in with my opinion too). He did a great job explaining what to look for in an iPad, which iPads are compatible with Procreate, and what kinds of accessories will make your Procreate experience even better.

You can read this article, The Best iPads for Procreate here. But, you may notice in my video tutorials that I’m using an iPad Pro 12.9″ which has a larger iPad screen.

Do You Need an Apple Pencil to Use Procreate?

No! You can use Procreate with just a finger. However, if you’d like the best experience, using a stylus really makes drawing in Procreate feel much more natural. You can also use a third-party stylus. However, Procreate was designed to work with the Apple Pencil and has features built around the capabilities of the Apple Pencil. It really is worth saving up for!

Can I Make SVG Designs with Procreate?

No…. and yes. Procreate is a raster-based program which means it creates with pixels, not vectors. However, you can use an online image converter to trace your PNG designs and create SVG designs from them.

What is a Raster vs. Vector Design?

Raster programs use pixels, which are little squares of color. And they are used for digital painting, animation, and photography. Most print and cut or sublimation designs are made with a raster program like Procreate and are in a file format like PNG, JPEG, JPG, TIFF, PSD, or PDF.

Vector programs create with shapes made of connected nodes. This allows you to make a design bigger or smaller without losing any quality. Vectors like SVG’s are what design programs like the Cricut Design Space, or SIlhouette Cameo use most often for their cut designs. In addition to SVG, other popular vector file formats are DXF, AI, EPS.

What Can You Make with Procreate?

SO Many Things!!! I actually have a post with 23 Projects You Can Make with Procreate + Cricut. This starts the list of what you can make with Procreate, but when you consider how easy it is to create sublimation designs with Procreate and add that capability then you’ve opened up the hundreds of things you can make with sublimation as well!

I also have many step-by- step tutorials for using Procreate with a Cricut here on my blog. And if you prefer a YouTube tutorial I have playlists on my YouTube channel you’ll want to check out too!

Interested in hand lettering? You’ll find iPad lettering has a huge online following among would-be calligraphers because it makes it so fun and easy to learn.

Do You Have to Be a Digital Artist to Use Procreate?

Absolutely not! Because Procreate is a digital drawing app, it has all kinds of features like QuickShape and drawing guides that make creating when you’re not an artist sooo much easier.

Have trouble drawing a straight line? In Procreate, you can use QuickShape to make straight lines, perfect circles, and absolutely square- squares.

Want to undo? It’s a two-finger tap, and to redo it’s a three-finger tap. There are SO many built-in benefits to using a digital drawing program that you’ll find you’re a much better artist on the iPad than you are with a standard piece of paper and a pencil.

How Do You Learn the Gestures Procreate Artists Always Use?

This is a question I’m asked fairly frequently by beginners to Procreate in my Facebook group. So when they asked for a list, I created a post with a free printable cheat sheet of the common Procreate gestures.

I also explain what all of these are, as well as what they do in my post, The Best Procreate Shortcuts for Beginners to Know. AND I have some awesome professional tips and cheats in the post as well, to make you feel less like a newbie as you start. ❤️

Cheat Sheet for Procreate Gestures

 

Download this Free Cheat Sheet for Common Gestures in Procreate

Can You Use Cricut Design Space with Procreate?

Oh, YES- they are SO great together! I’m a little obsessed and have an entire post and YouTube video that will walk you through How to Upload your Procreate designs into Cricut Design Space.

I even created a printable checklist that you can keep handy as you try it. This checklist is a freebie that you’ll find in my Free Library along with free Procreate brushsets, stamp sets, and color palettes.

Checklist with Stickers for Uploading Procreate Art into Cricut Design Space

How Do You Get Started with Procreate?

I’m so glad you asked! Although there are a TON of YouTube videos on using Procreate by digital artists, as well as a lot of really amazing Skillshare courses, you can find Procreate tutorials for beginners on this blog, as well as on my YouTube Channel.

The difference between my tutorials and others is that I SUPER focus on teaching Procreate so you can create designs you can craft with.

And a SUPER EASY way to get started is by using the thorough getting started section below!

About this

Beyond the Beginner’s Guide to How to Use Procreate

Now that you’ve gone through this QuickStart Guide to Procreate here are some next steps

Get the Procreate Downloads from my Free Library

     

      1. Head to the Downloads in my Free Library and print the Procreate Gestures Cheat Sheet

      1. Grab the Upload Procreate Designs into Cricut Design Space Checklist from the Procreate section of my Free Library.

      1. Get the Sticker Background Brush and the Ink Pen Brush.

      1. Download the 80’s Stamp Set and Blooms Stamp Sets from my Free Library.

    Spend Some Time Learning What’s Possible and Connecting with Other Procreate Beginners

       

        1. Check out the Procreate category here on Well Crafted Studio to see what projects you might want to create

        1. Check out the Procreate playlist on my YouTube Channel for your first video introduction.

        1. Join the Procreate for Cricut + Silhouette Creators Facebook Group

        1. Watch the Facebook Live from December 14th in my Facebook Group. It’s a Beginner’s Introduction Video that goes over everything in this post and more! You can find it in the Group Guides.

       

      Download the Free Brushes, Stamps, Cheat Sheets, and Checklists from my Free Library!

      Love This Post on How to Use Procreate? Share it!

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