Procreate for Complete Beginners: What It Actually Does, What You Can Make, and Where to Start
Procreate has a reputation for being the iPad app professional illustrators use. That's true. It's also the app a complete beginner can open and make something with in the first hour.
The gap between those two things — professional tool, beginner accessible — is what makes Procreate unusual. Most creative apps are one or the other. Procreate manages to be both, which is why it now has over 30 million users worldwide and counting.
But "accessible" doesn't mean "obvious." If you open Procreate with no guidance, the canvas stares back at you and the options feel endless. The learning curve isn't steep — it's just genuinely new, and it helps to have a map before you start.
Here's that map.
"Procreate is one of the most frequently requested workshop topics in our HobbyScool community — and the makers who fall hardest for it are always the ones who started with a single, small project instead of trying to learn the whole app at once."
— Destini Copp, Founder, HobbyScoolWhat Procreate Actually Is
Procreate is a digital illustration and painting app, available exclusively on iPad. It mimics the experience of drawing and painting on paper — but with the advantages of digital: unlimited undo, infinite layers, custom brushes, and the ability to export your finished work in any format you need.
Everything you make in Procreate is original. Unlike Canva, there are no templates to customize. You're building from a blank canvas, using brushes, your Apple Pencil (or finger), and your own instincts. That can feel daunting at first, but it's also what makes Procreate so creatively freeing — there's no "right" result to compare yourself against.
What You Can Make
- Digital sticker packs — illustrated character and design sets, exported as PNG files with transparent backgrounds
- Custom stamp brushes — reusable brushes you press onto the canvas like a real stamp, built from your own artwork
- Watercolor-style paintings — using Procreate's wet media brushes to simulate the look and feel of real watercolor
- Still life illustrations — digital drawings of objects, flowers, food, and everyday scenes
- Original character designs — characters built from rough sketch all the way to finished, layered illustration
- Pattern and textile designs — repeating pattern work for fabric, wallpaper, and surface design
What You Actually Need to Get Started
✅ Buy / Use This
- iPad (any model from the last 4 years)
- Apple Pencil (1st or 2nd gen, depending on your iPad)
- Procreate app — one-time purchase, no subscription
- A matte screen protector (makes the surface feel like paper)
- Procreate's built-in brushes to start — no extras needed yet
⛔ Skip for Now
- Third-party brush packs (learn the defaults first)
- Procreate Pocket — the iPhone version is too small
- Expensive drawing gloves (a cheap art glove works fine)
- Complex color palette downloads (build your own)
- Any "complete Procreate course" before you've made something
The Apple Pencil is not optional for serious Procreate work. Pressure sensitivity — how hard you press determines line width and opacity — is how Procreate creates natural-looking strokes. Drawing with a finger is possible but significantly more limited. If you're investing in Procreate, budget for the Pencil at the same time.
Three Things Every Beginner Needs to Understand First
1. Layers are everything
Procreate works in layers — think of them as transparent sheets stacked on top of each other. Your sketch goes on one layer. Your color fills on another. Your outlines on another. Layers let you edit one element without touching the rest. Understanding layers is the single most important concept in Procreate, and everything else builds from it.
2. Brushes behave differently — and that's good
Procreate comes with hundreds of built-in brushes: pencils, inks, watercolors, oils, chalk, charcoal, and more. Each responds differently to pressure, speed, and tilt. Spend your first session just dragging different brushes across the canvas at different pressures. Get familiar with how they feel before you try to use them intentionally.
3. Undo is your best friend
Two-finger tap to undo. Three-finger tap to redo. Once you internalize this, creative risk-taking becomes effortless. The fear of ruining something disappears when you know you can always go back. Use undo constantly, especially at the beginning.
Your Best First Projects — In Order
Brush explorations — Not a real project, but essential. Fill a canvas with marks from twenty different brushes at different pressures. Learn what you're working with before you try to make something with it.
A simple five-piece sticker set — Pick a theme (food, plants, animals, seasons) and draw five simple shapes. Focus on clean outlines and flat color fills. This teaches layers, color, and exporting all at once.
A still life drawing — Pick three objects from your desk and draw them from observation. Still life teaches you to slow down, look carefully, and translate what you see into marks — one of the most valuable skills in any drawing practice.
A custom stamp brush — Take one of your sticker drawings and turn it into a reusable Procreate brush. You'll use it forever. This is one of the most satisfying things beginners discover Procreate can do.
See Procreate in Action This July
If you want to see these techniques demonstrated by educators who actually teach them, the HobbyScool Creative Tech Summer Retreat (July 21–23, 2026) includes four dedicated Procreate workshops.
Make a Cute Sticker Pack People Actually Want — in Procreate
A complete walkthrough from concept to finished, export-ready sticker set.
Make Your Own Procreate Stamp Brush + Watercolor Palette
Create a custom brush and color palette you'll return to in every future project.
Let's Design Procreate Still Lives: 3 Ways to Add Life and Interest
Three specific techniques that transform a flat drawing into something that feels alive.
From Sketch to Sticker: Turn a Character Illustration into Digital and Print-Ready Assets
Start with a hand sketch and end with a finished, exportable digital character.
All sessions are free to attend during the July 21–23 event window. No experience required for any of them.
Join Us at the Creative Tech Summer Retreat
Four beginner-friendly Procreate workshops — plus Cricut, Canva, Illustrator, and AI sessions. Free to attend. No experience required.
Reserve My Free Spot 🎨Frequently Asked Questions
Complete beginners can make digital sticker packs, simple character illustrations, custom stamp brushes, watercolor-style paintings, and still life drawings in Procreate. The basics are learnable quickly — most beginners produce something they're genuinely happy with within their first few sessions, especially following a project-based approach.
An Apple Pencil makes a significant difference in Procreate — it enables pressure sensitivity, tilt shading, and a much more natural drawing feel. It is not technically required but most makers find drawing with a finger frustrating beyond very simple shapes. If you are investing in Procreate seriously, an Apple Pencil is worth adding to your setup at the same time.
Procreate is a freehand drawing and painting app — everything you create is original, built from your own hand movements on screen. Canva is a template-based design tool where you customize pre-made layouts and elements. Procreate has a steeper learning curve but produces completely original artwork. Canva is faster and more accessible for non-illustrators who want polished design output quickly.
The HobbyScool Creative Tech Summer Retreat (July 21–23, 2026) includes four Procreate workshops: creating a sticker pack people actually want, making a custom stamp brush and watercolor palette, designing still lives using three composition techniques, and turning a hand sketch into a finished character illustration. All sessions are free to attend.
The best first Procreate project is something simple with a clear finished state. A set of five to eight simple sticker designs works well — they are small enough to finish in one sitting, they teach basic brush use and layer management, and the result is something genuinely satisfying. Avoid starting with complex portraits or detailed landscapes as your very first project.
