Creatures

Sunny Dog

Welcome to another realism tutorial, this time aimed at beginner to intermediate levels. Today, I’ll show you how to trace a photo to create a painting, starting with a cute dog photo. Some people might think tracing is cheating, but as long as you’re honest about it, it’s a great way to learn in my opinion. So let’s have fun!

Brushes used:

  • Basic Sketcher
  • Flo Darka Brush
  • Flo Lighta Brush
  • Darken Line Brush
  • Lighten Line Brush
  • Soft Brush
  • Standard Blender
  • Basic Flo Brush
  • Smudgy Hair Brush

Canvas Size:

  • 4000 x 3000 pixels

Skills Learned:

  • Adjusting Photo Warmth: Warm up your reference image using hue, saturation, and brightness adjustments along with color balance for shadows, midtones, and highlights
  • Tracing and Line Art Creation: Lower the opacity of your photo and trace key lines using the Basic Sketcher brush to establish guidelines for your painting
  • Building Base Colors: Start with broad base colors for the background and dog, using the Base Painter brush to fill in large areas with warm tones
  • Adding Texture and Detail: Use the Flo Darka and Flo Lighta brushes to deepen shadows and enhance highlights, gradually building up the dog’s fur texture
  • Finalizing with Lighting Effects: Add glow and contrast by setting layers to Multiply and Screen, using masks to paint in shadows and highlights, bringing your dog painting to life
Landscapes

Painterly Fall Landscape

I love creating painterly, expressive paintings and letting go of perfectionism. There’s such a joy in creating these expressive strokes. This time we’ll be painting this lovely, early Fall landscape. The weather in the Netherlands feels more like Fall than Summer, so I guess that’s what inspired me 😆 I hope you’ll enjoy it!

Brushes used:

  • Nikko Rull Brush
  • Smeary Dry Brush
  • Tapered Brush
  • Dry Mixer Brush

Canvas Size:

  • 3000 x 4000 pixels

Skills Learned:

  • Layering Colors Effectively:
    Learn to layer colors to add depth and realism, giving your painting a vibrant and dynamic look.
  • Using Reflection Techniques:
    Develop techniques for creating realistic water reflections, enhancing the overall composition.
  • Blending for Natural Effects:
    Improve your blending skills to achieve natural, smooth transitions in your painting, especially in areas like clouds and reflections
Food

Painterly Still Life

It’s time for painterly fun again! I love this style for still life pieces, so I thought I’d share the process 😊 I hope you’ll enjoy it too! During this intermediate level Procreate tutorial we’ll create this still life scene with honey, tangerines and flowers.

Brushes used:

  • Smeary Damp
  • Round Smeary
  • Dry Mixer
  • Thin Lines
  • Rake Brush
  • Overlay Brush

Canvas Size:

  • 3000 x 4000 pixels

Skills Learned:

  • Using a dark base layer: Start with a dark color for the background, enhancing depth and richness in the painting
  • Layer management: Separate different elements (e.g., jar, tangerines, flowers) into different layers for easier manipulation and detail work
  • Smudging and blending: Use brushes to smudge and blend colors directly on the canvas, creating smooth transitions and realistic textures
  • Adjusting colors on the go: Continuously refine colors by dropping them into the palette and adjusting their saturation and brightness as needed
Rooms

Isometric Balcony

I’m thrilled to hear you’re enjoying the isometric tutorials. This time we’ll create a lovely isometric balcony scene. We’re diving into a new style using a square canvas of 3500 x 3500 pixels. We’ll be creating shapes of color without clean line art, using our sketch to build up the forms and adding final touches later.

Brushes used:

  • Basic Sketcher
  • Studio Pen
  • Soft Brush
  • Medium Brush
  • Tinder Box
  • Foliage Brush
  • Soft Scattered Leaves
  • Isometric Chair brush

Canvas Size:

  • 3500 x 3500 pixels

Skills Learned:

  • Setting up and using an isometric grid: Learn to configure and use the isometric grid in Procreate for precise drawing and accurate perspective
  • Utilizing layers and masks effectively: Master the use of layers, clipping masks, and alpha lock to keep your artwork organized and clean
  • Adding textures and details: Enhance your illustrations with various brushes to add textures, patterns, and intricate details
Food

Ice Cream

In this tutorial, we’re diving into realism by painting a delicious ice cream cone. I’ll guide you through my process, and remember, while I’ve provided a color palette, choosing your own colors is a fantastic exercise. Let’s get started!

Brushes used:

  • Basic Sketcher
  • Script Brush
  • Soft Brush
  • Basic Flo Brush
  • Darken Line Brush
  • Lighten Line Brush
  • Flo Darka Brush
  • Flo Lighta Brush
  • Rough Speckles Brush
  • Grunge Rock Brush
  • Standard Blender Brush
  • Overlay Brush

Canvas Size:

  • 3000 x 4000 pixels

Skills Learned:

  • Refining Sketches: Start with a basic sketch, then refine it by adjusting proportions using tools like Liquify. This helps to create a more accurate foundation for painting
  • Layer Management: Organize elements on separate layers (e.g., ice cream, cone, fingers) to simplify shading and texturing. This structure allows for better control over individual elements
  • Adding Texture: Use brushes like Rough Spackles and Grunge Rock to add realistic texture to elements like the waffle cone
  • Shading and Lighting: Build shadows and highlights gradually. Use the Darken Line and Lighten Line brushes to enhance contrast and detail, making the painting more lifelike
  • Color Adjustment: Don’t worry about getting the perfect color right away. Lay down base colors and adjust them as needed, adding warmth and depth with tools like the Overlay brush
City Scene

Watercolor Street

In this tutorial, we’re extending our watercolor storefront into a cute street scene. Follow along as we expand the canvas, add more buildings, trees, and details to create a lively street. Let’s get started!

Brushes used:

  • Basic Sketcher
  • Wash Brush
  • Tinder Box
  • Wet Paper Base
  • Round Watery Brush
  • Layering Brush
  • Half Loaded Brush
  • Splatter Brush

Canvas Size:

  • 4000 x 3000 pixels

Skills Learned:

  • Resizing the Canvas: Learn how to resize your canvas in Procreate to accommodate more elements in your artwork
  • Blending Edges with Layer Masks: Use layer masks to seamlessly blend elements together for a cohesive look
  • Adding Perspective and Depth: Create the illusion of depth with perspective lines and overlapping elements
  • Layering Watercolor Effects: Master the technique of layering watercolor effects to add richness and texture to your painting
  • Using Highlights and Textures: Add finishing touches with highlights and paper textures to enhance the watercolor effect
Creatures

Happy Owl

In this fun and easy tutorial we’ll draw a happy owl together. We’ll use special brushes to create a chalk like texture, perfect for a children’s book illustration. It’ll be fun!

Brushes used:

  • Basic Sketcher
  • Round Chalk Brush
  • Rough Round Brush
  • Subtle Chalk Brush

Canvas Size:

  • 2500 x 2500 pixels

Skills Learned:

  • Layer Management: Use multiple layers to separate different parts of the drawing, making it easier to adjust and refine each element
  • Rule of Thirds: Position the main subject according to the rule of thirds for a balanced and visually appealing composition
  • Alpha Lock and Clipping Mask: Utilize alpha lock and clipping masks to add details and textures without painting outside the desired areas
  • Texturing Techniques: Apply various brushes and colors to create realistic textures and depth, enhancing the overall look of the illustration
Portraits

Realistic Eye

Hey, how are you doing? Let’s dive into another realism project. I’ve heard you enjoy these, so I’m making them a regular practice. Today, I’ll show you my process for painting a realistic eye. I haven’t rehearsed this or anything, so you’ll see my raw approach and I’ll create a color palette along the way. It’s a great exercise!

Brushes used:

  • Basic Sketcher
  • Base Painter
  • Standard Blender
  • Basic Flo Brush
  • Flo Darka Brush
  • Flo Lighta Brush
  • Darken Line Brush
  • Lighten Line Brush
  • Lashes Brush
  • Overlay Brush
  • Multiply Brush
  • Soft Brush

Canvas Size:

  • 4500 x 3000 pixels

Skills Learned:

  • Sketching Proportions: Using markers and negative spaces to find the right proportions for the eye
  • Base Layer Techniques: Blocking in base colors and gradually refining the shapes with a soft brush
  • Layering and Blending: Using multiple layers and the smudge tool to soften edges and build up details
  • Detailing: Using specialized brushes to refine shadows, highlights, and textures for a realistic finish
Food

Fruity Shake

I’m feeling the summer vibes! For this tutorial we’ll create a colorful, fruity shake illustration. It’s fun and easy.

Brushes used:

  • Basic Sketcher
  • Monoline Brush
  • Script Brush
  • Powdered Shader
  • Smooth Pencil
  • Round Chalk

Canvas Size:

  • 2300 x 3000 pixels

Skills Learned:

  • Sketching Techniques: Using basic shapes and guides to create a composition sketch
  • Symmetry and Transformation Tools: Utilizing Procreate’s symmetry tool and transformation features to ensure elements are aligned and proportional
  • Texturing and Shading: Adding depth and texture using the Powdered Shader and Smooth Pencil
  • Detailing and Final Touches: Applying highlights, shadows, and small details to bring the characters to life, adding personality to the illustration