Happy Avocados
Ready for some serious cuteness? In this cozy, beginner-friendly Procreate tutorial, we create an adorable avocado couple – perfect as a sweet gift or just for fun. The steps are super chill and easy to follow, and there’s plenty of room to play with expressions, colors, and little touches like rosy cheeks or textures. You’ll leave with a finished illustration full of charm and personality!
Brushes used:
- Inka
- Shale
- Copperhead
- Quoll
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Skills Learned:
- Building layered base shapes: Start with rough, egg-like shapes and build up complexity by stacking colored layers for depth and dimension.
- Using Alpha Lock for clean shading: Apply Alpha Lock to shapes like the pit or avocado body to shade without spilling over edges.
- Mixing brushes for detail work: Switch between expressive and tidy brushes—like the Copperhead and Shale—to balance sketchy charm with clean outlines.
- Adding personality with minimal facial features: Use just a few lines for eyes, mouths, and limbs to give the characters playful expressions and gestures.
- Enhancing illustrations with subtle texturesL Use texture brushes and layer masks to softly distress or enrich the drawing, especially on the background and outer edges.
Chibi Boy
If you’ve ever wanted to draw a super cute chibi boy in Procreate, this tutorial’s for you. We go step-by-step without speeding anything up, making it easy for anyone to follow along — even if you’re totally new to drawing characters. Whether you copy the look exactly or mix it up with your own style, you’ll walk away with a finished drawing that’s full of personality.
Brushes used:
- Monoline
- 6B Pencil
- Studio Pen
- Soft Brush
- Round Chalk Pencil
Canvas Size:
- 2500 x 2500 pixels
Skills Learned:
- Using symmetry tools for balanced facial features
Learn how to activate and customize Procreate’s symmetry settings to draw perfectly mirrored elements like eyes, ears, and eyebrows. - Shaping facial structures with Liquify
Master the Liquify tool to sculpt your base head shape, elongate features, or tweak proportions to get that classic chibi style. - Layer management for clean design workflow
Understand how to use clipping masks, alpha lock, and layer order to control shading, highlights, outlines, and more. - Creating expressive eyes with shadows and highlights
Discover how to layer shapes, use subtle gradients, and add highlights to bring your character’s eyes to life. - Detailing hair with light, shadow, and texture
Learn how to build depth in the hair using shape layering, gradients, highlights and crisp outlines.
Cute Dragon
In this cozy little tutorial, we’re going to paint the cutest little dragon together. We’ll start with some super simple shapes for the sketch, then block in our base colors, and finally bring it all to life with soft painterly textures and lighting. It’s a really relaxing process, and I’ll guide you every step of the way. You can totally make it your own too—maybe give your dragon different horns or turn it into a water or earth dragon! I can’t wait to see what you create. Let’s jump in!
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Opaque Thin
- Round Smeary
- Broad and Smeary
Canvas Size:
- 3500 x 3500 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Sketching with simple shapes: Begin with clean, basic ovals and gradually builds up a cute dragon structure, including the face, body, limbs, and wings.
- Refining details with layered sketching: Learn how to create a more polished sketch by lowering opacity and redrawing over it, adding expressive touches like lashes, eyebrows, and scale patterns.
- Building base colors using layers: Learn how to assign different parts of the dragon to separate layers and apply painterly base colors with shape-closing and color drop tricks.
- Adding painterly lighting and shading: Learn how to use alpha lock and blending techniques to add highlights, shadows, and depth, following a consistent light source and enhancing the 3D feel.
Cat on a Roof
In this super fun and easy Procreate tutorial, we’re going to paint a dreamy, starry night scene—complete with a glowing sky, textured rooftops, and of course, a cute little cat looking up at the stars. We’ll be using only brushes that are already in Procreate, and I’ll walk you through every single step so you can follow along with ease. I’ve also chosen a nice tall canvas for this one to really emphasize the sky—can’t wait to see what you’ll create! Let’s get started!
Brushes used:
- Quoll
- Niko Rull
- Oberon
- Flicks
- Splatter
- Soft Brush
- Tinderbox
Canvas Size:
- 1500 x 3000 pixels
Skills Learned:
- Blending painterly gradients: Using the Quoll brush with varied pressure to create rich color transitions while preserving texture in the sky.
- Layering textures with alpha lock: Learn to use Alpha lock to shade and texturize areas like the roof, chimney, and cat without coloring outside their shapes.
- Adding atmosphere with light effects: Use glow layers, splatter brushes, and the Bloom effect to enhance the dreamy night vibe with starry accents and a glowing moon.
Cute Little Bird
Want to create an adorable bird illustration in Procreate? This easy-to-follow tutorial walks you through every step, from sketching the basic shapes to adding texture and shading for a polished, stylized look. You can fully customize the colors and details to make it your own!
Brushes used:
- Round Chalk Brush
- Round Chalk Pencil
- Medium Nozzle
Canvas Size:
- 3500 x 3500 pixels
Skills Learned:
- Using basic shapes to build structure: Start with simple circles and ovals for the head, body, and wings, adjusting them for a natural composition.
- Creating texture with brush techniques: Use the Round Chalk Pencil and Medium Nozzle to add a soft, painterly texture and feather-like details.
- Layering and blending colors: Apply soft gradients and highlights to add depth, using alpha lock to contain shading within the shapes.
- Adding final details with freehand strokes: Enhance the illustration with stylized feather marks, a rosy cheek, and a curved branch for a complete composition.
Winter Girl Illustration
Let’s dive into this cozy character illustration! We will build up a warm, wintery look layer by layer. From the initial sketch to refining details, adding flat colors, and bringing in textured depth, this tutorial covers everything to make your illustration pop!
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Studio Pen
- Dry Ink
- Flotastic Brush
- Round Chalk
- Smudgy Hair Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Using Symmetry for Sketching: Start with a centered guide to sketch out a balanced character, then turn off drawing assist to add natural variation.
- Layering for Flat Colors: Organize colors by layering elements like hair, clothing, and accessories separately to maintain control.
- Applying Texture with Alpha Lock: Use Alpha Lock and textured brushes like the Flotastic brush to add depth, shadows, and variation to clothing and accessories.
- Detailing Facial Features: Build up soft shading, add subtle freckles, and use a mix of colors for natural-looking warmth and expression.
- Enhancing Hair with Smudging and Highlights: Create volume and movement using the Smudgy Hair Brush, layering darker and lighter shades for a dynamic look.
Cute Little Hippo
Want to level up your Procreate skills? In this tutorial, we’ll take a simple base shape and transform it into a fully colored, painterly-style hippo illustration. Starting with a sketch, we’ll refine the drawing, add line art, apply flat colors, and finish with textures, lighting, and a background. Let’s dive in!
Brushes used:
- 6B Pencil
- Soft Brush
- Dry Ink
- Studio Pen
- Larapuna
- Gouache
- Basic Flo
- Oberon
- Ink Bleed
Canvas Size:
- 3500 x 3500 pixels
Skills Learned:
- Building a Sketch with Simple Shapes
Start with circles and ovals to form the head and body, refining with additional features like ears, snout, and legs. - Creating Clean Line Art
Use the Dry Ink brush for a textured, forgiving outline, adjusting pressure for varied line thickness. - Applying Flat Colors and Shading
Use a separate layer for base colors, adding shadows with Multiply mode and highlights with Add mode for depth. - Adding Painterly Textures
Blend colors using the Larapuna brush and Smudge tool to achieve a soft, natural paint-like effect. - Enhancing the Background
Use artistic brushes for abstract textures, adding layers of grass and light to complete the scene.
Cute Raccoon
Let’s bring a charming, slightly scruffy raccoon to life in Procreate! Using a mix of soft textures and bold strokes, this tutorial walks you through sketching, inking, coloring, and adding rich fur details for a warm, hand-drawn look. Whether you’re a beginner or refining your style, this lesson will help you create a playful, expressive raccoon illustration by using reference photos as a source of inspiration (and information)
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Studio Pen
- Round Chalk
- Carbon Stick
- Hatcher
Canvas Size:
- 3500 x 3500 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Building a Balanced Sketch
Use simple circles and rough guidelines to construct a raccoon with cartoony proportions and expressive facial features. - Layering Base Colors with a Soft Look
Instead of stark black and white, warm orange and brown tones create a more inviting feel, blending for natural depth. - Adding Fur Textures for a Hand-Drawn Effect
Use chalk and charcoal brushes to create scruffy, layered fur that gives the raccoon personality. - Enhancing the Eyes for Expressiveness
Large, round pupils and soft shading add depth and a lifelike sparkle to the raccoon’s gaze. - Refining with Highlights and Whiskers
Finishing touches, like delicate whiskers and subtle background textures, complete the illustration with a polished yet organic look.
Cute Polar Bear
Let’s paint a cozy, adorable winter bear together in Procreate! This beginner-friendly tutorial shows you how to use just two free brushes included in the app. Along the way, you’ll learn powerful techniques like using Alpha Lock, layer blending modes, and the Smudge Tool, all while creating a cute bear decked out in winter gear. Ready to bring this bear to life? Let’s get started!
Brushes used:
- Sassafras Brush
- Oberon Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2500 x 2500 pixels
Skills Learned:
- Using Alpha Lock for controlled shading: Alpha Lock limits your painting to the active layer’s contents, perfect for adding shadows and highlights without going outside the shape
- Layer blending modes like Multiply and Overlay: Multiply enhances shadows, while Overlay introduces subtle atmospheric effects like soft lighting or color accents
- Effective use of the Smudge Tool: Blends strokes and colors for a soft, painterly texture