Balcony House part 2
Part 2 is here! Let’s bring our cozy balcony house to life with COLOR!
Now that we’ve built the structure of our whimsical 3D house, it’s time to dive into the fun part — painting! In this second part of the tutorial, we’ll turn our sketch into a full illustration filled with warm colors, textures, playful curves, flowers, and charming details.
Brushes used:
- Studio Pen
- Flotastic Brush
- Fine Liner Brush
- Darken Line Brush
- Lighten Line Brush
- Scattered Soft Bush
- Rounded Tufts Brush
- Flowers Brush
- Base Painter
Canvas Size:
- 3500 x 3500 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Using layer organization to streamline complex illustrations: Separate layers for base colors, textures, lighting, and tiny details help manage even dense scenes like this balcony house.
- Adding texture with brushes for natural realism: The Flotastic and Fine Liner brushes add subtle texture to wood, rock, and roof tiles, making flat areas come to life.
- Mastering light and shadow for atmosphere: By creating multiply and screen layers with masks, you’re able to paint dynamic lighting and soft shadows for drama and depth.
- Painting plants that feel organic and lush: Using soft scatter brushes and varying opacities helps give foliage a layered, overgrown, natural look.
Balcony House part 1
In this first part of a two-part tutorial, we’re diving into a beautiful and ambitious project: sketching a cozy balcony house inspired by charming German towns, all in 3D perspective. I’ll show you how you can build a playful, storybook-style house from rough shapes to refined sketch, laying the groundwork for the detailed coloring in the next session.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
Canvas Size:
- 3500 x 3500 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Using a two-point perspective grid: Learn to set up and manipulate vanishing points to construct a believable 3D house structure.
- Switching between assisted and freehand drawing: Master toggling Drawing Assist to combine precise architectural lines with freeform, curved sketching.
- Designing storybook architectural elements: Create charming features like rounded doors, arched windows, wooden beams, and hanging flower beds.
- Customizing workflow with QuickMenu: Set up and use Procreate’s QuickMenu for faster access to tools like Drawing Assist during complex projects.
Watercolor Love Jars
In this cheerful little tutorial, we’re making a super sweet Mother’s Day-themed illustration—but honestly, this one’s perfect for anyone you love (including yourself!). We’re keeping things loose, playful, and a little bit messy, just how we like it. You’ll sketch some cute jars, add inky outlines with character, and finish it off with soft watercolor vibes. Whether you’re brand new or a seasoned doodler, it’s all about having fun and making something from the heart. Let’s dive in!
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Flotastic Inker
- Watery Dual Color Brush
- Splatter Brush
- Ultra Soft Mixer
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Using Symmetry for Balanced Sketching: Quickly block out the jar shape and maintain proportion while allowing for playful imperfections.
- Loose Inking for Expressive Texture: Incorporate wobbliness, broken lines, and hatching for a charming, handmade feel without pressure for perfection.
- Layering Watercolor with Dual Colors: Apply rich, blended washes using Procreate’s dual color functionality to create a vibrant, blotchy background and object fills.
- Non-destructive Painting on Separate Layers: Preserve ink lines while experimenting with color options and maintaining flexibility throughout the process.
- Adding Final Touches with Splatter and Blender: Finish the piece with textured splatter and softened edges using the ultra soft mixer, enhancing the watercolor look.
Girl with Flowers
In this tutorial, we’re creating a sweet, spring-inspired girl surrounded by loads of flowers. I’ll walk you through my full process — starting with a super rough sketch to figure out the pose and composition, then building it up with cleaner lines, soft colors, and all the finishing details. You’ll see how I like to plan things out, experiment with color (lots of flower power!), and bring everything together in a relaxed, playful way. Nothing too polished or perfect here — just a fun, creative flow. Feel free to follow along, tweak things, and make it your own!
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Flotastic Brush
- Studio Pen
- Shader
Canvas Size:
- 3000 x 4000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Planning a composition using the rule of thirds: Positioning the main subject and elements thoughtfully for balance and flow.
- Layer management for efficient workflow: Using multiple layers and clipping masks to keep elements organized and editable.
- Sketching and refining stylized anatomy: Breaking down the face, hands, and body into simplified forms, then cleaning them up.
- Color blocking and building palettes: Laying down rough color shapes to test compositions, with tips for palette inspiration.
- Adding texture and detail with brush variety: Bringing life to flowers, fabric, and skin with sketchy lines, shading, and subtle gradients.
Golden Berries
This tutorial is all about keeping it loose and painterly with a still life inspired by golden berries. No sketching—just diving straight in with expressive brush strokes, exploring texture, color, and light. It’s more about the feeling and less about the details, making this a perfect exercise to let go and loosen up. Grab your brushes and let’s make something beautiful together!
Brushes used:
- Round Smeary
- Smeary Damp
- Basic Sketcher
- Overlay
- Opaque Thin
- Painterly Mixer
- Flo Darka
- Flo Lighta
Canvas Size:
- 3000 x 2000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Blocking in without sketching: Jump straight into painting by laying down big, expressive shapes, skipping the traditional sketch phase to keep things fluid and intuitive.
- Using painterly brushes for texture: Learn to blend and layer using textured brushes like Round Smeary and Smeary Damp, building depth while maintaining looseness.
- Manual brush tracking and labeling: Smart tip: jot down the brushes you use on a dedicated layer with a writing brush to keep track for future projects or tutorials.
- Photo editing tricks for painterly contrast: Use duplicated layers with Multiply and Screen blend modes plus layer masks to add contrast, depth, and light, borrowing techniques from photography.
Easter Bunny
In this playful and vibrant Easter-themed tutorial, we’re ditching perfectionism and diving into expressive painting techniques with bold strokes and joyful color. The goal? A colorful, painterly Easter Bunny holding an egg, surrounded by an energetic, texture-rich background. It’s loose, fun, and totally about enjoying the process over precision.
Brushes used:
- Turpentine
- Styx
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Using Alpha Lock to Keep It Neat: We turn on Alpha Lock to shade and add details without coloring outside the lines—super handy for keeping things tidy while staying expressive.
- Creating a Loose, Textured Background: By layering big, bold strokes with different brushes and colors, we build a playful, textured base that sets the mood for the whole piece.
- Working with Layers for Flexibility: Each part—bunny, egg, background—gets its own layer, so we can easily tweak things as we go without messing anything up. Super helpful!
- Keeping Things Messy and Fun: Instead of aiming for perfection, we focus on bold shapes, playful lines, and just going with the flow—perfect for building confidence and enjoying the process.
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.
House with a Garden
This tutorial is pure springtime joy. We’re painting a cheerful, impressionistic house nestled in a colorful, blooming garden, and you’ll only need two brushes to make it happen. No need for perfection—this style thrives on loose, expressive strokes. It’s such a fun, forgiving process, perfect for getting into that warm-weather creative vibe. Let’s dive in!
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Flotastic Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Layering for texture and depth: You learn how to gradually build up detail by layering shapes and brushstrokes from background to foreground, using size and opacity variations.
- Color mixing through brushwork: Instead of blending, you apply a variety of shades with deliberate dabs and strokes to create depth and vibrancy, especially in the foliage and flowers.
- Adding detail through controlled brush size: By gradually decreasing brush size and switching colors, you create the illusion of detailed flowers, windows, and textures without overworking.
- Using Alpha Lock for clean shading and accents: Alpha Lock becomes essential in keeping your textures and highlights inside the shapes—especially on elements like the roof, windows, and clouds.
Realistic Milk
Time for another realism challenge—this time, we’re painting a bottle, a glass of milk, and a can. The key to realism here is mastering reflections, lighting, and crisp edges. I’ll walk you through my process, from sketching and blocking in colors to refining highlights and shadows. Let’s dive in!
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Soft Brush
- Studio Pen
- Basic Flo Brush
- Standard Blender
- Flo Lighta
- Flo Darka
- Lighten Line
- Darken Line
- Overlay Brush
Canvas Size:
- 3000 x 4000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Sketching with Proportions & Symmetry
Start with a rough sketch, thinking of the overall shapes and relationships between objects. Use the symmetry tool for precision but rely on observation for accuracy. - Creating Crisp Base Shapes
For sharp-edged subjects like glass, block in flat colors with the Studio Pen before refining details. Use separate layers for easier adjustments. - Building Realistic Lighting & Reflections
Glass relies on accurate light and shadow. Use the Flo Darka and Flo Lighta brushes to gradually build depth, blending carefully for soft transitions. - Adding Highlights & Shadows for Dimension
The key to making objects look reflective is crisp highlights. Use the Lighten Line and Darken Line brushes for thin, precise reflections and edges. - Refining with the Smudge Tool
Blend edges strategically—soften transitions in smooth areas while keeping crisp lines where reflections or material changes occur.