Realistic Hawk Portrait
In this tutorial, we’re diving into another chill realism project, this time, painting a bird of prey in grayscale. It’s such a great way to take a break from colors and really train your eyes to see values clearly. We’ll start off super rough with a basic sketch, then slowly build things up with layered brush strokes, no blending, just painting. It’s all about taking it step by step, keeping it loose, and trusting the process. You don’t need a perfect match, if it looks like a bird of prey, you nailed it. Let’s have fun and make those artistic brains happy!
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Soft Brush
- Basic Flo Brush
- Darken Line Brush
- Flo Darka Brush
- Lighten Line Brush
- Flo Lighta Brush
- Multiply Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Focuses fully on values
By skipping color, we stay laser-focused on lights and darks, perfect for training your eye and creating depth. - Starts with a rough sketch, no pressure
Just block in shapes, angles, and proportions. It doesn’t have to be perfect, it’s just a start. - Paints without blending
We’re layering strokes instead of blending, like a traditional painting, it keeps things painterly and expressive. - Builds detail slowly, eyes first
We start blurry and go smaller step by step. The eyes get most of the attention, everything else stays nice and loose. - Uses edge control for realism
Constantly checking, is this edge soft or crisp? That’s how we guide the viewer’s eye and keep it feeling real.
Isometric Cozy Burrow
In this tutorial, we’re diving into a brand new isometric project, a snug little burrow with a sweet girl reading her book, a cat curled up nearby, and piles of books tucked into earthy walls. It’s all about combining structure with soft, organic shapes to build a dreamy little hideout. I’ll walk you through setting up your isometric guide, sketching the base shapes, and layering in personality with soft line art, cozy lighting, and simple, playful details. Grab the brush pack and palette, and let’s build this peaceful little world together.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Scattery Bush
- Snow Gum
- Base Painter
- Studio Pen
- Darken Line
- Lighten Line
- Flo Lighta
- Soft Brush
Canvas Size:
- 3500 x 3500 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Using the isometric guide for structured sketching
Start by turning on Procreate’s isometric grid with drawing assist to help keep your base nice and tidy while you work out the scene’s layout. - Layering rough and organic sketches
Begin with angular blocky shapes, then soften everything up with gentle curves, especially when sketching cozy furniture, books, and your little characters. - Coloring with clean layers and alpha lock
We’ll organize our layers so we can color freely underneath the line art, and use alpha lock to add shading and texture without coloring outside the lines. - Building up soft, glowy shading
With the dark and light brushes, plus a bit of glow using blend modes, we’ll create subtle shadows and soft ambient light to give everything that magical, cozy feel. - Color-tinting your line art to soften the look
Instead of keeping harsh black outlines, we’ll go in and gently recolor the line art so it blends in with the scene, just a little finishing touch that makes a big difference.
Botanical Drawing of a Daffodil
I’ve been wanting to try a botanical-style drawing for a while now. You know, that vintage look with soft pencil textures and lovely muted tones. And even though it’s winter, I thought, let’s draw a daffodil and bring a bit of spring into our sketchbook. We’re keeping things slow and gentle today: starting with a loose sketch, layering soft flat colors, and then building up all that nice, detailed pencil texture. It’s really about enjoying the process, letting the texture do the talking, and not stressing too much about perfection. Just have fun with it and take your time.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Alpine
- Dusky
Canvas Size:
- 2000 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Starting with soft, organic shapes
The flower begins as a few loose ovals to block in the main parts, making it super easy to build from without worrying about being too precise. - Organizing your layers for ease
Flat colors are split across five layers, petals, trumpet, stem, and leaves — so everything stays nice and tidy. - Locking in color with Alpha Lock
Once flat colors are in, Alpha Lock keeps things clean while you layer all that pencil texture right inside each shape. - Using pressure for pencil texture
Playing with the side vs. tip of your pencil gives you that soft, real-pencil vibe, wider strokes for shadow, finer ones for detail. - Building up vintage color tones
Muted yellows and greens layered with pencil strokes give you that beautiful, old-school botanical illustration feel. Just like those pages from antique books.
Icicles
Hey lovely people! Since winter’s around the corner, I thought it would be fun to cozy up with a chilly little project: painting some realistic icicles! ❄️ This one’s pretty beginner-friendly and super satisfying, just a few easy steps and you’ll end up with something that looks really polished. Plus, it’s a great confidence booster if you’re still getting comfy with realism.
Brushes used:
- Studio Pen
- Basic Flo Brush
- Standard Blender
- Soft Brush
- Lighten Line Brush
- Heavy Metal
- Spires
Canvas Size:
- 2000 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Sketching loosely for a clean foundation
We start off by sketching wobbly, imperfect icicles, nothing too precise! Just enough to guide our painting later on. - Building base shapes with solid layer structure
Each icicle gets its own layer so we can paint and adjust them independently. Super handy for control and flexibility. - Working with alpha lock and clipping masks
We use alpha lock for easy shading inside shapes, and clipping masks to gently build up textures and light effects without messing anything up. - Using blending and smudging for soft transitions
The smudge tool helps us soften things where needed and keeps everything looking smooth and icy, perfect for capturing that frozen feel. - Adding finishing touches with texture and bloom
Textures like Heavy Metal and Spires add subtle detail, and the bloom effect at the end really brings that icy glow to life.
Fall Leaf
In this cozy tutorial, we’re creating a lovely fall leaf that’s just barely hanging on. Full of texture, light, and those warm autumn vibes. It’s super beginner-friendly, and we go step by step, starting with a little wiggly branch and building up to a beautifully glowing leaf scene. We keep things loose and relaxed, nothing has to be perfect! You’ll learn a bunch of fun techniques, and by the end, your canvas will be full of soft background light, glowing textures, and that final touch of fall magic.
Brushes used:
- Studio Pen
- Soft Brush
- Clay Brush
- Through the Cracks
- Veins Brush
- Fine Liner
- Medium Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Skills Learned:
- Using clipping masks and blend modes to layer effects
We build up soft glows, shadows, and textures without messing up our base colors, super helpful! - Adding natural textures with custom and native brushes
From the crackly texture to warm edges, we use a mix of brushes to make the leaf feel real and full of character. - Creating soft lighting and blurred backgrounds
With just a few colors and some blur magic, we add dreamy light and subtle depth to the background. - Shaping with Liquify and tidying up with the eraser
We tweak our shapes gently and crisp up those leaf points for a more polished look, easy fixes, no stress. - Finishing touches with glow and bokeh effects
A little rim light, a few floating lights, and just like that, your scene comes to life.
Cat in a Garden
In this cozy little tutorial, we’re painting a chubby, super relaxed cat soaking up sunshine in a plant-filled garden. The whole process is meant to feel light and playful, no pressure to get everything perfect. We start with a super simple sketch and build things up layer by layer, adding color, texture, and just enough detail to bring it all to life. Think loose lines, happy accidents, and lots of plants. If you’ve been wanting to try a more painterly style without overthinking every brushstroke, this one’s for you.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Flotastic Brush
- Flat Painter
- Base Painter
- Foliage
- Syrup
- Dynamic Color
- Flotastic Inker
- Upward Plant
- Studio Pen
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Sketching loose but confident shapes
We keep it super simple with basic circles and ovals to build the cat and garden scene — no need for fancy anatomy here. - Layering up soft painterly textures
Using a mix of brushes, we build color in a way that feels relaxed and organic, perfect for capturing a sun-drenched garden vibe. - Playing with shadow and light for warmth
We use multiply layers and soft dabs of color to suggest where the sun hits and where the shadows fall, without overcomplicating it. - Painting leafy plants with depth and variety
From big leafy shapes to tiny floating leaves, you’ll learn how to build lush, natural-looking greenery in a fun and flexible way. - Finishing with sketchy line art for extra charm
At the end, we add just a few loose lines to pull it all together, enough to suggest detail, but still keep that playful feel.
Toadstools
Okay Flocreators, autumn is here, and that means it’s the perfect time for a cozy little realism project. In this one, we’re painting a group of toadstools, just following the process and seeing where it goes. I walk you through everything: starting with a loose sketch, laying down messy colors, adding texture and light, and just slowly building it all up. You’ll see how I make decisions on the fly, test things out, and trust the process even when it looks weird halfway through (because it always does). It’s not about making an exact copy, it’s about creating something that feels right. So grab your iPad, settle in, and let’s enjoy the magic of painting something just for the fun of it.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Flotastic
- Base Painter
- Standard Blender
- Flo Lighta
- Flo Darka
- Lighten Line
- Darken Line
- Overlay Brush
- Twisted Tree
- Heavy Metal
- Soft Brush
Canvas Size:
- 3000 x 2000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Sketching loosely while observing proportions
We start by blocking in the overall shape of the toadstool group, focusing on alignment and spacing without worrying about details too early. - Building up color in an intuitive, painterly way
Laying in messy browns and greens, testing out what works, and trusting that it’ll come together as you go. It’s all part of the fun. - Creating depth with light and shadow
By layering tones and playing with alpha lock, the forms begin to pop and feel more 3D—especially once those warm and cool tones start mixing in. - Adding detail with a soft touch
We refine textures like the little skirts, stems, and spots using a mix of smudge and line brushes, always keeping things a little bit loose. - Using texture and layer masks to ground the piece
Textures from brushes like Twisted Tree help blend the toadstools into the scene, and masks make it easy to stay in control as you experiment.
Paper Boat
In this cozy realism project, we’re painting a little paper boat floating on the water. We start with a loose sketch, then slowly build up the water using layers of shapes, colors, and textures until it feels believable. No need for a pre-made palette, we’ll pick colors as we go and just have fun experimenting. But of course you can also download the color palette I created along the way.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Soft Brush
- Base Painter
- StandardBlender
- Flo Darka
- Flow Lighta
- Darken Line
- Lighten Line
- Overlay Brush
- Multiply Brush
- Studio Pen
- Soft Light Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Building a base sketch: Start with loose lines to find the angles and shapes before refining.
- Layering water textures: Stack darker and lighter strokes to create ripples and depth.
- Blending and blurring for realism: Use smudge, Gaussian blur, and bloom to soften and add atmosphere.
- Crisp-edged object painting: Lock alpha and work with precise brushes for neat, clean boat edges.
- Creating reflections and ripples: Combine multiply layers and light strokes for believable water movement.
Lemonade
Let’s dive into a summery realism piece, painting a juicy glass of lemonade (or maybe orangeade?)! We’ll focus on expression and brush character. This isn’t about pixel-perfect photo realism but more about creating a believable still life with painterly energy. The whole thing is built up from a rough sketch to detailed lighting and textures, layering in color, adjusting shadows, and letting the process breathe and evolve.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Flotastic Brush
- Overlay Brush
- Flo Darka
- Flo Lighta
- Darken Line
- Lighten Line
- Multiply Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2000 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Creating expressive sketches from reference
Start loose with angular shapes and negative space awareness to define forms before refining. - Layering painterly textures with intentional brushwork
Using textured brushes to build depth while preserving a lively, expressive aesthetic. - Managing color and lighting for realistic glass and fruit
Careful use of lighting and reflection, including overlays and transparency, creates convincing form without over-polishing. - Combining structured process with spontaneous experimentation
Balancing process (alpha lock, layer building, selection tools) with creative detours for color and brush exploration. - Enhancing realism with subtle detailing techniques
Final passes with custom brushes add tactile texture, contrast, and visual interest without flattening the image.