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.
Full Body Character
I’m super excited to bring you this in-depth Procreate tutorial where we’ll draw a full-body cartoon character together, Disney-style! I’ll guide you through every step—from the first sketchy lines all the way to adding color, texture, and personality. Whether you’re just getting into character design or want to refine your process, I’ve packed this one with tips, tricks, and layer-friendly techniques to keep things flowing smoothly. Let’s get sketching and bring this sassy, stylish character to life!
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Studio Pen
- Soft Brush
- Flotastic Brush
- Flotastic Hair brush
- Base Painter
- Line Brush
- Flotastic Inker
- Flat Painter
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Understanding gesture and proportion for cartoon characters: You learn how to create a balanced, expressive pose with a stylized head-to-body ratio typical of cartoon styles.
- Building volume and form through refined sketching: You develop shapes like arms, legs, hands, and facial structure with attention to anatomy and stylized exaggeration.
- Layer management and coloring workflow: The tutorial covers how to build up layers for skin, clothing, and details, using alpha lock and clipping masks for clean results.
- Hair rendering with stylized texture techniques: You explore how to use custom brushes to create dynamic, voluminous curly hair with depth and character.
- Adding expressive facial features and highlights: Focus is placed on shaping eyes, lips, and eyebrows to bring emotion to the character, using highlights and shadows effectively.
Realistic Butterfly
Ready for another deep dive into realism? In this session, I’m painting a butterfly on a flower—just me, my brushes, and the canvas, working through the process from the first loose sketch all the way to those satisfying final touches. I show you how I build up layers, choose colors intuitively, and refine the painting to create something that feels believable, not perfect. It’s all about taking the time to observe, make adjustments, and slowly bring it all to life.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Studio Pen
- Soft Brush
- Shader
- Light Shader
- Darken Line
- Lighten Line
- Overlay Brush
- Stippy Brush
- Spackle it Brush
- Standard Blender
Canvas Size:
- 3000 x 2000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Blocking in foundational shapes: Using rough sketches and negative space to accurately place butterfly and flower forms.
- Layer organization for realism: Strategically separating body parts and flower elements across layers for easier detailing and adjustments.
- Creating depth with texture and shading: Adding grain, light/dark contrast, and stippling to give life to wings and petals.
- Refining with detail brushes: Using fine line and spackle brushes to mimic natural markings and textures on wings and stems.
- Enhancing with finishing effects: Applying noise, color tweaks, and blending modes like Multiply and Screen to boost contrast and realism.
Tree with Lights
This tutorial was such a cozy one—I’m bringing you a peaceful, slightly magical tree painting filled with whimsical branches, soft clouds, glowing lanterns, and sparkly evening vibes. There’s something so calming about building a tree from sketch to fully lit centerpiece, and I loved showing you all the little tricks to make it feel balanced and alive. Let’s break it down.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Soft Mossy Grass
- Soft Brush
- Studio Pen
- Smudgy Leaves
- Scattered Leaves
- Flotastic Brush
- Bark Brush
- Simple Grass
- Flowers Brush
- Mercury Brush
- Lighten Line
- Darken Line
- Shiny Particles
- Overlay Brush
Canvas Size:
- 3000 x 2000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Building a balanced tree composition: Learn to loosely sketch and plan dynamic curves in branches, giving the tree a sense of flow and personality.
- Layering foliage with variation and depth: Use a combination of smudgy and scattered leaf brushes in layered shades to create believable light and form in the tree’s canopy.
- Using layer masks for natural overlaps: Mask grass over rocks and trunk bases for realism without messy erasing; this keeps things non-destructive and clean.
- Adding glowing effects and magical touches: Create realistic lantern glows using bloom and Gaussian blur, then finish with sparkles for a dreamy final atmosphere.