Waterfall in Moonlight
This is such a fun and satisfying landscape to paint. You start with a really loose sketch just to figure out where everything goes, because there’s quite a lot happening in this scene. From there, you build it up step by step with simple shapes for the cliffs, waterfalls, trees, and foreground, and then slowly bring in all that lovely atmosphere with mist, moonlight, reflections, and those magical little fireflies. It ends up feeling like a secret place hidden deep inside a forest.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Forester
- Studio Pen
- Monoline
- Flat Painter
- Scattered Soft Bush
- Base Painter
- Flo Lighta Brush
- Flotastic Brush
- Lighten Line Brush
- Blender
- Overlay Brush
- Light Pen
- Soft Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Keeping the sketch loose and useful
You use a very rough sketch as a guide so you know where all the main elements go without getting stuck in too much detail. - Building the scene in layers
You place the big shapes first, like the rock walls, water, trees, and foreground, so the painting stays organized and easy to adjust. - Using color to create moonlight
You shift the foliage, rocks, and clouds toward cool blue tones so the whole scene feels softly lit by the moon. - Making waterfalls feel soft and glowing
You layer lighter tones, darker streaks, bloom, blur, and smudging to give the water that dreamy, misty movement. - Adding atmosphere with finishing details
You use fog, reflections, grassy textures, rocks, flowers, and glowing fireflies to make the whole landscape feel magical and alive.
Strawberry
For this realism project, we’re painting a strawberry. It’s been a long time since I painted one, and honestly they’re always a bit of a challenge with all those tiny seeds. But don’t worry. We’re going to approach this in a logical, layered way. No unnecessary struggle. Just smart steps, soft shadows first, bright highlights later and suddenly it all starts looking delicious.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Studio Pen
- Shader
- Flo Darka
- Flo Lighta
- Lighten Line
- Darken Line
- Overlay
- Standard Blender
- Basic Flo
- Multiply
- Forrester
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Thinking in 3D from the start
You don’t just copy a photo, you look at the strawberry as a rounded form. By squinting your eyes and focusing on big light and shadow shapes first, you instantly create depth. - Using layers in a smart, simple way
You separate the base, seeds, leaves, and background so everything stays flexible. With alpha lock, you shade safely without ruining your clean edges. - Letting shadows do the heavy lifting
You begin with soft, darker tones to define the dimples around the seeds. This makes the surface feel textured before you even add highlights. - Making seeds feel embedded, not pasted on
You shade mostly on one side of each seed and add tiny highlights on the opposite side. Just a few strokes and suddenly they sit inside the strawberry. - Building shine step by step
You add soft highlights first, then sharper, brighter ones on top. That layering of light is what makes the strawberry look glossy and juicy instead of flat.
Cheerful Room
I found this super interesting reference photo on Unsplash and thought… why not turn this into a playful, stylized room illustration? I didn’t plan anything beforehand because I really wanted to show you how I explore and figure things out along the way. It gets a bit messy, I test things, change my mind, but that’s honestly part of the fun. And hopefully it gives you tools and confidence to do this with your own photos too.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Dry Ink
- Studio Pen
- Soft Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Building perspective without overthinking it
You set up a simple perspective grid, roughly place your horizon and vanishing points, and use assisted drawing as a guide, not a rulebook. - Turning a photo into a stylized scene
You simplify shapes, round forms, exaggerate curves, and redesign elements like plants and decor instead of copying everything exactly. - Distributing bold colors intentionally
You spread purples and greens across the composition first, then balance the intensity with sandy neutrals and small pink accents. - Using clipping masks for flexible shading
You add shadows with Multiply layers and highlights with Screen/Add layers, keeping everything editable and easy to tweak. - Softening line art for atmosphere
You alpha lock the line art and experiment with warm and cool tones to shift the mood and make the illustration feel softer and more cohesive.
City Street in the Morning
Today we’re doing a fun little “photo-to-art” shortcut (and no, it’s not cheating). I shot this street photo myself in Ghent super early in the morning and it just had that magical color vibe, so we’re turning it into a playful, expressive painting in Procreate. We keep it simple: sketch only what you actually need, block in flat shapes on separate layers, then build up texture with a small brush set and a limited palette so it feels bold and painterly. The final “wow” comes from pushing contrast and light—Screen and Multiply masks like you’d do in photo editing—plus some lantern glow to sell that fairy-tale mood.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Pipeline
- Sierra
- Molesworth
- Forrester
- On the Flo
- Florentine
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Use a photo as a guide without getting stuck to it: You duplicate the photo, lower opacity, and sketch only the important structure so the result stays simplified and artistic, not stiff.
- Block in clean flats fast: You use the Selection tool (Freehand + Color Fill) to carve big building shapes on separate layers, working front-to-back so everything stays organized.
- Texture first, detail later: You lay down big charcoal strokes for color variety, then slowly tighten things up with smaller brushes and saved window selections for crisp edges where it matters.
- Control detail with distance :You keep the foreground richer and the background quieter (less texture, fewer marks), so the perspective reads without you doing a million tiny things.
- Push contrast with masks: You copy/paste a merged version, use Screen + a black mask to paint in extra light, Multiply + a black mask to deepen shadows, then finish with Curves (Gamma) and a gentle saturation bump.
Cozy Mugs
I’ve got a super cozy project for you that’s just perfect for Valentine’s Day, or honestly, any rainy afternoon. We’re drawing two adorable mugs sharing a warm moment indoors while it’s raining outside. From sketch to final lighting touches, I’ll walk you through the full process, layering in cozy details like heart-shaped leaves, a glowing candle, and even a love letter on the table. Don’t worry, we’ll keep things playful and light, with lots of room for your own little creative touches.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Studio Pen
- Soft Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Building cozy compositions with simple shapes
Start with basic ovals and lines to lay out your scene, then gently build in cozy elements like curtains, windows, and table legs. - Layering your sketch for easy line art
Lower the sketch opacity and add clean lines on top, making decisions early keeps the line art phase fun and relaxing. - Adding dreamy lighting with Bloom and Blur
Create glowing hearts in the sky, cozy steam swirls, and a flickering candle using Bloom, Gaussian Blur, and a touch of color layering. - Using Alpha Lock for shading and texture
Add soft gradients and shadows with the soft brush to create a gentle, lo-fi vibe across your curtains, mugs, and cozy corners. - Finishing with raindrops and texture for atmosphere
Top it all off with stylized raindrops, bloom effects, and a final overlay of noise for that perfect soft, rainy-day feel.
Realistic Pear
In this cozy realism tutorial, we’re painting a simple but beautiful still life: a juicy pear sitting on an upside-down cup. It’s all about taking your time, not stressing perfection, and just enjoying the process. We start with a loose sketch, work through clean shapes and color blocking, and then build up soft lighting, shadow, and texture with loads of helpful techniques along the way. Don’t worry if your pear isn’t identical to the reference, this is your artwork, and it’s totally fine to make it your own. Let’s keep it relaxed, fun, and full of color.
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Studio Pen
- Standard Blender
- Base Painter
- Basic Flo Brush
- Lighten Line Brush
- Darken Line Brush
- Dark Shader
- Overlay Brush
- Light Shader
- Forrester Brush
Canvas Size:
- 2300 x 3000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Starting with a loose sketch – Get the shapes down quickly by measuring roughly and looking at negative space. No need to get it perfect!
- Using symmetry for clean shapes – Great for structured objects like cups, the symmetry guide helps keep everything neat and centered.
- Building your painting in layers – Alpha lock and clipping masks make it easy to add shadows and highlights without going outside the lines.
- Adding light, shadow, and texture – Learn how to create soft, realistic lighting and some fun pear skin texture with just a few brush tweaks.
- Refining with smudge and detail brushes – Blend where needed, but keep those crisp edges where it counts. It’s all about balance!
Mountain Cabin
In this tutorial, we’re diving into another relaxing painting session, this time, a cozy little cabin nestled in a mountain landscape. It’s not about copying the reference exactly; instead, I’ll show you how I loosely interpret it and build something a bit more painterly, more stylized, and very us. We’ll play around with composition, texture, lighting and of course, take full advantage of creative freedom. This is one of those projects that lets you focus on shapes and mood without getting lost in the details. So grab your stylus, let’s go!
Brushes used:
- Basic Sketcher
- Flotastic Brush
- Flotastic Sketcher
- Flotastic Hair
- Flotastic Inker
- Flat Painter
- Lighten Line
- Darken Line
- Smear it Around
- Soft Brush
- Dabby
- Flowers 2
- Wild Grass
- Flower Field
Canvas Size:
- 3000 x 2000 pixels
Key Skills Learned:
- Working loosely with clipping masks and alpha lock
You’ll see how I use them to build depth, play with lighting, and add detail without messing up the base layers, super handy! - Creating painterly shapes with expressive brushes
We’re not going for photo-real here. I’ll show you how to use brush shapes and textures to get that loose, impressionistic vibe, especially for the mountain and grass. - Using blur to push depth and softness
Perspective blur adds a nice dreamy effect in the foreground, I’ll guide you through a few smudging tricks too to blend skies and soften shapes. - Layering textures to build detail
We experiment with different brushes (yes, including some “flower” brushes that totally work as grass) to create texture in the rocks, field, and cabin. - Finishing touches that add atmosphere
Little things like a vignette, lighting layers, and a bit of noise go a long way in making the whole piece feel more polished and moody.
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.