Using Brushes in Procreate

Using brushes in digital scrapbooking adds creative flair to layouts. You can choose any color, make it a clipping mask, write text, create lines and squiggles, accent your images, add texture… The list goes on and on.

Procreate supports not only its own proprietary brush format, but also handles Photoshop .abr brushes as well. To import a brush to Procreate, open the Brush library from within your document by tapping the paintbrush icon. Tap the + on the popover menu, then tap Import. You can also install brushes from the Files app by tapping the Share arrow, then sending to Procreate.

For this page, I imported Synergy Ink’s brushset from The Gardner Collection.

To grab a color from your canvas, tap and hold, then drag your finger until you find your color. Releasing your finger sets that selection as your foreground color.

Next, tap the Paint tool, and select a brush from the list. From the left sidebar, adjust the size on the top slider and opacity from the bottom slider. I used some of Sonja’s brushes as stamps around the edge of this layout for texture.

To create the dotted stroke connecting the masked images, I used Procreate’s built-in Inking brush set called Studio Pen. Tapping on the brush’s image opens the Brush Studio, where you can adjust an array of attributes. For this brush, I increased both the Spacing and Jitter under Stroke Path. I also adjusted the shape behavior, including the count and count jitter to make it a little more hand-scribbled looking.

You can test out your brush settings by painting in the drawing pad (Landscape orientation is best for this). Tap the Edit button to clear the drawing pad or reset the brush’s settings.

Be sure to stop by the forum and join in on the monthly mobile scrapping challenge. This month, I’m challenging you to use brushes in at least two different ways in a layout. Hope to see you there!