Procreate on the iPad: Ideal for Amateurs and Quick Sketches, But Limited for Advanced Art

Introduction

We’re in the middle of a digital art Renaissance that started at the very second the Apple iPad landed. One of the top drawing and painting apps for Pro iPad (of all calibers - beginning artists and pros) the last few years has been Procreate. Procreate is definitely not going to win awards in many professional contexts but it’s undeniably amazing for the beginner artist, sketching on the go, or those who don’t consider their artwork professional by a long shot (as do I!).
Unfortunately though, those areas where Procreate wins have their downsides when you bring it into the pro arena.
Here’s why Procreate isn't that great for professional art and why you might not get on best terms with it in a real drawing class.

The appeal of Procreate for amateurs

Intuitive interface and user experience

Another plus to Procreate’s approach is the user interface itself. Software and mobile applications often require steep learning curves, so as a newbie to graphic design that may find other desktop programs like Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator’s functions to be much daunting the familiarization process with Procreate comes fairly easy due to the simplified layout of functions that you know.

Affordable one-time purchase

In contrast to most of professional art software that runs on subscription model, Procreate is available as one-time purchase for a quite low price. For a hobbyists, students and amateurs, this is a huge plus as it delivers a very advanced tool for the digital arts without significant financial commitment.

Portability and convenience

I am sure that every artist appreciates the portability of iPad loaded with Procreate. That’s a big plus for students, amateur artists and hobbyists who don’t have unlimited funds to throw around on subscriptions month after month. Procreate is cost effective, it seems like a good starting point for digital artwork.

One of the biggest perks of having the iPad with Procreate are it's incredible portability. You can sketch everywhere - in cafes, planes or parks. Amateur drawers will love the flexibility this offers for capturing ideas on the go or simply trying out drawing in new places, such as sketching at the coffee shop. You can't pull your computer up, open Photoshop and get cracking straight away.

Vast community and resources

There is an enormous and helpful Procreate community. Procreate has an established and passionate fan-base, which has resulted in a growing community of artists who share their knowledge via brushes, community tutorials and tricks for new users learning how to use it with the iPad as well as anyone trying to improve styles. The multitude of available Procreate brushes at varying prices, from free, to affordable to custom created brushes and other elements.

Procreate for quick sketches

Fast and fluid drawing experience

Procreate was designed for drawing on an iPad using touch controls and Apple Pencil, so the interface feels fast and fluid. Low latency and natural-feeling brush strokes give it excellent performance for quick work - any rough drafts you need for conceptualization, any brainstorm scribbles, or any studies you just want to play around with, come out the gates with very few distractions.

Wide range of brushes and tools

Procreate includes brushes to mimic nearly all traditional media including pens and pencils, inks, paints. Each allows to produce varying sketch results depending on how the app's owner wants his lines to look from scribble to accurate. The quick accessibility of instruments and the few taps needed in between makes this app to easy produce spontaneous sketches.

Time-lapse feature for instant feedback

One of the things that makes Procreate special is that it can record what you do. Every time you make a stroke in the app it gets recorded. This means you can play back how you made your drawing. This is really helpful for sketches because you can see how your drawing changed. You can use this to look at how you draw and get better over time.

The limitations of Procreate for advanced art

Lack of advanced features

When artists get better they need more from their software. Procreate is good for starting out. It does not have all the features that more advanced digital art software has. For example Procreate does not do vector graphics. Vector graphics are important for making artwork that needs to be big without losing quality like logos or detailed drawings.

Also the way Procreate handles layers is not as good as some programs, like Adobe Photoshop. Advanced artists need control over layers like being able to make layer masks, adjustment layers and more complex blending options. Procreate not having these features can be a problem for artists who want to make high-quality artwork.

Color management limitations

Getting the colors right is crucial for professional artists, especially those who make things for print. Procreate is not great at handling colors. It does not support CMYK color profiles, which are used in printing and you cannot control the colors well. This can be a problem for professionals who need to make sure their work looks the same on different mediums.

File size and exporting constraints

Procreate lets you export your work in formats like PSD, PDF, PNG and more.. There are limits on how big your files can be and what resolution you can use. The biggest canvas size you can have in Procreate depends on your iPad, which can limit how detail you can have in big projects. This can be frustrating for artists who need to make artwork at high resolutions for print or big formats.

Lack of integration with other professional software

Another problem with Procreate is that it does not work well with professional software. While you can export PSD files it is not as easy to use with software like Adobe Creative Cloud as it could be. Advanced artists who use different software programs may find it hard to use Procreate because it does not integrate well.

Alternatives for advanced artists

If you find that Procreate is too limited there are options you can use:

• Adobe Photoshop: This is a powerful tool that has everything you need to make digital art. It has layer management you can customize the brushes and it handles colors very well.
• Clip Studio Paint: This is popular among artists and illustrators. It has drawing tools supports vector graphics and has many features that are great for making complex artwork.
• Affinity Designer: This app can do both raster and vector graphics, which makes it very versatile. It also supports color profiles and has advanced export options.

Conclusion

Procreate on the iPad is a tool that has changed the way artists make digital art especially for beginners and those who like to sketch on the go. It is easy to use, affordable. You can take it anywhere. However as artists get better and need advanced tools Procreates limitations become more obvious. If you want to make your art the best it can be you might want to consider using some other tool.

In short Procreate is great for sketches and starting out with digital art but it might not be enough for artists who want to make professional-level art. It is good for beginners because it is easy to use. It lacks advanced features and professional-grade functionality. Knowing what Procreate can and cannot do is important, for any artist who is deciding whether to use it.