How To Choose A Procreate Brush For Your Typography Project

written by Houke de Kwant on December 7, 2021

Looking for the best Procreate brushes? This article has you covered! You’ll find out how to choose a brush that will give your typography pieces just the look you want.

I’m going to show you what makes one Procreate brush better than another and explain some of the things to keep in mind as you browse through all the amazing Procreate brush options that are out there.

Most pro creatives will tell you that it doesn’t matter which type of tablet you have, as long as it’s a Wacom product. In my opinion, this simply isn’t true. Of course, Wacom tablets are the best choice for Adobe programs like Illustrator and Photoshop. But the truth is that there are some amazing alternatives out there and you can get just as smooth of a pen-to-screen response using them.

The same is true of a Procreate brush pack. While the Procreate engine does a great job of rendering some gorgeous brush strokes, there’s no way it can hold a candle to the responsiveness and ease-of-use that you get when using a Wacom tablet with a compatible application on a computer.

Why Procreate Brushes Are Awesome

Before we get into some of the things you need to look for when choosing a brush, let’s first take a quick minute and review why Procreate brushes are so great.

The reason that having an iPad and stylus is such a joy is that the Procreate engine does some pretty amazing things with the digital ink you lay down.

The way it evaluates the size and opacity of your stroke as you create it is unlike anything I’ve seen on any other platform. This means you are pretty much limited only by your imagination when creating new brush strokes with Procreate.

Finding The Right Procreate Brush Pack

One of my biggest pet peeves with Procreate brushes is when people say things like “this brush is awesome” or “that brush sucks” without any explanation whatsoever. Being able to use the best Procreate brushes in your work isn’t just about knowing what they’re called and how to find them. It’s also about knowing what makes a good Procreate brush, so you can choose one that will add something special to your typography pieces.

Here are a few things to consider when shopping for the best Procreate brush:

The Type Of Brush You Need

There are three different types of brushes that you can use in Procreate.

Scribble Brushes – These brushes have a very low opacity and a wide, frayed edge that is great for creating spontaneous lines and textures. An example is a Procreate watercolor brush.

Tilt And Stylus Sensitivity – This brush responds to the angle at which you hold your stylus, so it’s great for creating calligraphic strokes with a bit of flair. An example would be a pixel brush Procreate lets designers use.

Procreate 3D Brushes – These brushes are typically best used for adding shadows or highlights to your pieces

I won’t go into detail about each of these types of brushes, because we’ll be covering them all later on in this article. Just keep an eye out for the brush icon and its description (like “Scribble” or “Procreate 3D”) to know what type of brush you’re using.

The Texture Of Your Brush

Another thing to consider when choosing a brush is the style of texture that it creates. This is one of the easiest things to understand because there’s no guessing involved. All you have to do is look at the thumbnail and see how it is shaped. Is the brush nice and smooth, or does it have a lot of texture to it?

Texture is great for adding realism and giving your typography pieces just the right look. You can also use textures in conjunction with opacity and size to create some pretty amazing effects.

Choosing A Brush Opacity And Size

The opacity and size of your brush are going to determine how bold or subtle your strokes are. Just like with texture, choosing the right opacity and size is something you can usually figure out pretty easily by looking at the thumbnail.

Some brushes are nice and thick, while others start very thin before they get thicker. Knowing what type of brush you are using can help you decide what opacity and size will work best for your workflow.

Trying Out Different Brushes

This is something that I feel that too many people skip when creating new brush strokes with Procreate. The first thing I do when I get a new Procreate brush is trying it out on an image to make sure it does what I need it to do.

Another thing you can do is play with the different textures available in Procreate and see which one best suits your style. Sometimes the thumbnail doesn’t give much information about how a brush looks until you try it out yourself. There are some brushes like a tree brush Procreate lets designers use. You can go check out more on Creative Market.

Takeaway

Knowing how to choose a great Procreate brush can make your typography projects that much better. I highly recommend getting in the habit of trying out new brushes whenever you get some free time because you never know what kinds of amazing new textures and effects are just right for your workflow.