25 Best Free Watercolor Brushes for Procreate in 2026
If you‘re a digital artist looking to achieve beautiful, realistic watercolor effects, you need to try out these amazing free watercolor brushes for Procreate. Procreate is hands-down one of the best apps for drawing and painting on the iPad, and its extensive brush library is a big reason why. While Procreate comes with a few default brushes that can create watercolor-like washes and textures, to really get that authentic traditional media look, you‘ll want to expand your toolkit with some custom brushes.
The great news is, you don‘t have to spend a dime to get high-quality watercolor brushes for Procreate. Generous designers and artists in the Procreate community have created some incredible brush sets that perfectly mimic the unique behaviors and textures of watercolor paints – and they‘re releasing them for free. In this guide, we‘ve rounded up 25 of the best free watercolor brush sets available, with options suited for everything from loose, abstract washes to finely detailed illustrations.
What Makes a Realistic Watercolor Brush?
Before we dive into our top brush set picks, let‘s talk a bit about what actually makes a digital brush behave like watercolor. Here are a few key characteristics to look for:
Texture: Watercolor is all about organic, granular textures. Look for brushes with visible paper grain and "splotchy" irregularities.
Opacity: Most watercolor strokes are somewhat translucent, allowing colors to blend together and create new shades. Brushes with lower opacity will layer more like traditional watercolor.
Blending: Watercolors tend to bloom, bleed and mix together in unique ways. Brushes that have some color blending and "wet edge" effects will feel more natural.
Size and Shape: Watercolor brushstrokes vary greatly depending on the amount of water and pigment used. Having brushes in a variety of sizes and shapes (round, flat, fan, etc.) allows for greater expressive range.
With those factors in mind, let‘s check out some of the best free watercolor brushes for Procreate that nail that real-media feel.
Top 25 Free Watercolor Brush Sets for Procreate
1. Watercolor Essentials by Bardot Brush
This set of 12 brushes has everything you need to get started with watercolor painting in Procreate. It includes a variety of basic round and wash brushes, plus some unique water and wet-on-wet texture effects. The strokes have a nice translucent quality and granular paper texture.
2. Aquash Watercolor Kit by Trailhead Design
With 21 brushes total, this free set has an impressive range of wash, splatter, and detail brushes for creating loose, expressive watercolor sketches and paintings. The Raindrops brush in particular does an amazing job of emulating pigment separating and pooling on wet paper.
3. Watercolors: The Classics by Marin Molliard
Marin is known for his realistic media brush sets, and this freebie watercolor pack is a great example of why. The 8 brushes recreate the classic round, rigger, and flat washes you‘d get with traditional watercolor paints. There‘s also a very handy Wet Canvas brush for prepping the paper texture.
4. Watercolor Paintbox – Free Version by Greta Kläy
Wish you could dip your Apple Pencil into a real watercolor palette? This fun set makes it possible, with 12 "paintbox" brushes that use the colors you pick to create authentic-looking washes and strokes. The free version includes round and flat brushes in 3 sizes.
5. Watercolor Brush Set by Nicpic
These 6 brushes may be simple, but they‘re a great starting point for gestural watercolor sketches and quick concept art. The flat wash and dry brush are especially handy for blocking in large shapes and adding textural details. Works great when paired with paper texture brushes.
6. Watercolor Max 2.0 Free by Evenant Design
While this is just a small sample of Evenant‘s popular Watercolor Max brush sets, the 7 free brushes still cover a lot of important basics like round washes, water splatter, and dry brushes. For the full range you can upgrade to the paid version, but this freebie is an excellent starter kit.
7. Watercolor Calligraphy Brushes by Finepoint Co.
Want to combine modern calligraphy with watercolor effects? This inventive brush set is designed for both. The 5 brushes have pressure-controlled line widths that allow you to create beautiful watercolor lettering and wash details in one stroke. Includes uppercase and lowercase guides.
8. 12 Free Realistic Watercolor Brushes by Eldar Zakirov
Russian designer Eldar Zakirov is a master of hyper-realistic brushes, and his watercolor set is no exception. These 12 brushes expertly capture the look of granulating and non-granulating washes, with plenty of size and texture variation for an organic feel.
9. Watercolor Sketcher Brush Set Freebie by Limit Break Studio
This set is perfect for watercolor illustration and concept sketching. The 5 brushes have a nice balance of soft and crisp edges, allowing you to create everything from loose, drippy washes to finer details and line work. Pairs well with the studio‘s free gouache and ink sets.
10. Stoni‘s Watercolor Brush Set (Free) by Stoni
Created by designer Johanna Stoni, this adorable set of 8 brushes brings a playful, imperfect quality to your watercolor creations. The dry brush details and gritty paper textures make it great for illustrating nature scenes and whimsical characters.
11. 12 Watercolor Brushes by Isa Marcelli
Modeled after artist Isa Marcelli‘s real-life watercolor sketches, these 12 brushes have a lovely storybook illustration style. The set includes flat, round, and liner brushes for laying down washes, painting fine details, and everything in between.
12. Watercolor Kit – Free Version by Type Gang
Another "paintbox" style set, this freebie from Type Gang includes 10 brushes for basic washes, splatters, and dry brush details. While designed for watercolor lettering, the brushes work just as well for illustration and experimentation.
13. Essential Watercolors by Dreamhouse Creative
Designer Tabitha Graystone specializes in beautifully handcrafted brush sets, and these 10 watercolor brushes are some of her best. With a focus on blendability and painterly strokes, they make it easy to achieve that flowy, organic watercolor look.
14. Watercolor Brush Box by Ulka
This unique brush set allows you to "mix" colors directly on the canvas for an authentic watercolor experience. The 5 free brushes have varying levels of wetness and opacity to create natural blends and layer. Use dark colors for an ink wash effect.
15. Watercolor Lettering Brushes by Hooplasign Co.
While these 4 brushes are intended for watercolor calligraphy, they‘re also fantastic for detail work and painting organic elements like florals and foliage. The fine liner and small round brush are great for delicate line work.
16. Watercolor Doodles by Plannthin
Loosen up your watercolor painting with these 12 playful, scratchy brushes. Designed for quick, expressive sketching and doodling, they have a nice range of textures from gritty and dry to juicy and drippy. Lacks fine detail but makes up for it in character.
17. Watercolor Basics – Free by Pixelbuddha
Just getting started with digital watercolor? This beginner-friendly set of 8 brushes covers all the essentials, with a good variety of washes, splatters and dry brush effects to experiment with. Brushes are intuitively named (Round Flat, Wash Soft, etc.)
18. Watercolor Stamps Freebie by every-tuesday
Add unique, realistic watercolor textures to your illustrations with this set of 20 stamp brushes. From splatters and drips to smudges and blooms, these brushes are perfect for quickly adding visual interest and a hand-painted feel to your art.
19. 15 Watercolor Brushes by Ink & Mist
With 15 brushes including round, rigger, and wash varieties, this free set has a nice balance of texture and blendability for an authentic watercolor look. Some of the brushes have a unique "streaky" effect that‘s great for rain, mist and atmospheric shading.
20. Juicy Watercolors – Free Sample by Matt Heath
This sample from illustrator Matt Heath‘s popular Juicy Watercolors brush pack includes 6 brushes bursting with rich, creamy texture. The opaque Japanese brush is a standout for bold, calligraphic strokes, while the wet and drippy brushes have a fun, loose feel.
21. Watercolor Exploration by Tinlun Studio
Designed for concept artists and illustrators, this set of 10 brushes captures the expressive, gestural qualities of watercolor sketching. It includes a variety of round and rigger brushes for laying down initial washes and painting details. Use with the smudge tool for a wet-on-wet effect.
22. Watercolor Kit Essentials by Sadie Lew
Build your basic watercolor toolkit with these 9 essential brushes from artist Sadie Lew. With a good range of flat, round, and detail brushes, this set makes it easy to paint everything from washes and washes to precise linework and lettering. The dry brushes are great for adding texture.
23. Watercolor Washes by Tiny Worlds
Create dreamy, atmospheric landscapes and backgrounds with this set of 12 wash brushes. Each brush has a unique irregular shape and texture, perfect for building up soft, layered color fields. Experiment with different blending modes for added depth.
24. Wild Watercolors by Katie Smith
Liven up your watercolor paintings with these 15 energetic brushes from Katie Smith. The set includes bold washes, splatters, and dry brushes to bring a dynamic, sketch-like quality to your illustrations. Layer different brushes for rich, varied textures.
25. Free Watercolor Brush Strokes by Blue Label Brushes
This creative brush set lets you quickly paint realistic watercolor strokes and washes with a single swipe. The 12 brushes include short and long strokes with different levels of transparency and texture. Great for adding loose, hand-painted accents.
How to Install Watercolor Brushes in Procreate
Ready to start painting with your new watercolor brushes? Installing them in Procreate is easy. Here‘s how:
- Download the brush set file (usually a .zip or .brushset) onto your iPad.
- If the file is zipped, unzip it using the Files app or a file management app like Documents.
- Open Procreate and create a new canvas or open an existing project.
- Tap on the paintbrush icon to open the Brush Library.
- Tap on the plus sign (+) in the top right corner to create a new brush set. Name it whatever you like.
- Tap on the new set, then tap on the plus sign (+) again to import brushes.
- Locate and select the .brushset file you downloaded, then tap "Import". The new brushes will appear in your custom brush set, ready to use!
Tips for Painting with Watercolor Brushes in Procreate
Procreate‘s watercolor brushes may be digital, but many of the same techniques and best practices from traditional watercolor still apply. Here are a few tips to keep in mind as you experiment:
Use a textured canvas: Watercolor paper has a distinctive "tooth" that influences how the paint behaves. To replicate this digitally, start with a paper texture canvas instead of the default smooth one. You can import a photo of real watercolor paper or try one of Procreate‘s built-in paper templates.
Work from light to dark: It‘s easier to add darkness than to remove it, so start with your lightest colors and gradually build up to darker shades and details. Use the Layers panel to keep your dark accents on a separate layer for more control.
Experiment with opacity and blending modes: Most watercolor brushes are somewhat translucent by default, but you can increase or decrease the opacity in the Brush Settings menu. The Multiply blending mode is also great for creating rich, glowing color overlays.
Let your strokes bleed and bloom: Part of the charm of watercolor is its unpredictable, organic nature. Embrace happy accidents and let your brushstrokes run into each other for a natural look. You can always use the Smudge tool to soften and blend edges.
Don‘t overwork it: It‘s tempting to keep fussing with a watercolor piece until it‘s "perfect," but overworking can lead to muddy colors and lost luminosity. Know when to call it finished and appreciate the abstract, imperfect beauty of the medium.
Watercolor Inspiration
Need some inspiration to get you started with watercolor in Procreate? Check out these stunning examples from artists using the brushes above:
[Embed a selection of 3-5 inspiring watercolor images created with these free brushes]We hope these free brush sets and tips help you unlock new watercolor possibilities in Procreate. Remember, the best way to improve is to practice often and let yourself play. Happy painting!
Do you have a favorite free watercolor brush for Procreate? Did we miss any must-have sets? Let us know in the comments below!
[Closing call-to-action inviting readers to download the brushes, share the article, and tag the site/author when posting their Procreate watercolors]