How to Use Procreate Pocket: The Ultimate Guide

Procreate Pocket is a feature-packed digital illustration app that transforms your iPhone into a powerful creative tool. As the younger sibling to the renowned Procreate for iPad, Procreate Pocket gives you access to most of the same incredible features right in the palm of your hand.

Whether you‘re an artist on-the-go, or simply prefer the portability of working on a smaller screen, Procreate Pocket has everything you need to sketch, paint, and edit professional-quality artwork wherever you are. In this ultimate guide, we‘ll show you how to use Procreate Pocket to unlock your iPhone‘s full potential as a digital art studio.

Overview of Interface & Tools

When you first open Procreate Pocket, you‘ll see the Gallery view where all your artworks are stored. To begin a new canvas, tap the + icon in the top right corner.

The main drawing interface of Procreate Pocket will feel very familiar if you‘ve used the iPad version before. However, some menus and options have been rearranged or condensed to optimize the workflow for a smaller screen.

The Toolbar

At the top of the screen you‘ll find the main toolbar. This is where you‘ll access the primary tools you need while drawing and painting:

• Brush – Select your brush type from a range of pencils, inks, paints and artistic effects
• Smudge – Smudge and blend colors on the canvas
• Eraser – Erase areas of your drawing
• Layers – View and edit your layer stack
• Color – Choose your color from the color disc and sliders

The Modify Menu

On the left side of the toolbar, you can access the Modify menu by tapping the word Modify. This menu contains four sections of powerful tools to adjust and refine your artwork:

• Actions – Access your canvas information, add text, insert images or files, and more
• Adjustments – Make color and tonal adjustments to your layers
• Selection – Make selections on your canvas to transform or fill
• Transform – Use transform handles to move, scale, distort or warp your layers

The Sidebar

An innovative feature of Procreate Pocket‘s interface is the Sidebar on the left edge of the screen. Slide the two silver semicircles up and down to quickly adjust your brush size (top semicircle) and brush opacity (bottom semicircle) as you work.

Getting Started

Creating a New Canvas

In the Gallery view, tap the + icon to create a new canvas. You can choose from a range of default canvas sizes, or create a custom size to suit your needs. Consider whether you want your canvas to be square, portrait or landscape orientation.

Choosing Brushes and Colors

With your blank canvas open, open the Brush library and take some time to explore the vast collection of over 150 brushes available. Tap to select a brush and drag your finger on the canvas to see how it paints.

To choose your color, tap the Color icon to open the Color Disc. You can drag around the outer wheel to select a hue, then use the inner square to pick your desired saturation and lightness. Tap and hold to save a color to your custom palette.

Basic Techniques

Drawing and Painting

Use your finger or a stylus to start drawing and painting on the canvas. Experiment with different brushes and colors to create your desired effects. If you make a mistake, use the Eraser tool to remove it.

You can pinch to zoom in and out on your canvas, or use two fingers to rotate the canvas to a comfortable angle. Don‘t forget you can also adjust your brush size and opacity using the Sidebar dials.

Blending and Smudging

A great way to create smooth color transitions is by using the Smudge tool. Select the Smudge tool, then choose a soft brush like the Airbrushing brush. Use your finger or stylus to gently smudge the edges of two colors together to blend them.

Erasing

The Eraser tool lets you remove unwanted marks on your canvas. You can choose between erasing on your current layer only, or erasing across all layers. If you want to erase everything, simply tap and hold the Eraser icon to activate the Clear Canvas option.

Working with Layers

Layers are an essential part of keeping your artwork organized and easy to edit. Think of layers like a stack of transparent sheets, with each sheet containing a separate part of your drawing.

Adding and Deleting Layers

Tap the Layers icon to view your layer stack. To add a new layer, tap the + button. To delete a layer, swipe it to the left and tap Delete. You can also duplicate an existing layer by swiping it to the left and tapping Duplicate.

Layer Visibility, Opacity, Lock

Next to each layer thumbnail is a checkbox that controls the visibility of that layer. Uncheck the box to temporarily hide a layer without deleting it.

You can also adjust the opacity of each layer by tapping the N to the right of the thumbnail. Lower opacity makes a layer more transparent. The Lock option prevents a layer from being edited.

Blending Modes and Clipping Masks

Tapping the N will also let you change the blending mode and toggle clipping masks for a layer. Blending modes affect how a layer blends with the layers below it. A clipping mask uses the contents of a layer to mask the layer above it.

Import, Export and Sharing

Inserting Photos

You can add images to your canvas by importing them from your Photos app. In the Actions menu, tap Add, then choose "Insert a photo" to select an image file to place in your artwork.

Exporting to Files App

When your artwork is finished, you can export it to the Files app on your iPhone. In the Actions menu, tap Share, then tap "Share artwork" to select your file type (PNG, JPEG, TIFF, PSD) and save a copy of your work.

Exporting Time-Lapse Videos

Like it‘s big brother, Procreate Pocket automatically records your drawing process for every new canvas in a time-lapse video. To access it, open the Actions menu and tap Video. From here you can play the video or export it to your Photos app.

Advanced Techniques

Making Selections

The Selection tool lets you select parts of your artwork to work on independently from the rest of the canvas. You can use the Freehand or Automatic options to draw your selection, or choose the Rectangle, Ellipse and Polygonal shape selector tools for more precise selections.

Using Adjustment Tools

In the Adjustments tab of the Modify menu, you‘ll find a collection of powerful tools for refining your colors and tones. These include Brightness, Contrast, Saturation, Gaussian Blur, Color Balance, Hue and more. You can apply Adjustments to your entire canvas or to a selected layer.

Drawing Assists and Guides

Procreate Pocket includes several assistive tools to improve your drawing accuracy and symmetry. In the Actions menu, tap Canvas, then turn on the Drawing Guide to overlay a perspective grid or symmetry guide on your canvas. In the Preferences menu, you can also toggle Assisted Drawing which will subtly adjust your strokes to make your lines smoother.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If you accidentally touched the screen and made an unwanted mark, don‘t panic! Simply tap the screen with two fingers to Undo your last stroke. You can also redo a stroke by tapping with three fingers.

• Are the interface buttons not responding? Try restarting the app. If the issue persists, check that your iPhone is updated to the latest version of iOS.

• Is the brush stroke lagging a lot? Try reducing the size of your canvas, or work on a faster, more powerful iPhone model if possible. Also ensure no other apps are running in the background.

Example Projects & Tutorials

Once you‘ve got to grips with the fundamental tools and techniques of Procreate Pocket, you can start exploring the creative possibilities! Here are a few example project ideas and tutorials to try:

• Create a watercolor portrait by combining the Watercolor brush pack with a custom color palette
• Use the Smudge tool to paint a dreamy, atmospheric landscape in the style of Monet
• Sketch a 3D object using the Drawing Assist Perspective Guides and Symmetry tools
• Design a colorful, abstract pattern by layering and combining shape motifs with different Blending Modes
• Recreate the look of vintage printed posters with the Halftone brushes and Gaussian Blur

There are endless tutorials available online, plus lots of talented Procreate Pocket artists who share tips and techniques on social media. Find an artist or style that inspires you and see how they use the app to achieve certain effects.

Procreate Pocket vs Full Procreate

Procreate Pocket offers almost all of the same features as the full Procreate app for iPad. The main difference is the smaller screen size and simplified interface layout on iPhone. A few other key differences to note:

• Procreate Pocket supports a maximum of 16 layers per file, compared to 999 layers in the full app.
• The maximum canvas size in Procreate Pocket is 5600 x 4200 pixels. The iPad version supports much larger canvases.
• Some features like the Liquify Dynamics, Wet Mix, and Symmetry Drawing Guides are not available in Pocket.

However, the iPhone‘s portability makes it perfect for quick sketches and ideas on-the-go. Procreate Pocket is ideal for artists who want to draw or paint anywhere without having to carry around a larger iPad and Apple Pencil.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Procreate Pocket without an Apple Pencil?
Yes, you can draw and paint using just your finger on the iPhone touchscreen. However, for more precision and pressure sensitivity, many artists prefer to use a stylus like the Apple Pencil.

How do I undo/redo a mistake?
Simply tap the screen with two fingers to Undo your last action. To Redo, tap with three fingers.

Can I import my own custom brushes?
Yes, you can import any .brushset files into the Procreate Pocket app. They need to be designed to the correct specifications for Procreate Pocket to recognize them.

Does Procreate Pocket work with PSD files?
Yes, you can import and export layered PSD files to keep your work compatible with Adobe Photoshop.

Is Procreate Pocket a subscription?
No, Procreate Pocket requires a one-time purchase from the App Store. There are no recurring subscription fees.

Conclusion

We hope this guide has given you a thorough overview of how to get the most out of Procreate Pocket. This incredible app proves that you don‘t need a huge screen and complex setup to create stunning digital artworks. All the tools you need to sketch, paint, edit and share your ideas are right at your fingertips.

The intuitive interface and comprehensive brush library make Procreate Pocket suitable for both beginners and experienced artists alike. And with the iPhone‘s compact size and go-anywhere flexibility, you‘ll never have an excuse not to get creative!

Grab your iPhone, open up Procreate Pocket, and start exploring the wonderful world of mobile digital art. Happy drawing!