The Ultimate Guide to the Best Anime & Manga Brushes for Procreate

Are you an aspiring digital artist looking to dive into the world of anime and manga artwork? With the right tools and techniques, you can start creating stunning, professional-quality anime and manga illustrations right on your iPad using the Procreate app.

One of the most important aspects of nailing the anime/manga style is using the right brushes. While Procreate comes with an impressive array of built-in brushes, you‘ll likely want to expand your collection with some specialized anime and manga brush sets to really capture that authentic look.

As a digital illustrator who has been using Procreate for anime and manga art for over three years, I‘ve tested out dozens of brush sets. In this ultimate guide, I‘ll be sharing my top picks for the best free and paid anime/manga brushes for Procreate.

Whether you‘re just getting started with digital art or you‘re a seasoned pro looking to up your game, these brushes will help you achieve the smooth lines, unique textures, and bold colors that define the anime and manga aesthetic. Let‘s jump in!

Why Using the Right Brushes Matters

When it comes to creating anime and manga art in Procreate, your brushes can make or break your artwork. While you can certainly make do with the default brushes, specialized anime/manga brushes will help you:

• Create smooth, crisp lineart
• Add authentic manga-style screentones and textures
• Achieve the bold, cel-shaded look of anime
• Work faster with stamps and shape tools
• Experiment with different styles and effects

Think of your brushes like an artist‘s toolbox. The more varied and specialized tools you have at your disposal, the more you can do. Building out your collection with some high-quality, purpose-built anime and manga brushes will open up a whole new world of creative possibilities.

The Best Free Anime/Manga Brushes for Procreate

You don‘t need to spend a dime to start building your anime brush collection. There are plenty of generous artists out there creating incredible free brushes. Here are some of the best free sets I‘ve come across:

1. Mochi Brushes by Mochi Mochi

Mochi Mochi is one of my go-to artists for free Procreate brushes, and their anime set does not disappoint. With 15 brushes including everything from fine liners to screentones, this versatile set has everything you need to ink and color your artwork.

2. Anime Brush Set by GenevieveCraft

This set packs a lot of punch with 12 free brushes, including some great options for line work, shading, and special effects. I especially love the tonal brushes for quickly adding depth and dimension.

3. Manga Brushes by Goro Fujita

Goro Fujita is a superstar in the world of anime and manga art, and he‘s graciously made some of his go-to brushes available for free. His manga set includes 6 essential brushes for inking and painting, plus some fun extras like speed lines and halftones.

4. Comic Ink Brush by DAUB Brushes

If you‘re looking for a clean, versatile inking brush, give DAUB‘s Comic Ink Brush a try. With customizable settings for flow, hardness, and streamline, this brush is great for everything from thin lines to bold swashes.

The Best Paid Anime/Manga Brushes for Procreate

If you‘re ready to invest in some premium anime brushes, you‘ll be blown away by the quality and variety of paid sets available. Here are a few of my favorites:

1. Manga Studio by Georg Brushes

With a whopping 120+ brushes, this set is a mega-pack of everything you could ever need for drawing manga. You get pencils, inks, markers, tones, textures, erasers, and more. It‘s an incredible value at just $15.

2. Manga Ink Brushes by Max Ulichney

This set of 12 brushes is my holy grail for inking. The Saji Liner brush in particular is incredible for variable-width lines that look convincingly hand-drawn. You can pick up the set for $6.

3. Manga Shader Brush Set by Bardocky Brushes

Shading is key for achieving that bold anime look, and these brushes make it easy to add volume and definition to your artwork. The set includes 15 brushes for cel shading, soft shading, and special effects for $7.50.

4. Manga Screentones by Truetextures

Halftones and screentone textures are iconic elements of manga art, and this set lets you easily apply them to your work. With 120 textures in every shape, pattern, and gradient imaginable, it opens up tons of creative possibilities for just $15.

Tips for Choosing and Using Anime/Manga Brushes

With so many great brush options to choose from, it can be tempting to go overboard and load up your library. However, I recommend being selective and only picking up sets that suit your artistic style and goals. A few versatile, high-quality brushes are more valuable than a huge collection of ones you‘ll never use.

When you‘re testing out a new brush, pay attention to factors like:

• The shape and texture of the stroke
• Line quality and tapering
• Pressure and velocity sensitivity
• Customization options

The best brushes will feel intuitive to use and help you create the look you want without fighting against you. Don‘t be afraid to tweak the settings or combine different brushes to find your perfect setup.

It‘s also important to remember that no brush is a magic wand. There‘s no substitute for Practice and developing your core art skills like anatomy, perspective, and lighting. Brushes are simply tools to execute your vision.

FAQs About Anime/Manga Brushes

What is the best brush for outlining anime art?

• There‘s no one "best" brush for lineart, but some popular options include Mochi Mochi‘s Mochi Liner, Max Ulichney‘s Manga Ink, and Georg‘s Real G-pen. Ultimately it comes down to personal preference and finding what works well for your style.

Is it better to use brushes or pens for anime art?

• Procreate brushes are much more powerful and versatile than the pens, offering things like pressure/tilt sensitivity, shape dynamics, and customizable dual-textures. Unless you‘re going for a specific effect, brushes are the way to go.

What brush do you use for anime hair?

• For anime hair, I like to use a mix of a high-flow inking brush for the lineart, and then softer, fluffier brushes for shading and highlights. Mochi Mochi and Max Ulichney both have great options for this.

Go Forth and Create!

I hope this guide has given you a solid jumping-off point for finding the best Procreate brushes for anime and manga artwork. Remember, tools are just one part of the equation – the real magic happens when you put in the time to hone your skills and develop your unique artistic voice.

So go forth, experiment with these incredible free and paid brushes, and most importantly, have fun creating! With practice and persistence, you‘ll be whipping up pro-level anime and manga illustrations in no time. Feel free to reach out in the comments with any questions, and happy drawing!