How to Download & Install Procreate Brushes
Procreate is a digital illustration app that’s made for the iPad. It’s easy to extend, and today we’re going to look at how to download and install Procreate brushes so you can enhance the use of the app on your own.
Procreate is a pretty powerful drawing tool and you can extend its functionality with custom Procreate brushes. These tools help you create specific drawing elements, such as stroke types, styles (such as watercolor), and make more realistic drawings. The number of brushes for Procreate seems to be growing almost daily, adding to the popularity of this app.
If you want to use Procreate on a smaller iOS device, Procreate Pocket is available in the app store and offers a similar experience for smaller screens.
Here, we’re going to look at how to download and install Procreate brushes so you can extend the use of the app on your own. Plus, we’ve picked out five stellar brushes that we think you’ll enjoy playing with.
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How to Download Procreate Brushes
Downloading Procreate brushes is a multi-step process from download to installation. That’s because most download files are in a compressed (.zip) format that needs to be unzipped before you can use it.
If you don’t have a computer, you can unzip files on an iPad using an app such as iZip.
Most users will want to find the Procreate brush (.brush or .brushset) file they want to use and download it to a desktop computer. Most downloads initiate by clicking a “DOWNLOAD” button. Other sources might require a right-click (or ctrl-click) to download.
Once the file downloads to your computer, you’ll want to unzip it and put it in a location that makes it easy to access on your iPad or iPhone. (Dropbox is a good option here.) If you are working in a Mac to Mac environment, you can use AirDrop, which does everything in one step.
Once you have the download file saved to a common location you are ready to install the brush.
How to Install Procreate Brushes
When it comes to the installation of Procreate brushes, there are a couple of alternatives.
If you unzipped the download file and used AirDrop to move it to your iPad, everything was done automatically and your brush is installed and ready to use in Procreate.
You can also install the brush manually.
- Open a new file in Procreate and tap the paintbrush icon in the toolbar.
- Select the folder where you want to install the brush (or create a new one).
- Tap the “+” at the top corner of the window to import the downloaded brush.
- Navigate to where the file is saved, such as in Dropbox, and tap the right file name. It will send you back to Procreate as the brush is installed.
How to Find Procreate Brushes
Now that you know how to work with Procreate brushes, where can you find them?
The most common source is the Procreate Portfolio community where you can find plenty of custom brushes. There’s also a Procreate Marketplace where you can buy premium brushes.
You can also find Procreate brushes from third-party resources and marketplaces.
5 Procreate Brushes to Try
Now that you know how to download and install Procreate brushes, here are a few you might want to try.
Free Multipurpose Brush Pack
This free trio of brushes includes original, slightly jittered, and jittered brushes. (Plus two more special freebies).
Procreate Texture Brush Bundle
This Procreate brush pack is all about texture. It includes 115 texture brushes for Procreate, featuring distressed halftone brushes, distressed print brushes, and distressed pattern brushes.
Jingsketch Basic 10
If you want to try a good sample of brushes for free before buy, this set of 10 options is a solid choice. It includes a set of 10 basic drawing brushes.
80+ Ink, Pen & Sketch Brushes Bundle
The Procreate brush bundle includes everything you need to draw something amazing. Draw sketches, characters, doodles, or full-scale illustrations.
Lettering Brushes
Procreate brushes work great for lettering too. Use this brush download to create precise and realistic brush strokes.
Conclusion
While Procreate may be an iOS-only tool, it is growing in use. Brushes extend its function and usefulness, making it more viable for more designers.
Just remember, the brushes here will only work on iPads with Procreate installed. They will not function in other software or tools.