33 of the best Procreate brushes

By Georgia Coggan
published

Our pick of the best Procreate brushes to enhance your illustrations – with both premium and free options.

An artist uses one of the best Procreate brushes to make an illustration on a tablet
(Image credit: Procreate)

The best Procreate brushes can help you get the most out of the popular digital art software for your iPad. One of the great features of Procreate is the vast range of both third-party brushes that can be added, many of them shared by artists who created them to use in their own work. 

Procreate is already an incredibly powerful digital art app, and it's become one of the most popular on the market. But adding more brushes can make it even more versatile, and can help you speed up your workflow if you're aiming for a particular effect.

There are so many Procreate brushes available that it can be hard to know where to start looking, but we've put together a list of the best Procreate brushes we've come across to save you some time. We've included both free and premium brushes that cater to different styles with links to the sites where you can download them. 

Read on for our pick, and make sure you also check out our selections of the best Photoshop brushes and Illustrator brushes if you also use those programs. You might also want to see our roundup of the best graphic design software for more tools.

33 of the best Procreate brushes available today

01. Sargent's Oils

Example image for Sargent's Oils, one of the best Procreate brushes

(Image credit: Sadie Lew)

Want to paint like a master without the mess? Well, these Procreate oil brushes might just be the answer. This brush set is inspired by famous painter John Singer Sargent and was actually created using actual brushes being applied to canvas. If you head over to the product images, you can learn more about how to use the brushes in the set. 

02. Dry Marker

Screenshot of Dry Marker, one of the best Procreate brushes:

(Image credit: Latin Vibes on Creative Market)

There's nothing better than the comfort of an effortless dry marker look, right? This brush pack created by Latin Vibe gives you 12 stunning brushes inspired by dry markers. The set costs just $14 over on CreativeMarket so what are you waiting for? Go and enjoy those Procreate brushes. 

03. Procreate Watercolour Kit

Sceenshot of watercolour set of Procreate brushes

(Image credit: Drifter Studio Printshop)

This 12 brush set has a wonderfully authentic watercolour feel and texture. This means that now you can work on your digital watercolours from anywhere you like. The pack even comes with video tutorials and mockups to help you get the most out of your brush set. 

04. Procreate Smudge Brushes

Image promoting Smudge, one of the best Procreate brush sets

(Image credit: MiksKS)

This set includes 18 brushes that have been tested for use with the Smudge tool in Procreate. The brushes can be used to create colour blending effects and varied textures. Note that the brushes were created and tested using an Apple Pencil. It can't be guaranteed that they will behave as advertised with other styluses.

05. 68 Gouache Shader Brushes for Procreate

Example image of RetroSupply gouache Shader Procreate brushes

Get rich gouache effects in Procreate in minutes rather than the hours it would take to find the right textures and mask them in. This mega pack from creative resources site RetroSupply offers a whopping 68 gouache Procreate brushes. They work brilliantly with an iPad and Apple Pencil, and are especially well-suited for poster designs, books and vector illustrations, among all kinds of other uses.

06. Neon Brush Kit

Oh darling Procreate brushes example image

Milo Garret's brush kit is ideal if you want to create realistic handwritten neon signage. It comes with everything you need to get that brilliant glowy look, with 12 neon writing brushes, an effects brush and three bonus light pen brushes for livening up photographs. The pack also comes with a set of 19 ready-to-use background images.

07. Texturrific Bundle

Example image of Texturrific Bundle, one of the best Procreate brushes

Featuring 30 shaders, 14 liners and 14 pastels, Lisa Bardot's Texturrific bundle is packed with wonderfully textured brushes that can help you create all kinds of effects and art styles without having to go near a pen and paper. All 58 brushes are fully pressure-sensitive and made with a variety of high resolution, handmade sources of textures.

08. Procreate lettering and paint brushes

Sample image from Procreate lettering and paint brushes

This collection from Petra Makes of StudioBurg is an essential package. It includes a selection of brushes that should cover most basic illustration and graphic design needs. Petra covers various pen and pencil styles as well as paintbrushes, making it easy to choose the signature style you're looking for.

09. Flat Brushes

Procreate brushes: Flat Brushes

We all have that favourite brush that we go back to for lettering time and time again, and this collection was directly inspired by artist Ian Bernard’s personal old faithful. The brushes are varied from solid to textured, offering plenty of variation for your own work.

10. Comic Ink Brush Set

Sample image from Comic Ink Brush Set of Procreate brushes

Georg’s pack of Procreate brushes is a tribute to American comic book illustrator Will Elder, who helped launch MAD comics back in the '50s. It includes both inking brushes and SFX additions. It's the perfect addition to any illustrator's Procreate repertoire and a must for budding comic illustrators.

11. Pencil and Charcoal Procreate Brushes

Sample image from Pencil and Charcoal Procreate Brushes:

Swiss designer Kim (aka MiksKS) has a whole bunch of brilliant brushes to offer. Her pencil and charcoal collection makes it easy to sketch on the go, whether that's with clients or just to capture a moment in a coffee shop without wasting paper.

12. Dearest Dotty

Sample image from Dearest Dotty Procreate brushes

Designer Missy Meyer has myriad free Procreate brushes, all of them brilliant for creating graphic script. Dearest Dotty stands out thanks to its versatility and the unique retro vibe it helps give off when used for hand lettering. 

13. Flora: Vegetation brushes

Procreate brushes sampe image: Flora vegetation brushes

Matthew Baldwin's vegetation brushes are great for concept artists, enabling them to instantly set a scene and master the painterly effect digitally. Baldwin has captured every style of stroke used by the concept masters, and his brushes make light work of scene setting.

14. Gouache brushes

Procreate Gouache brushes sample image

Bardot has a few brush packs available on her site (see the Texturrific bundle at #7), but her gouache pack is especially unique. Another excellent gouache brush pack, this one can help you emulate Mary Blair's classic Disney magic digitally. These Procreate brushes can also add depth and personality to your graphic design caricatures. 

15. Brushes and foil textures

Procreate brushes: Brushes and foil textures

If you're designing event flyers or wedding invites, Summit Avenue has you covered with this set of 12 confetti brushes and 24 foil and glitter textures. These are perfect for adding a touch of sparkle to designs for special occasions.

16. Procreate Paint Box

Sample image from Procreate Paint Box, one of the best Procreate brush sets

Ben Lew’s paint box has an excellent selection of brushes, from wet pencil to bristly brush and his go-to watercolour 'gwosh'. Lew has updated the set with four pastel brushes from his 'Pastellesque' set making it even more complete/.

17. Nitty Gritty

Sample image of Nitty Gritty Procreate brushes

Jamie Bartlett's Nitty Gritty texture brushes are fantastic for adding a fine-grit texture and an instant ageing effect to your designs. These can be useful for creating a vintage look.

18. Bistro Marker

Sample image from Bistro Marker Procreate brushes

As demonstrated on the creator's Instagram (opens in new tab) account, Leftyscript’s (aka Megan AF) brushes are capable of creating really beautiful hand lettering that speaks for itself – no further illustration needed! Her bistro marker is a brilliant freebie pen that allows you to capture a hand-written signage typeface.

19. Splash Vol. 1

Sample image from Splash Vol. 1 Procreate brushes

(Image credit: Matthew Baldwin)

Artist Matthew Baldwin describes his Splash Vol. 1 Procreate brushes as "so splashy you'll have to have a towel handy!" The bumper set of 48 wet media brushes injects a splash of wet and watercolour effects that go beyond the usual Procreate sets. The author asks for donations where possible to help fund future brush projects.

20. Vintage Engraving

Sample image made using Vintage Engraving Procreate brushes

Another Procreate brush set from MilksKS, this one allows you to capture the look of a black and white engraving. You can combine a few for a classic crosshatching effect, and you can pick from a worn-out or clean-cut style. This can add an extra special touch to illustrations or design projects.

21. Shape and Ornament Brushes

Procreate brushes: Shape and Ornament Brushes

There are more than 100 brushes in Calligraphy artist Nicole Mauloni’s Hand Drawn Ornaments Procreate Brush Kit. Designed to adorn digital calligraphy, these brushes are perfect for creating a design stamp with flourishes, shapes and motifs.

22. iPad Lettering Set

Sample image from iPad lettering set, one of the best Procreate brush sets

Get back to basics with this freebie set comprising three essential brushes: original calligraphy, rough edge calligraphy and round edge calligraphy. Sometimes simplicity is beautiful.

23. Brush Tiger, Lion, Leopard and Jaguar

Procreate brushes: Brush Tiger, Lion, Leopard and Jaguar

This pack from Studio FabianFischer contains four feline-named textured hand lettering Procreate brushes. The brushes are all pressure-sensitive, giving a realistic edge to your lettering.

24. Chalk Letterer Box

Procreate brushes: Chalk Letterer Box

No more dusty hands. Guerilla Craft’s brush set lets you create chalk masterpieces on your clean, digital iPad. With wet chalk, smudge chalk, round chalk, flat chalk, gritty chalk and more, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better selection.

25. Fat Ink

Sample image of Fat Ink, one of the best Procreate Brushes

Thin ink is great and all, but what about when you need that fat, bold brush to make your lettering really stand out? Sarahtypes has you covered with this super-smooth brush that offers an extreme contrast between thick and thin strokes.

26. Midcentury Illustrators Kit

Midcentury Illustrators Kit Procreate brushes

Go all-out retro with this premium brush kit of 12 Procreate brushes. Lisa Bardot’s Midcentury Illustrators Kit is designed to help you easily master the quirky '60s texture-rich commercial design style.

27. Matty B’s Hatch Effects

Sample image from Matty B’s Hatch Effects Procreate brushes

This fantastic brush pack from MattyB offers all sorts for the budding or professional illustrator. Lines, dots, scribbles, marks, you name it – it’s covered in this pack!

28. Lettering Brush Pack

Lettering Brush Pack

Ryan Hamrick’s selection of his own favourite brushes allows you to produce high-end, professional lettering on your iPad. There’s little you can’t do with this pack of 14 custom Procreate lettering brushes.

29. Nikko’s Brushes

Procreate brushes: Nikko’s Brushes sample image

The well-respected Procreate digital artist, Nikolai Lockertsen (opens in new tab), has made his own five favourite custom brushes available to download. Just check out his site to see the phenomenal artwork he's created with this small set of tools.

30. Blackletter

Sample image of Blackletter, one of the best Procreate brushes

This pack was created by Boston-based calligraphy artist, Jake Rainis. He says he downloaded almost every set on the market to see what works and what doesn’t in order to produce this, his own extensive brush set.

31. The Parchment Pen

Procreate brushes: The Parchment Pen

This pressure-sensitive brush mimics the look of an eighteenth-century quill. That makes it perfect for calligraphy, but it's also a wonderful brush for black and grey line drawings.

32. Sketch and Ink

Sample images of Sketch and Ink Procreate brushes

DizzyTara’s nine brushes include a variety of shaped ink pens and a board marking brush. It's a great little package of inky brushes to use while sketching.

33. Procreate Watercolor Brushes

Sample image of Procreate Watercolor Brushes

Back to watercolours, this comprehensive set of 50 watercolour brushes from graphic designer PicByKate allows you to master the effect in digital format. Updated for Procreate 4, the custom-made brushes include washes, textures, edges, effects, stains and more.

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Georgia Coggan
Georgia Coggan

Georgia Coggan is currently Creative Bloq's Acting Deputy Editor. Georgia started her freelance career working for CB in 2018, and since then has worked across the site on news, ecom, SEO content... basically anything and everything. Now covering the Dep Ed role for three months, Georgia is a slave to the style guide, a logo geek and loves all things London Underground (its branding history, and not at rush hour). 

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