The digital art landscape offers a wealth of free resources for users of Procreate, a popular application for iPad-based illustration and design. These resources, which include brushes, colour palettes, and tutorials, enable artists to explore new techniques and styles without financial investment. The available source material details several platforms and specific offers that provide such free digital assets. This article will outline the key sources, the types of resources available, and the processes for accessing them, based exclusively on the information provided in the referenced documents.
Sources of Free Procreate Resources
Multiple online platforms and creators offer free downloads for Procreate users. These sources range from personal websites and digital art hubs to specialised brush libraries. The primary sources identified in the provided material are:
- Diana McDermott's Website (dianamcdermott.com/freebies): This site offers a variety of free Procreate brushes, colour palettes, and tutorials. It also promotes a "Doodle Squad" community for access to a larger library of resources and insider updates.
- Librium Digital (librium.digital): This platform hosts a dedicated category for free Procreate brushes. The site clarifies that it is not the copyright holder of the resources and directs users to contact the original creators for licensing information.
- PenTips By Brushes (pen.tips/pages/free-downloads): This is presented as a new platform offering a wide range of free Procreate brushes, along with free drawing tutorials. The site encourages users to sign up for a newsletter to be informed about new downloads.
- Speckyboy (speckyboy.com/free-brushes-procreate/): This article-style page aggregates and reviews various free Procreate brush sets, categorising them by type (e.g., pencil, watercolour, comic) and providing brief descriptions of each.
Types of Free Resources Available
The free resources available for Procreate can be broadly categorised into brushes, colour palettes, and tutorials. Each category serves a distinct purpose in the digital art workflow.
Free Procreate Brushes
Brushes are the most frequently offered resource, with a vast array of types available for free download. These brushes mimic traditional art tools or create unique digital effects. Based on the provided sources, the following categories and specific examples are available:
General and Special Effect Brushes: * Fluffy Brush: A custom brush designed for creating fluffy textures. * Glitter Brush: A brush specifically for creating sparkles. * Wet Mop Brush: Designed for painting watercolour illustrations or hand lettering. * Heart Stamp: A brush for creating cute heart shapes and designs. * Shamrock Stamp: A brush for creating shamrock patterns.
Pencil and Pen Brushes: * Ultimate pencil artbox for Procreate: A comprehensive set of pencil brushes. * Grain pencil and Copic marker brush set: Replicates the look of real pencil strokes and Copic marker lines. * Pencil & Pen Procreate Brushes: A set that replicates traditional inking tools like brush, dip, and technical pens for line art, illustrations, and comics. * Stripe Brush: A single, smooth calligraphy or lettering brush that responds to pressure and layering. * Brush by Kelly Sikkema: A single free Procreate brush for creating typography on dark backgrounds. * Unusual lettering brushes: A set including a shrub brush, wood grain brush, and worm brush.
Textural and Effect Brushes: * Stippling Brushes: Sets containing brushes for stippling effects, ideal for shading. One specific set includes 17 brushes (nine stipple, three liner, five textured). * Grunge and Distressed Brushes: * Grunge Stamp Brush Collection (20 brushes): For creating flawed, worn-out, or vintage aesthetics. * Scratchy Brushes: Adds rough textures, chaotic lines, and gritty, hand-drawn feels. * Cardboard Brush: For a semi-streaky look suitable for lettering projects. * Distressed Wall Brush: Adds a chalky-style texture for illustration backgrounds. * Cloth and Textile Brushes: * Cloth Pattern Brushes (15 swatches): For adding fabric textures to paintings. * Natural Bristle Brush: Creates brushstrokes on a linen canvas and uses Procreate’s wet blending for a realistic painting experience.
Watercolour and Painting Brushes: * Watercolour Brushes: Sets offering realistic watercolour textures and effects for fluid strokes and seamless blending. Specific sets include 48 brushes and 45 brushes for gentle watercolour effects and pastel shades. * Painting Effect Brushes: Replicate traditional paintbrushes for digital painting. * Pro Painter Brush Set (31 brushes): For adding light paint or pencil textures to typography and illustrations. * Matt’s Painting Set: An all-purpose brush set for gouache artists.
Comic and Cartoon Brushes: * Comic Ink Brush Set (16 inking and SFX brushes): For creating comic books from scratch, including fine liners and gradients. * Comic Book Style Brushes (48 brushes): Offer brushstrokes synonymous with comic books, such as hash lines, to add the look of actual paper or brush strokes. * Shader Set (10 brushes): For creating subtle and deep shadows and textures.
Seasonal and Themed Brushes: * Winter Forest Brushes * Anime Skirt Brush Pack * Free Snow Day Brushes * 12 Free Brushes of Christmas 2025 * Free Goldfish Baobab Brush Set * Free Tears Brushes * Free Chess King Stamp Brush * 5 Free Shoe Stamps * Free Dogwood Ray Brush Set * Free Eye Brushes * Free Cozy Winter Mini Brush Set * Free Sketchy Stonefish Brush Set * Graffiti Brush Pack: For urban expression, capturing drips, tags, and wall wonders.
Free Procreate Colour Palettes
Colour palettes are provided to complement tutorials or for general use. The sources indicate the following:
- Birthday Greetings Procreate Colour Palette: Available for download and designed to be used with a corresponding YouTube tutorial.
- Shamrock Stamp Custom Palette: Designed for use with a specific YouTube tutorial.
- General Custom Palette: Offered to join the #prettypatternchallenge on Instagram.
- Workshop Palette: A custom palette is available for those joining a workshop on Skillshare titled "Whimsical Digital Art in Procreate!"
Free Tutorials and Learning Resources
Several sources provide or link to tutorials to help users utilise the free resources effectively.
- YouTube Tutorials: Specific tutorials are linked for the Birthday Greetings and Shamrock Stamp palettes. One source mentions a YouTube tutorial for a Shamrock Stamp.
- Skillshare Workshop: A workshop titled "Whimsical Digital Art in Procreate!" is mentioned, which requires joining a list or signing up for a newsletter.
- PenTips By Brushes Tutorials: This platform offers free drawing tutorials covering basic sketching techniques to advanced shading methods.
- Doodle Squad Updates: Members of the "Doodle Squad" receive VIP insider updates about new projects and products, which may include tutorial content.
Access Methods and Eligibility
The process for accessing these free resources varies by platform but generally involves a direct download or a sign-up process.
Direct Downloads: * On sites like Librium Digital and Speckyboy, users can typically click a download button or link to access the brush files. The Librium Digital site notes that users are redirected to the site where the brushes can be downloaded. * Diana McDermott's website offers direct downloads for specific brushes and palettes (e.g., Fluffy Brush, Glitter Brush, Birthday Greetings Palette).
Sign-up and Community Access: * Doodle Squad: Access to a "huge library" of free Procreate brushes, palettes, and goodies requires joining the Doodle Squad. This is presented as a community or email list. Members also receive "VIP insider updates" about new products and projects. * Newsletter Subscription: Several platforms encourage or require newsletter sign-up for updates and access. * Librium Digital has a "SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER" option. * PenTips By Brushes advises users to sign up for their newsletter to be informed about new downloads and updates. * The Skillshare workshop is accessed by joining a list, which is likely managed via email. * Social Media Engagement: Some resources are tied to social media challenges, such as joining the #prettypatternchallenge on Instagram to access a custom palette.
Terms and Licensing: * A critical point highlighted by Librium Digital is that the platform is not the copyright holder of the resources. Users are directed to contact the original creators for licensing information. This is an important consideration for professional use, as the "free" nature may not automatically imply a commercial licence.
Conclusion
The provided source material demonstrates that a significant volume of free digital art resources exists for Procreate users. These resources are accessible through various online platforms, including creator websites (Diana McDermott), digital art aggregators (Librium Digital, Speckyboy), and dedicated brush libraries (PenTips By Brushes). The offerings are diverse, encompassing a wide range of brush types (from pencils and watercolours to comic inks and textured effects), colour palettes, and tutorials. Access is typically straightforward, often involving direct downloads, though some platforms employ newsletter sign-ups or community memberships (like the Doodle Squad) to distribute content and provide updates. A key consideration for users, as explicitly stated by one source, is to verify licensing terms with the original creators, as the host site may not hold the copyright. For UK-based digital artists seeking to expand their toolkit without financial outlay, these sources provide a substantial and varied library of materials.