Can you make pixel art in Procreate? Yes, absolutely! Procreate is a fantastic tool for creating pixel art, offering a user-friendly interface and powerful features perfect for both beginners and experienced artists. This Procreate pixel art tutorial will guide you through the entire process, from setting up your canvas to exporting your finished masterpiece. Making pixel art with Procreate is more accessible than you might think, and this guide will demystify the process.
Getting Started: Setting Up Your Procreate Canvas for Pixel Art
The first step in pixel art creation Procreate is creating the right canvas. This is crucial for maintaining that classic pixelated look.
Choosing Your Canvas Size
When you’re creating retro pixel art Procreate style, canvas size is key. Smaller canvases result in larger, more visible pixels, which is the hallmark of older video games. Larger canvases allow for more detail but might require more precision.
- Small Canvas (e.g., 64×64 pixels): Ideal for very simple sprites, icons, or close-ups. Pixels will be quite chunky.
- Medium Canvas (e.g., 128×128 pixels): A good balance for general pixel art, allowing for some detail without becoming overwhelming.
- Larger Canvas (e.g., 256×256 pixels or more): Suitable for more complex scenes, characters with more intricate details, or if you plan to scale up significantly.
How to create a custom canvas in Procreate:
- Tap the “+” icon on the Procreate Gallery screen.
- Tap “New Canvas.”
- Tap the “Create Custom Size” button.
- Enter your desired width and height in pixels (px).
- Set DPI to 300 or higher for optimal quality if you ever plan to print, though for screen-only pixel art, lower DPI is often fine. The pixel grid will remain the same regardless of DPI.
- Tap “Create.”
Essential Procreate Settings for Pixel Art
Beyond canvas size, a few Procreate settings will make your life easier.
- Snapping and Brush Behavior: Ensure “Snapping” and “Magnetism” are enabled in the “Canvas” settings (Wrench icon > Canvas > Drawing Guide). This helps your brush strokes align to a grid, which is fundamental for pixel art.
- The Drawing Guide: Activating the Drawing Guide is essential.
- Tap the Wrench icon (Actions).
- Go to the “Canvas” tab.
- Toggle “Drawing Guide” on.
- Tap “Edit Drawing Guide.”
- Select the “Grid” tab.
- Adjust the “Grid Size” to match your desired pixel size. For a 64×64 canvas, a grid size of 4 might be appropriate, meaning each grid square represents 4×4 pixels. Experiment to find what works best for your chosen canvas size and desired pixel “chunkiness.”
- Tap “Done.”
- Crucially, under “Drawing Guide,” ensure “Force Drawing” is turned on. This forces your brush strokes to snap to the grid.
Mastering Pixel Art Techniques in Procreate
Now that your canvas is ready, let’s dive into the pixel art techniques Procreate offers.
Choosing the Right Procreate Brush for Pixel Art
The right brush is critical for that distinct pixel art feel. You want a brush that draws a single, clean pixel.
Recommended Brush Settings
Procreate doesn’t come with a dedicated “pixel art brush” out of the box, but you can easily create one or use a modified existing brush.
Creating a Simple Pixel Brush:
- Go to the Brushes menu.
- Tap the “+” icon to create a new brush.
- In the Brush Studio:
- Stroke Path:
- Spacing: Set this to 100%. This is the MOST important setting for pixel art. It ensures each stroke is a distinct pixel and doesn’t blend or create anti-aliasing.
- Properties:
- Brush Size: Ensure the “Max” size is suitable for your needs.
- Jitter: Set “Size Jitter” to 0% and “Position Jitter” to 0%.
- Rendering:
- Rendering: Choose “Uniform” for a clean, solid pixel.
- Apple Pencil:
- Opacity: Set to 100%.
- Size: Set to 100%.
- Stroke Path:
- Go to “About this brush” and give it a name, like “Pixel Brush.”
- Tap “Done.”
Using Existing Brushes (with adjustments)
You can often adapt Procreate’s built-in brushes:
- Technical Pen: With Spacing set to 100% and under Properties, set “Jitter” to 0% for Size and Position, and “Rendering” to Uniform, this becomes a perfect pixel brush.
- Studio Pen: Similar to the Technical Pen, but has a slight taper. If you want perfectly square pixels, avoid this or adjust its settings.
Key Brush Settings Summary:
| Setting | Value for Pixel Art | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Spacing | 100% | Prevents blending, creates individual pixels. |
| Jitter (Size) | 0% | Ensures consistent pixel size. |
| Jitter (Position) | 0% | Prevents pixel displacement. |
| Rendering | Uniform | Creates solid, untextured pixels. |
| Opacity | 100% | For solid colors. |
The Pencil Tool vs. Brushes
For true pixel art, you’ll want to use the Pencil Tool in Procreate. This ensures that each mark you make is a single, distinct pixel, without any anti-aliasing or smoothing.
How to enable the Pencil Tool:
- Go to the Brushes menu.
- Tap the “+” icon to create a new brush.
- In the Brush Studio, go to the Properties tab.
- Under “Behavior,” toggle “Use Pencil Tool” ON.
- Go to Stroke Path and set Spacing to 100%.
- Tap Done.
Now, when you select this brush, Procreate will treat each stroke as a single pixel.
Building Your Pixel Art: Step-by-Step Process
Let’s break down the creation process for beginner pixel art Procreate users.
Step 1: Sketching and Blocking Out Shapes
Start with a rough sketch. You don’t need perfect lines; think of it as placing individual pixels.
- Use a light color or a separate layer for your initial sketch.
- Focus on the overall shape and silhouette of your subject.
- Think in terms of blocks of color rather than continuous lines.
Step 2: Applying Base Colors
Once your sketch is solid, start filling in the main areas with base colors.
- Create new layers for different color areas (e.g., skin, clothes, background). This makes editing easier.
- Use your pixel brush and the Pencil Tool to carefully place each pixel.
- Avoid using the fill bucket tool for solid color areas, as it can create anti-aliasing and smooth edges.
Step 3: Shading and Highlights
This is where your pixel art gains depth and form.
- Choose a light source: Decide where your light is coming from.
- Select slightly darker shades for areas in shadow and slightly lighter shades for areas where light hits.
- Dithering: This is a classic pixel art technique Procreate can help you with. Dithering involves placing pixels of alternating colors in a pattern to create a gradient or shade.
- Common Dithering Patterns:
- Checkerboard: Alternating pixels (e.g., 1 dark, 1 light).
- Stippling: Randomly placed dark pixels on a light background or vice versa.
- Lines: Diagonal or horizontal lines of alternating colors.
- Common Dithering Patterns:
- Shading on separate layers: Keep shading on layers above your base colors. You can use layer opacity or blend modes for subtle effects, but for strict pixel art, manual placement is best.
Step 4: Outlining (Optional but common)
Outlines help define shapes and make your pixel art pop.
- Use a dark, contrasting color for your outline.
- Ensure the outline is exactly one pixel wide. This is where the snapping and Pencil Tool are invaluable.
- Place the outline pixels directly adjacent to your colored shapes, on a new layer if possible.
Step 5: Adding Details and Refinements
This is where you’ll add small touches to bring your piece to life.
- Smaller details: Eyes, buttons, small accessories.
- Refining edges: Make sure all your pixels are aligned and clean.
- Color palette considerations: For a truly retro feel, try limiting your color palette. Many classic games used very few colors.
Advanced Pixel Art Techniques in Procreate
Once you’re comfortable with the basics, explore these more advanced pixel art techniques Procreate makes accessible.
Creating Pixel Art Animation in Procreate
Pixel art animation Procreate is incredibly fun. Procreate’s Animation Assist feature is perfect for this.
Using Animation Assist
- Enable Animation Assist: Go to Wrench icon > Canvas > Animation Assist.
- Each Layer is a Frame: In Procreate, each layer in your Layers panel acts as a frame in your animation.
- To create a new frame, duplicate your current layer or tap the “+” button in the Animation Assist timeline.
- To show previous frames for onion-skinning, ensure the “Onion Skin Frames” setting is adjusted.
- Frame-by-Frame Animation:
- Draw your first frame on Layer 1.
- Duplicate Layer 1 to create Layer 2.
- On Layer 2, draw the next pose or change.
- Repeat for each frame.
- Adjust the frame rate (FPS) in the Animation Assist settings to control playback speed.
Tips for Pixel Art Animation:
- Keep it simple: Start with short animations and few frames.
- Onion Skinning: Use this to see previous and next frames clearly, helping you create smooth transitions.
- Color limitations: Stick to a consistent, limited color palette across your animation.
- Pixel-perfect movement: Ensure your animating elements move in pixel increments.
Palette Limitations and Color Theory for Pixel Art
To achieve authentic creating retro pixel art Procreate looks, consider your color choices.
- Limited Palettes: Older consoles had strict color limits. Using a palette of 4, 8, or 16 colors can give your art a vintage feel.
- Creating Custom Palettes:
- Go to the Color Palette section.
- Tap the “+” icon to create a new palette.
- You can sample colors from images or manually add them.
- Use the Eyedropper tool to pick colors directly from your reference or existing work.
- Color Ramps: Develop smooth transitions between colors by creating a “color ramp” – a series of shades from light to dark for each hue. This helps with shading and highlights.
Creating Isometric Pixel Art in Procreate
Isometric art presents a scene from a specific angle, often used in games for environments and objects.
Setting Up an Isometric Grid
- Canvas Setup: Start with a square canvas (e.g., 512×512 pixels).
- Manual Grid: Procreate’s standard grid isn’t ideal for isometric. You’ll need to draw your own isometric grid.
- Create Isometric Guides:
- On a new layer, use your pixel brush to draw a series of diagonal lines at a 30-degree angle.
- Create parallel lines spaced evenly to form the isometric grid.
- Use guides (Wrench > Canvas > Drawing Guide > Edit Drawing Guide > Grid, then rotate and adjust opacity) or manually draw them on a separate layer.
- Enable Snapping and Drawing Assist on this guide layer for precise placement.
- Create Isometric Guides:
- Drawing Isometric Objects:
- Align your pixel placements along the lines of your isometric grid.
- Think about how the cube or object would be constructed in this 3D perspective.
- Use your pixel brush and ensure snapping is active to stay on the grid.
Essential Procreate Tools for Pixel Artists
Beyond brushes, several Procreate tools are invaluable for Procreate for pixel art.
Layers: Your Best Friend
- Organization: Keep different elements on separate layers (background, character, foreground, effects).
- Editing: Easily modify or recolor specific parts without affecting others.
- Animation: Essential for frame-by-frame animation.
Selection Tools
- Rectangle/Square Selection: Perfect for quickly selecting pixel blocks or entire areas.
- Freehand Selection: Useful for more organic shapes when creating sprites.
- Transform Tool: Resize, rotate, and warp your pixel art. Remember to set the interpolation to “Nearest Neighbor” to avoid unwanted blurring or smoothing.
How to set interpolation:
- Tap the Wrench icon (Actions).
- Go to the “Preferences” tab.
- Under “General,” find “Transform settings.”
- Set “Snapping & Magnetism” to “Snapping” and “Magnetism.”
- For the Transform Tool specifically, when you activate it, look for the interpolation option at the bottom of the screen (often says “Bilinear” or similar). Tap it and change it to “Nearest Neighbor.”
Color Tools
- Color Picker/Eyedropper: Quickly sample colors from your artwork or reference images.
- Palettes: Manage your limited color sets efficiently.
Time-lapse Recording
Procreate automatically records your process. This is great for sharing your Procreate pixel art tutorial workflow or for personal review.
Exporting Your Pixel Art from Procreate
Once your pixel art is complete, you’ll need to export it correctly.
Choosing the Right File Format
- PNG: The most common format for pixel art. It supports transparency and lossless compression, meaning no quality is lost.
- GIF: Ideal for animated pixel art. Ensure you export using the Animation Assist feature.
- JPG: Generally not recommended for pixel art as it uses lossy compression, which can introduce artifacts and blur.
Exporting Static Pixel Art
- Go to the Wrench icon (Actions).
- Tap “Share.”
- Choose “PNG.”
- Save to your desired location or app.
Exporting Animated Pixel Art
- Ensure your animation is set up correctly in Animation Assist.
- Go to the Wrench icon (Actions).
- Tap “Share.”
- Choose “Animated GIF.”
- You can adjust frame rate and resolution here.
- Export your animation.
Tips for Creating Engaging Pixel Art in Procreate
Here are some final thoughts to elevate your Procreate for pixel art journey.
- Study Great Pixel Art: Look at classic games and modern pixel artists for inspiration. Analyze their color choices, shading, and composition.
- Practice Consistently: The more you practice, the better you’ll become at placing pixels precisely and creating appealing designs.
- Experiment: Don’t be afraid to try different canvas sizes, color palettes, and techniques.
- Get Feedback: Share your work with others and ask for constructive criticism.
- Use Reference Images: Even for pixel art, references can help with form, anatomy, and color.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What is the best canvas size for pixel art in Procreate?
A1: There’s no single “best” size. Smaller canvases (e.g., 64×64, 128×128 pixels) produce larger, chunkier pixels typical of older games. Larger canvases (e.g., 256×256 pixels or more) allow for more detail. It depends on your desired style and complexity.
Q2: Can I use Procreate’s Fill tool for pixel art?
A2: It’s generally best to avoid Procreate’s Fill tool for solid color areas in pixel art. The Fill tool often introduces anti-aliasing (soft edges) or smoothing, which is the opposite of the crisp, defined pixels you want. Manually placing each pixel with a pixel brush or the Pencil Tool is recommended.
Q3: How do I make sure my pixels are perfectly square?
A3: Use a brush with 100% spacing and the “Use Pencil Tool” option enabled in the brush settings. Ensure “Force Drawing” is active in your Drawing Guide settings. This ensures each brush stroke registers as a single, discrete pixel.
Q4: What is dithering in pixel art?
A4: Dithering is a technique where you strategically place pixels of alternating colors to create the illusion of more colors or smoother gradients. Common patterns include checkerboards, stripes, or random noise.
Q5: How do I export my pixel art as a GIF in Procreate?
A5: First, create your animation using Procreate’s Animation Assist feature, with each layer representing a frame. Then, go to Actions (Wrench icon) > Share > Animated GIF. You can adjust frame rate and quality before exporting.
Q6: Who is the target audience for this Procreate pixel art guide?
A6: This guide is primarily for beginners who are new to pixel art or new to using Procreate for pixel art creation. It covers fundamental steps and essential techniques.
Q7: What kind of Procreate brush is best for pixel art?
A7: The best Procreate brush for pixel art is one that has 100% spacing and is set to use the Pencil Tool. This ensures each stroke creates a distinct, single pixel without any blending or smoothing. You can create such a brush by modifying existing ones or starting from scratch in the Brush Studio.
By following these steps and tips, you’ll be well on your way to creating retro pixel art Procreate style, whether you’re making a simple icon or a complex animated scene. Happy pixelating!