Digital Arts · Masterclass
Illustration, posters, design types, colour combinations and text art, taught through examples you can see and try rather than walls of text.
11
modules
🖐
drag, draw & compare demos
✎
a practice brief per module
Look for ⇆ sliders: drag them to compare before and after.
Module 00
Your gear, Procreate's interface, and how to plan a canvas that prints sharply.
Lesson 0.1
Procreate paints with pixels, a fixed grid of coloured squares. Zoom in far enough and every stroke breaks into blocks.
Raster (Procreate)
Great for textures, soft blends and painterly looks. Can't be enlarged without going soft.
Vector (Illustrator, Affinity)
Made of maths, so it stays sharp at any size. Best for logos. Many pros letter in Procreate, then trace to vector.
Lesson 0.2
Any Pencil-compatible iPad works. Pressure sensitivity is what matters most.
Which Apple Pencil?
1st gen
Pressure ✓ · Tilt ✓
2nd gen
Pressure ✓ · Double-tap
USB-C
No pressure, so avoid it for painting
Pro
Pressure ✓ · Squeeze · Roll
Check Apple's compatibility list for your iPad model. Each iPad only works with certain Pencils.
What to prioritise
✏️
1 · Pencil support
Non-negotiable
🧠
2 · RAM
More layers on big posters
💾
3 · Storage
128 GB or more is comfortable
📐
4 · Screen size
11" portable, 13" roomy
Lesson 0.3
Buy Procreate once from the App Store, pair your Pencil, then match these switches.
iPad Settings
Procreate · Actions → Prefs
Screen tints change the colours you see, so colour picked under a warm tint looks cold everywhere else.
Lesson 0.4
Top-left: whole-document menus. Top-right: painting tools. Left side: size and opacity for the current tool.
Lesson 0.5
Your free hand does the work of menus. Learn these eight gestures.
ColorDrop: drag the colour puck into a shape
Keep holding after the drop and slide left or right to change the fill threshold.
Lesson 0.6
Decide the size before you draw. Too few pixels gives a blurry print, too many gives fewer layers.
Common canvases
Try it · Canvas calculator
Only pixels matter. Draw at 2× and scale down.
300 DPI at final size
150–200 DPI is fine when viewed from a distance
Lesson 0.7
Screens mix light (RGB). Printers mix ink (CMYK), which can't reach the brightest screen colours.
Neon colours dull when they're printed. Approximate preview.
Web & social
Safe default
Modern screens
More vivid colours
Anything printed
Ask your printer which profile
Lesson 0.8
Only .procreate keeps everything. Export it outside the app.
Backup in five taps
Drag one artwork onto another and hold
Always export
Lesson 0.9 · Practice
Copy this sheet on a 2160 × 2700 px canvas.
Module 01
Brushes decide what a mark looks like. Layers decide how marks stack and stay editable.
Lesson 1.1
A stroke is one Shape stamped many times along your path, with Grain texture inside each stamp.
Try it · Spacing, jitter, shape
Lesson 1.2
Seven default brushes cover almost everything. This is what each one looks like:
Make a "Favourites" set (the + at the top of the set list) and duplicate these into it.
Lesson 1.3
The curve maps how hard you press to how thick or dark the stroke gets. Tune it to your hand in Actions → Prefs → Pressure and Smoothing.
Raise the curve
Lower the curve
Lesson 1.4
StreamLine smooths out hand wobble. Find it in Brush Studio → Stabilisation.
Try it · Draw a wobbly line
0–15%
Sketching
30–60%
Inking
60–90%
Lettering curves
Lesson 1.5
Smudge and Eraser can use any brush. Four blending styles:
When you blend opposite colours, paint a bridge colour in between first.
Erasing with a grainy brush gives the worn edges of a vintage print.
Lesson 1.6
Layers work like clear sheets stacked from the bottom up. Keep each job on its own sheet.
Try it · Toggle layers
Mark the line-art layer as Reference, then ColorDrop on a layer below it. The lines stay separate from the colour.
Lesson 1.7
Three ways to paint "inside the lines".
Two-finger swipe right on the layer. Good for recolouring lines.
For shadows, highlights and patterns. Use it most of the time.
For fades and vignettes, hiding without erasing.
Coloured line art blends in with the painting.
Lesson 1.8
A layer's blend mode decides how it mixes with what's below. Pick a family first.
Try it · Blend mode playground
Four recipes: drag to compare
Shadows: Multiply · cool purple · 60%
Glow: blurred copy · Add / Screen
Paper texture: grain on top · Overlay · 30–50%
Sunset grade: orange fill · Soft Light
Lesson 1.9
Tap a colour area
Lasso any shape
Boxes & panels
Add a finger for a circle
Example · Freehand + Colour Fill gives instant cut-paper shapes
Lesson 1.10
These are filters in the magic-wand menu. Layer mode applies a filter to the whole layer. Pencil mode lets you brush it on only where you want it.
Paint the values in grey, then try out colour schemes with one adjustment.
Glow sandwich: neon in three layers
Lesson 1.11 · Project
Use every tool from this module. Follow the frames from left to right.
Your final layer stack
Module 02
Confident lines, simple forms, perspective, light and proportion. These are the skills behind every good illustration.
Lesson 2.1
Draw one fast stroke from the shoulder, not many small hairy ones from the wrist.
Daily drill sheet (5 minutes)
Lesson 2.2
Everything you draw is built from four 3D forms. Learn them, and you can draw anything.
Example: a coffee cup is a cylinder plus a torus
Lesson 2.3
Start a figure with one line of action. Check readability by filling it black.
Silhouette test: can you tell what it is?
✕ Arms hidden. It reads as a blob.
✓ Limbs separated. "Waving a flag" reads instantly.
Lesson 2.4
Parallel lines meet at vanishing points on the horizon, which is at your eye level.
Facing a road, corridor or room head-on
Looking at a corner: buildings, furniture
Dramatic views looking up or down
Lesson 2.5
Every lit object has the same six zones. Drag the sun around and watch them move.
Shadow on a clipped Multiply layer, highlight on a clipped Add layer (Module 01).
Lesson 2.6
Value means light vs dark. If a piece doesn't read in greyscale, colour won't save it.
Greyscale check: drag to see the values
✕ All mid-values. Everything merges in grey.
✓ Dark / light / mid. Reads clearly.
Lesson 2.7
Measure with the head: an adult is about 7½–8 heads tall, and the eyes sit halfway down the head.
These are starting points, not rules. Stylised characters deliberately break them, for example with big heads that read as "cute".
Lesson 2.8
Draw one side and Procreate mirrors it. Use it for logos, mandalas, ornaments and faces.
Drawing Assist is turned on per layer (tap the layer → Drawing Assist). The layer shows "Assisted" under its name.
Lesson 2.9 · Project
A bottle, a ball and a box, from basic shapes to a finished render.
Module 03
How colours are described, how to combine them, and how to make palettes that set a mood.
Lesson 3.1
Every colour has three properties. Procreate's Classic panel uses the same three sliders.
Which colour family
Grey → pure
Dark → light
Try it · Mix a colour and see its value
Notice that pure yellow is very light in grey and pure blue is very dark, even at the same brightness setting.
Lesson 3.2
Twelve hues, 30° apart. Every colour combination type is a shape drawn on this wheel.
● primary · ○ secondary · the rest are tertiary
This is what Procreate's colour disc uses. Primaries are red, green and blue. Blue's opposite is yellow.
Traditional paint theory. Primaries are red, yellow and blue. Blue's opposite is orange. You'll see it in older art books.
Lesson 3.3
Pick a type, spin the wheel and watch the poster recolour.
The seven types, same poster
Lesson 3.4
Warm colours come forward and cool colours recede. Use warm light with cool shadows, or the reverse.
Purple shadows next to orange light look more alive than brown shadows.
Lesson 3.5
Don't use your colours in equal amounts. Use 60% dominant, 30% secondary and 10% accent.
Four kinds of contrast that create a focal point
Light on dark
Vivid among greys
Warm in cool
Opposites vibrate
Lesson 3.6
The same composition can tell six different stories depending on its palette.
Context changes colour: both centre squares are the same grey
Always judge a colour in its surroundings. Use the eyedropper rather than trusting your eyes.
Lesson 3.7
The five views of the Colour panel, and how to pull a palette from a photo.
Quick, intuitive picking
HSB square + sliders
Combination types
Exact numbers & hex
Saved swatch sets
Palette from a photo
Film stills, nature photos and vintage posters are all good palette sources.
Lesson 3.8
Paint in grey once, then try out whole colour schemes in seconds with a Gradient Map.
Lesson 3.9 · Project
Draw one simple scene, duplicate it three times and recolour each copy with a different combination type.
Module 04
One subject, the mushroom house, followed through every stage of the professional pipeline and four rendering styles.
Lesson 4.1
Every finished illustration goes through the same stages. Each one goes on its own layer.
Matching layer stack
Lesson 4.2
Before committing, try 6–9 tiny compositions using only three greys. Pick the strongest one.
The highlighted thumbnail wins: a strong dark/light split, a clear focal glow, and a sun that balances the house.
About 600 × 800 px, so detail is impossible
Light, mid and dark
Speed beats polish here
Lesson 4.3
Rough it loose. Then lower that layer's opacity and trace a cleaner version on a new layer.
Lesson 4.4
Use thick lines for outer edges and thin lines for inner details. This one change adds depth instantly.
Thickest
Thicker where one form sits in front of another
Thinnest
Thin on the lit side, thick in shadow
Lesson 4.5
Fill every object with one flat colour, on its own layer, beneath the line art.
Lesson 4.6
Same drawing, four finishes. Pick the one that suits the project.
Hard Airbrush, Monoline
Studio Pen + Hard Airbrush on Multiply
Soft Brush, Nikko Rull, Smudge
Halftone / grain brushes, Noise adjustment
Lesson 4.7
Far things get lighter, bluer and lower in contrast. Light sources glow.
Night version: a navy layer on Multiply over everything, then a soft yellow glow on Screen/Add at the window.
Lesson 4.8
Fresh eyes catch mistakes. Flip the canvas and check it in greyscale before calling it done.
Flip: Actions → Canvas → Flip canvas horizontally. The tilt jumps out.
Value check: is the focal point the highest-contrast area?
Lesson 4.9 · Project
Pick a small subject (a house, mug, plant or pet) and take it through all six stages, then into two styles.
Module 05
The rules that make a layout feel "designed", and the main kinds of design work you can do in Procreate.
Lesson 5.1
Decide what people should see first, second and third, then make it bigger, bolder or brighter in that order.
1
Title: huge
2
When / where: medium
3
Details: small, quiet
Lesson 5.2
Your brain groups things automatically. Designers use that to organise without adding extra lines.
Close things belong together: two groups
Same colour or shape reads as a row
You "see" a triangle that isn't drawn
Eyes follow lines and curves
A vase, or two faces? Negative space is a shape too
A shared box groups items
Lesson 5.3
Visual weight works like a see-saw. Big, dark or saturated elements are heavy.
Formal, calm, classic
One big shape balanced by small bright accents. Dynamic.
Everything radiates from a centre
Lesson 5.4
Invisible lines hold good layouts together. Toggle the guides on this poster.
Lesson 5.5
Empty space signals quality. A shared edge makes things look organised.
Lesson 5.6
The main kinds of design work an illustrator can do in Procreate, and what each one needs.
Lesson 5.7
Set up the right canvas for each design type before you start.
Lesson 5.8 · Project
One logo and one palette, applied across four design types.
Module 06
How type is built, how to space and pair it, and how to use Procreate's Text tool.
Lesson 6.1
Five invisible lines hold every letter. These lines are measured from the real font.
Little feet
Enclosed space
Main vertical
Round curve
Stroke ending
Lesson 6.2
Every font family sends a message before anyone reads a word.
Aa
SerifClassic, trustworthy, literaryAa
Sans-serifModern, clean, neutralAa
Slab serifSturdy, bold, friendlyAa
Geometric sansTechy, preciseAa
ScriptPersonal, playful, elegantAA
DisplayLoud headlines onlyAa
HandwrittenCasual, humanAa
MonospaceCode, retro-techLesson 6.3
A↔V
KerningSpace between one pair of letters
WORD
TrackingSpace across a whole word or line
line one
line two
Space between lines
Diagonal pairs (WA, AV, VY, TO) leave holes. Tighten them until the gaps look even, not until they measure even.
Try it · Spacing playground
Tighter tracking, leading 90–110%
Open the tracking (+50 to +200)
Default tracking, leading 140–160%
Lesson 6.4
Choose sizes from a scale (each step about 1.25× the last) instead of picking random numbers.
16 × 1.25 = 20 → 25 → 31 → 39 → 49 → 61. Skipping steps gives stronger contrast.
Lesson 6.5
Pair two fonts that contrast (serif + sans, condensed + regular). Two is usually enough.
Lesson 6.6
Text must win against the picture. Add contrast, a scrim or space.
✕ ALL CAPS FOR A WHOLE PARAGRAPH IS TIRING TO READ
✓ Sentence case reads faster
✕ Lines too long make the eye lose its place on the way back
✓ 45–75 characters per line
✕ Grey on grey
✓ Strong value contrast
Lesson 6.7
Edit Style
Lesson 6.8 · Project
Make a poster from just one word plus a small caption. Try three layouts.
Module 07
Drawing letters instead of typing them: brush script, faux calligraphy, built-up letters and dimensional effects.
Lesson 7.1
Written in one stroke per part, with thick and thin from pressure
Drawn and built up: outlined, filled and decorated
Arranging pre-made fonts
Lesson 7.2
Consistent letters need guides: four horizontal lines plus slant lines.
Lesson 7.3
Every script letter is built from these eight strokes. Drill them before you write words.
Lesson 7.4
Practise here. This pad imitates a brush pen by reading the direction of your stroke.
Calligraphy set → Script or Brush Pen, or Inking → Studio Pen
60–90% for silky curves
Sag it slightly so upstrokes stay thin
Lesson 7.5
No pressure control? Write it in monoline, then draw the thick downstrokes in by hand.
Lesson 7.6
For bold display lettering, build the word in layers: skeleton → weight → details.
Lesson 7.7
Lesson 7.8
Each effect is just a few duplicated layers.
Duplicate the text → move it down and right → fill it dark → Multiply, 30–60%
Duplicate many times, nudging each copy 1–2 px diagonally, then merge the copies and darken them
Glow sandwich: blurred copies on Add beneath the letters (Lesson 1.10)
Clipping Mask layer with a hard-edged gradient: light sky above, dark horizon below
Text tool → Edit Style → Outline, or a thick stroke on a layer below
Clipped layer: erase with a grainy brush, or a texture on Overlay
Lesson 7.9
Fit words into a shape. Mix styles: one star word plus supporting words.
Lesson 7.10 · Project
Letter a short quote as a square print (3000 × 3000 px).
Module 08
Everything so far (drawing, colour, layout and type) comes together on one sheet that has to work in three seconds.
Lesson 8.1
People pass a poster in seconds, from metres away. Drag the distance and see which poster survives.
✕ Low contrast, small type, no focal point
✓ One image, one huge title, high contrast
1 s
Image / colour catches the eye
2 s
Title says what it is
3 s
When / where for those who stop
Lesson 8.2
Turn the brief into keywords, then find one visual idea that combines two of them.
Lesson 8.3
Six proven poster structures. Start from one and break it on purpose.
Lesson 8.4
Don't just place text on a picture. Weave it into the picture.
Put the text layer below the subject layer, or use a Layer Mask to paint the overlap away
Fit the title into the empty sky or wall
Letters become the object (Module 07 lettering)
Lesson 8.5
Plan the path the eye takes. Toggle the overlays.
Lesson 8.6
Posters love limited palettes: two or three colours, plus the paper.
Riso pink + blue
Black + yellow: loudest
Retro travel
Swiss red / white / black
Lesson 8.7
Eight styles to study and borrow from.
Lesson 8.8
Each A size is half the one above it. Same proportions, so artwork scales cleanly between them.
Lesson 8.9 · Project
Brief: an A3 poster for a band called "Night Waves", Saturday 21 June, The Dock.
Module 09
Build your own brushes, make things move with Animation Assist, and learn the power features that save hours.
Lesson 9.1
A brush shape is just a black-and-white image. White means paint.
Lesson 9.2
Six useful brushes and the key settings for each. Always start from a duplicate of a default brush.
Lesson 9.3
Brush Library: tap brush A, swipe right on brush B → Combine. Each half keeps its own settings.
Swipe left on a brush → Share (.brush), or tap a set name → Share (.brushset)
Tap a .brush or .brushset file in Files, or AirDrop it. It lands in the Imported set.
Lesson 9.4
Each layer becomes a frame. Onion skin shows the neighbouring frames faintly so you can draw the in-betweens.
Repeats forever: walk cycles, GIFs
Plays forward, then backward: breathing, floating
Plays once: reveals, intros
Up to 12 frames, with adjustable opacity
Lesson 9.5
Three principles make the biggest difference to small loops.
Stretch when moving fast, squash on impact. Keep the volume the same.
Bunch the frames near the start and end of a move
Crouch before the jump. Move a little the opposite way first.
Lesson 9.6
Hidden tools that professionals use every day.
A radial menu of six favourite actions. Assign it in Gesture controls.
Adjustments → Recolor: drag the crosshair onto a colour to swap it across the layer
Actions → Canvas → Reference: a floating image or zoomed-out view of your canvas
Push, twirl, pinch and expand pixels. Fixes proportions and makes fluid type.
Draw half a logo or ornament, get the whole (Lesson 2.8)
Swipe down for Cut / Copy / Duplicate / Paste
Import an OBJ or USDZ model and paint on it, with lighting and AR view
Actions → Video → Time-lapse Replay / Export. Free content for social media.
Lesson 9.7 · Project
A 6-frame blinking character, exported as an animated GIF for chats and socials.
Module 10
Get your work out of the iPad: the right file for each destination, prints and merch, a portfolio, and pricing.
Lesson 10.1
Ask one question: where is it going?
JPEG compression smears flat colours and sharp edges. Use PNG for illustration, lettering and anything with text.
Lesson 10.2
Respect the app's interface zones, and split wide art into carousels.
Carousel: one wide artwork split into 3 slides
Canvas 3240 × 1350 → Crop & Resize or select thirds → export each 1080 × 1350.
Lesson 10.3
Screens glow and paper reflects, so expect prints to be slightly darker and duller. Proof before printing a big batch.
No glare. Illustration and riso looks.
Vivid colour. Photos and saturated art.
Giclée prints for selling originals
Lesson 10.4
A mockup shows clients and buyers the art in real life. Place the art with Transform → Distort or Warp onto a product photo.
Lesson 10.5
Show 10–15 of your best pieces, in the style you want to be hired for. Cut everything else.
Illustrator & letterer: posters, packaging, editorial.
For 3–4 pieces: brief → sketches → final → result
Your own site (like this course, on GitHub Pages!), Behance, Instagram, Dribbble
Time-lapses and thumbnails prove you made it
Lesson 10.6
You sell time plus usage rights. The more a client earns from your art, the more the licence is worth.
Scope, deadline, usage, fee
Before you start
Extra rounds are charged
Unless you sell a buyout
Lesson 10.7
Post at web resolution, sign your work, and keep your layered originals as proof.
Lesson 10.8 · Capstone
Create four finished pieces, one per discipline, exported and mocked up, ready to publish.
You've reached the end.
. Go back to any lesson you haven't ticked, then make something every day.