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Digital Drawing in Procreate for Beginners

with Erika Wiseman
4.9 (742)
Watch Erika create a fully-rendered illustration from scratch and follow along as she walks you through her process step-by-step, teaching essential techniques along the way.
English, Spanish, 4 more French, Italian, German, Portuguese English, French, 4 more Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese
2+
hours
56
lessons
Beginner
level
Erika Wiseman

Your Instructor

Erika Wiseman (aka Erika the Goober) is a freelance artist specializing in digital illustration, with a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts. She has been creating art for over 15 years.

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2+
hours
56
lessons
Beginner
level
English, Spanish , 4 more
Languages
  • French
  • Italian
  • German
  • Portuguese
English, French , 4 more
Subtitles
  • Spanish
  • Italian
  • German
  • Portuguese

What you’ll learn

  • Familiarize yourself with the Procreate interface, including tools & shortcuts
  • Find good inspiration and references for your artwork
  • Learn how to set up and work with layers
  • Create a character sketch from scratch and refine the line art
  • Understand color theory: how to choose and adjust your colors
  • Find out about clipping masks: how they simplify the coloring process
  • Master blending modes to create shadows and highlights
  • Develop your own workflow for creating digital illustrations
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Description

When Erika was entering the world of illustration, there were no comprehensive guides available on the subject of digital art. This course was specifically created to teach you the things she wished she knew back then, enabling you to start your journey on the right foot.

Packed into these video lessons are the most helpful principles and tips that Erika gathered from her years of experience as a digital artist. You will learn the foundational skills essential for beginner artists as well as useful techniques to up your game if you are at an intermediate level … and a lot of other cool stuff thrown in!

Erika demonstrates digital painting techniques using the Procreate app on an iPad Pro, however the general rules apply to other digital painting software, such as Photoshop.

To get the most out of this course, be sure to work through the assignments and have fun with them!

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Who is this course for

  • People who have an iPad and want to learn how to draw
  • Illustrators learning to draw digitally
  • Illustrators with experience who are unfamiliar with the iPad
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This course includes

  • 2+ Hours of on-demand videos
  • 7 Assignments (PNG)
  • 16 Work-in-progress images (JPG)
  • 1 Reference images
  • 4 Cheat sheets/guides
  • Layered Procreate files
  • Layered Photoshop files
  • List of recommended brushes
  • Certificate of Completion
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Used in course

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What you'll need

  • Procreate app on an iPad OR other similar digital drawing software
  • No previous experience with Procreate required
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Lesson Plan

with Erika Wiseman
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00

Introduction

01:04

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Meet your course instructor, Erika!

In this video, you’ll get an overview of what’s in store for you in this exciting course. Also, have a peek at the artist at work while you’re at it. There’s a lot to look forward to!

01

Getting Started with Procreate

18:55

Welcome to lesson 1! In this lesson, Erika will be guiding you through the basics of using Procreate, including the materials you’ll need, navigating the gallery, setting up a new canvas, and getting comfortable with the interface.

You’ll also learn how to find inspiration for your drawings by creating a mood board!

   Procreate Guide (PDF & DOCX) included

   Mood board image included

   Assignment included


1.1
Getting Started
00:27
1.2
Materials
02:12
1.3
The Gallery
02:02
1.4
Creating a New Canvas
01:51
1.5
Finding Inspiration
01:58
1.6
Adding and Moving Photos
04:31
1.7
Layer Basics
03:48
1.8
Creating a Mood Board
01:22
1.9
Assignment
00:44
02

Setting up Your Workspace

16:23

A good workspace is an important factor in the illustration process, saving you valuable time and making the experience that much more enjoyable.

This lesson focuses on Procreate’s settings, gestures, and shortcuts that’ll make your workflow smooth and easy. Discover the world of brushes and even Erika’s personal favorites, which she uses all the time in her artwork.

   2 brush sample images included

   Assignment included


2.1
Setting up your Workspace
00:23
2.2
Settings
01:42
2.3
Gestures
01:41
2.4
Shortcuts
05:01
2.5
The Brush Tool
01:34
2.6
Finding your Favorite Brushes
02:56
2.7
Organizing your Brushes
02:23
2.8
Assignment
00:43
03

Creating Your Lines

18:41

Now for the fun part: putting pen to paper (or screen, in this case) and finally starting the sketch! Erika will be working on a cute character portrait throughout this course. Follow along using the sketch file provided with this lesson (Photoshop & Procreate formats) or create your own sketch.

She will guide you step-by-step in creating a rough sketch, using tools to make easy adjustments and refining the artwork with clean lines. Also, you’ll learn a unique technique to keep your lines more lively!

   4 process images included

   Exercise sketch file included (PSD & Procreate)

   Assignment included


3.1
Creating your Lines
00:18
3.2
Rough Sketch First Pass
05:51
3.3
Rough Sketch Second Pass
02:53
3.4
Defining your Lines
05:27
3.5
Preparing your Lines for Color
03:43
3.6
Assignment
00:29
04

Adding Color

24:35

Working with digital color can be intimidating, especially since the color possibilities are virtually endless! But not to worry, Erika covers the basics of choosing your colors and demonstrates a easy method to quickly change the colors of your illustration.

You will learn the difference between Hue, Saturation and Brightness, why flat colors are so essential and how to use Clipping Masks and Alpha Locks to stay within the lines.

   6 process images included

   Layers & Color Picker Guides included

   Assignment included


4.1
Introduction
00:20
4.2
Choosing your Color
02:18
4.3
Silhouette Layer
02:44
4.4
Coloring Using Masks
03:44
4.5
Changing Colors
02:50
4.6
Value Check Layer
03:17
4.7
Adding Color Variation
01:06
4.8
Coloring your Lines
05:19
4.9
Organizing your Layers
02:08
4.10
Assignment
00:49
05

Clean-Up

33:12

Probably the funnest clean-up ever! Erika admits that it’s her favorite step in the entire illustration process — curious yet? 🙂 Find out the exact techniques she uses in this video.

At this stage, you can look forward to a lot of painting and blending, making your illustrations smooth and clean for the next step.

   2 process images included

   Assignment included


5.1
Introduction to Clean-Up
00:17
5.2
Clean-Up Phase (Part 1)
14:37
5.3
Clean-Up Phase (Part 2)
09:01
5.4
Finalizing the Clean-Up
03:02
5.5
Background Clean-Up
05:26
5.6
Assignment
00:49
06

Lighting with Layer Blending Modes

17:29

Layer Blending Modes can help you quickly achieve effects that would take much longer when painting traditionally. Discover how easy they are to use, especially for adding lighting to an illustration.

You will get familiar with lighting  concepts, such as the location of the light source, highlight and shadow colors and thinking in 3D shapes. Erika also demonstrates how to add special effects such as glows and rim lights.

   6 process images included

   Layer Blending Modes Guide included

   Assignment included


6.1
Introduction to Lighting using Layer Blending Modes
00:16
6.2
Lighting Using Layer Blending Modes
01:23
6.3
Deciding your Light Source
01:31
6.4
Shadows
04:47
6.5
Warm Lighting
02:03
6.6
Atmosphere
01:40
6.7
Rim Lighting
02:46
6.8
Lighting the Background
02:17
6.9
Assignment
00:46
07

Finishing Up

08:03

Now it’s time to make the final tweaks and adjustments to give your artwork a more professional look (Instagram-worthy!).

In this final tutorial, Erika will show you how to adjust the contrast using Curves and balance out the color tones using the Color Balance tool. Additionally, you’ll find out how to create those extra touches, by adding soft blur effects and interesting texture to your finished piece. Finally, learn how to flatten layers if they become too complex.

   4 process images included

   Before/After examples included

   Assignment included


7.1
Introduction to Finishing Up
00:15
7.2
Flattening Your Illustration
00:41
7.3
Contrast and Color Adjustments
02:14
7.4
Gaussian Blur
02:01
7.5
Noise
01:00
7.6
Sign and Save
00:53
7.7
Assignment
00:59

Student Feedback

742 customer reviews & ratings

4.9

Course rating

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5 star
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Best Suited for
Beginner
The level is determined by a majority opinion of students who have reviewed this class. The teacher's recommendation is shown until at least 5 student responses are collected.

(Based on 742 reviews)

Most Liked
Great step-by-step process 622
Clarity of Instruction 611
Helpful Examples 514
Showing 10 reviews of
742
reviews & ratings
N
Natacia

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
Wooooow this course was so good! I honestly planned on skipping over some of the beginning videos because I use procreate all time time- but I'm glad I didn't because there were some things Erika uses in her workflow that I never considered using (like liquify). After the basics she goes through he
+ Show more
r entire illustration process and I really fell in love with the way she chooses gesture over lineart. Overall such a fun and great course. 10/10 recommend.
26 people found this helpful
S
Sara

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I learned a lot about it. especially about coloring and clipping mask. Everything is really well explained and understandable. not too fast and not too slow. never thought the course would be so insightful. thanks
I recommend it for Beginner
12 people found this helpful
FG
Fruzsina G.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
After I purchased my iPad and the Procreate I struggled a bit to find a course like this: starting with the sketching and going through the whole process and ending with rendering. I am a beginner at drawing and I just decided to learn also drawing digital. Erika is just lovely and she made this cou
+ Show more
rse so easy to understand yet full of informations, I am grateful! I do recommend to anyone who wants to have a better understanding with Procreate and layers, coloring, rendering, lighting. <3
I recommend it for All levels
11 people found this helpful
GA
Gary A.

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
I learned so much from Erica. I have watched the course twice. I have been using the techniques. Can't recommend this course enough.
I recommend it for All levels
8 people found this helpful
SG
Sara G.

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
It was very inspiring and helped me understand her complete painting process (which is just amazing). I will recommend it to everyone :D
6 people found this helpful
R
Rich

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
Great to see a drawing from sketch to final product completely in Procreate. Erika describes the most common tools, gestures, and provides effective ways to deal with layers. The course should be recommended for anyone struggling to make the switch from traditional to digital art.
I recommend it for All levels
5 people found this helpful
AF
Annaliza F.

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
Thank you. I've learned a lot. Thumbs up. Highly recommended.
4 people found this helpful
RS
Ray S.

4 years ago

Verified Purchase
I liked the easy flow of the lesson Erika has a very nice teaching format
4 people found this helpful
A
Anat

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I'm 35yo and I've always wanted to get into digital drawing, I even have an older brother who is a 3D artist in the film industry, yet I have never been able to use this technology since it all seemed so overwhelming. This course is incredible! it was exactly what I have been looking for, step by
+ Show more
step tutorials with clear instructions, each lesson is short and to the point. I can now create my own drawings from scratch on my iPad (I didn't even use procreate) and I am forever grateful!
I recommend it for Beginner
4 people found this helpful
ST
Soumyaa T.

3 years ago

Verified Purchase
I started with the procreate for the first time with this course. 1. It contains a lot of tips and tricks. 2. Erica is so engaging and yet very specific. 3. It helped me a lot as a beginner to understand procreate. Thankyou so much to Erica and the entire team of 21'Draws for this amazing c
+ Show more
ourse.
I recommend it for Beginner
1 person found this helpful
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About the Instructor

Erika Wiseman
Digital Artist and Illustrator 4 courses

Erika Wiseman (aka Erika the Goober) is a freelance illustrator and character designer who lives in the US. She loves drawing cute, colorful things and experimenting with new drawing techniques.


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Many lessons in our courses apply to both digital and traditional art. In a few tutorials, digital drawing software, e.g. Photoshop or Procreate for iPad is required. However, for the majority of lessons it is more about the underlying concepts and all that is needed is a pen and paper.

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Erika Wiseman Digital Drawing in Procreate for Beginners
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