Procreate for Beginners: Digital Art for Printmakers

For so long, as an artist, I always felt like digital art, graphic design or anything that involves screens and computers wasn’t for me. I’ve never understood technology and only professional graphic designers are allowed to use Photoshop, right? So on I went with my artistic journey feeling baffled and not welcome in the digital world. Cut to the COVID lockdowns and I found myself twiddling my thumbs and wanting a challenge. I’d heard of Procreate and thought I’d give it try on my iPad.

I taught myself the basics through trial and error but the real magic happened when I started letting my young daughter have a go and I watched in wonder as she worked things out by just experimenting and having no preconceptions of what her ability level was.

That’s when I realised that just because I didn’t like technology and just because I wasn’t trained in graphic design, didn’t mean I couldn’t use my small screen and digital pen any differently to any of the other artistic disciplines I’d mastered. In fact they all work beautifully together! And now, I’m trying to convince as many artists as possible that this humble £12 app can completely revolutionise your practice.

Experience level: Beginner 

Course Structure:

Week One:

Absolute basics, what all the icons mean, how to set up your canvases, sizes, colour, brushes and a brief look at layers

Tracing images, getting used to the brush tool, rubber tool and using layers to your advantage.

Week 2:

Using physical art within the digital world. Collage. Texture.

Adjustments. Using black and white photos to experiment.

Week 3:

Typography and the alpha lock tool. Formatting (using a printable A4 Zine to practice putting images in the right place)

Professional practice, how to use Procreate for advertising, print ready work, logos, repeat patterns, saving and sending.

About the Tutor

Rosie studied art and filmmaking at Manchester School of Art but has always considered herself a multi-disciplinary artist. She started her own business Rosie and Ramona in 2019 when she had her first daughter and wanted to combine her two dreams, be a stay at home mum and sell her art! (She's since had another daughter, both of which make significantly better art than her.)

Starting out as a wedding sign writer and then negotiating a plague she has since diversified taking her vibrant illustrations down every single available avenue. Rosie doesn’t stick to one discipline or art form, she's obsessed with folklore of past, pop culture of present and what art might look like in the future.

She loves the tactile nature of printmaking.

She loves the visual freedom of digital art and social media.

She loves sitting in a bright room painting.

She loves advocating for all humans being wonderful artists, it's there in all of us.