How to Ink with a Brush Pen in Procreate

2026-06-25

A brush pen gives ink lines that swell and taper like a real sable brush — expressive, lively, full of weight. It's the opposite of a stiff technical pen. This guide shows how to ink with a brush pen in Procreate: controlling pressure, getting clean tapers, and tuning the brush so it feels natural.

What a brush pen does

A brush pen is a pressure-sensitive ink brush whose line swells when you press and tapers when you ease off. That built-in weight variation gives organic, energetic lineart — ideal for figures, hair, drapery, lettering and comic work. The trade-off is it demands more hand control than an even liner.

1. Choose a brush-pen style brush

Grab a brush-pen or "ink brush" from the inking category — see the best free inking brushes. Look for one with a strong thick-to-thin range and a crisp, opaque edge.

2. Control the line with pressure

The whole technique is in your pressure: press into the heavy parts of a line (the belly of a curve, the shadow side) and lift off at the ends for a fine taper. Practice single strokes — straight lines that swell in the middle, curves that thin at both ends — until it feels intuitive.

3. Tune the pressure curve

If the brush feels too sensitive or too stiff, adjust it: open Brush Studio → Apple Pencil → Pressure and reshape the curve. A gentler curve needs less force for thick lines; a steeper one gives more control over thin lines. Also set StreamLine (Stroke tab) moderately so curves stay smooth without killing the expressiveness.

4. Get clean tapers

Tapers make brush-pen work look polished. Flick the stroke — accelerate and lift at the end so the line thins to a point. If a taper isn't clean, erase into the end with the same brush, or enable taper in the brush's Stroke settings for automatic pointed ends.

5. Draw confidently

Brush pens punish hesitation even more than liners — a slow stroke wobbles AND has uneven weight. Use fast, committed strokes from the arm, ghosting first. If layers help, see how to get clean lineart.

6. Combine with a technical pen

Many artists ink figures and organic forms with a brush pen, then switch to an even technical pen for fine detail, mechanical objects and backgrounds. The contrast between expressive and precise lines makes a drawing sing — a core idea in comic inking.

Brush pens for lettering

The same brush-pen feel powers modern brush lettering — if that interests you, see how to do hand lettering in Procreate and the lettering category.

Brushes and next steps

Start with a free brush pen from the inking category or any free brushset. Fit it into the full inking workflow and use it to build line weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

Click a question to expand the answer

How do you ink with a brush pen in Procreate?

Use a pressure-sensitive brush-pen brush and control the line with pressure — press into the heavy parts of a stroke and lift off at the ends for a fine taper. Draw fast, confident strokes from the arm, and tune the pressure curve in Brush Studio so the thick-to-thin range feels natural.

What's the difference between a brush pen and a technical pen in Procreate?

A brush pen swells and tapers with pressure for expressive, organic lines; a technical pen holds an even width for controlled, precise lines. Brush pens suit figures and drama, technical pens suit fine detail and backgrounds — and many artists combine both.

How do I get a clean taper with a brush pen?

Flick the stroke — accelerate and lift the pencil at the end so the line thins to a point. If the taper isn't clean, erase into the line end with the same brush, or turn on the taper setting in the brush's Stroke tab for automatic pointed ends.

Why do my brush-pen lines look uneven?

Brush pens punish slow, hesitant strokes with both wobble and uneven weight. Draw faster, committed strokes from the arm and ghost them first. If the brush feels too sensitive, gentle the pressure curve in Brush Studio and add a little StreamLine.