The 5 brushes every beginner needs
Before downloading huge packs, get comfortable with five core brush types:
- A sketch pencil — loose drafts and line work.
- A clean inker — crisp outlines.
- A soft round / painting brush — filling and shading.
- A blender — smooth transitions.
- A texture brush — grain and visual interest.
Master these before adding more. Most experienced artists rotate a small core set, not a library of thousands — fewer brushes means faster decisions and a more consistent style.
1. A sketch pencil
Start every drawing with a pencil-style brush. It feels familiar, builds confidence, and keeps early lines loose. Use light pressure for construction lines, then press harder for the lines you want to keep. Browse pencil brushes to find one with a grain you like.
2. A clean inker
Once your sketch is ready, switch to an inker on a new layer for crisp, confident outlines. Inkers stay sharp at any size and are perfect for comics, lettering and clean illustration. See the inking brushes category for ready-made options.
3. A soft round / painting brush
For filling shapes, shading and color, a soft round or painting brush is your workhorse. It blends color naturally and handles both flats and soft gradients. Explore painting brushes to get started.
4. A blender
Blenders smooth transitions between colors so your shading looks soft instead of patchy. Use one lightly — over-blending flattens detail. Grab a blender brush and keep it in your starter set.
5. A texture brush
One texture brush adds instant character — paper grain, canvas, or rough edges that make flat art feel hand-made. A little goes a long way. The texture brushes category is a good place to look.
Where to download beginner brushes for free
You don't need to spend money to start. Download free .brushset files, then import them into Procreate's brush library. Begin with our free Procreate brushsets, and if you're not sure how importing works, follow the installation guide. On iPad you can grab everything straight from our app.
A beginner mistake to avoid: hoarding brushes
It's tempting to download hundreds of brushes, but it slows you down and scatters your style. Keep a small, trusted set, learn how each one behaves, and add new brushes only when a project actually needs them.
New to iPad art in general? Start with our beginner's guide to drawing on iPad.