It’s a new year and I’m pumped! I’ll be teaching some new live classes in Procreate this year and I’m super excited about it! As you probably know, I gave a keynote presentation on Procreate and the iPad last March at the Apple Flagship store in San Francisco. Check it out here.

Drawing on the iPad may seem different than drawing on paper or canvas but trust me, it’s not.  The same rules apply to art created on the iPad that apply to art created on canvas or paper.

Good design is good design no matter how you create it. 

And I’m not the first artist to embrace this way of working. David Hockney, probably this century’s greatest living artist, has fully championed digital media. “David Hockney, 81, is also a reference at exploring new technology. More than a move from physical to digital painting, the artist sees the two mediums as being complementary — a demonstration of how new tools can contribute to the artist’s creative process…The iPhone makes you bold,” says Hockney.” Read the entire article.

The iPad and Procreate will not make you a better artist. They will just give you more creative tools. 

But how can you use the iPad and Procreate as a hands-on visual artist? 

Will it replace your paintbrush and canvas? 

And is using digital media “cheating?”

I get these and a host of other answers whenever I tell someone I create art on the iPad. 

First, let me say that digital media may or may not replace your paintbrush and canvas. That’s entirely up to you.  But the most powerful way to use this medium is in partnership with paint and canvas. 

• Use it to troubleshoot a painting you’re working on. 

• Use it to sketch out ideas for a painting you haven’t started. 

• Use to create a hybrid artwork; partially digital, partially “real world.” 

• Use it to paint “in the field” without the hassle of carrying paint, canvas and tools. 

• Use it to sketch in life drawing sessions. 

• Create digital artwork for products like the ones in my store.

• And so much more…

However you use it, embrace it!  See below for an intro video for Procreate.

Is it cheating? Well is using electricity cheating? Or paint in a tube? Rembrandt didn’t have electricity and Michelangelo didn’t have paint in tubes. In fact, paint in tubes has only been around since about 1840 or so. Relatively new on the scene. Acrylic paint is less than a hundred years old. A mere blip on the art history radar. So it does not matter what tool you use. Just make stuff and don’t worry about it.

Introduction to Procreate on the iPad

What will you learn in this class? 

The basics of Procreate on the iPad. That includes layers, color picking, saving your files, brush selection and a host of other tools and tips. I’ll also show you how to export your files and how to print them.

Time permitting, I’ll even throw in some advanced tips for you like: layer masking and creating custom brushes. 

What will we make?  There are three exercises I’d like you to complete during the class. 

1. Drawing from observation.

2. Blind contour drawing 

3. One abstract digital painting with at least five layers. 

What do you need? An iPad, Procreate and an Apple pencil. See this page for FAQ about Procreate and iPad versions and compatibility.

Be sure you are signed up for my mailing list to get advanced notice when I put these new Procreate classes on the schedule.

Want me to teach a private Procreate class to you and your pals? Just shoot me an email!