10 Fun Digital Drawing Exercises for Beginners on Procreate

Shruti Dugar
Aug 29, 2024
3 min read

Updated: Dec 24, 2024

So, you’ve got your hands on Procreate and you're ready to dive into the world of digital art—but where do you start?

Well, lucky for you, I’ve got ten super fun procreate exercises to help you get comfortable, play around, and level up your skills while having a blast. Let’s dive in!

1. Wiggle Those Lines: Procreate straight lines

First things first, let’s tame those wiggly lines! Practice drawing straight lines—yes, even that dreaded diagonal. Don't stress if they're wobbly at first; think of it as your personal style!

SD_Tip: Turn on the StreamLine feature to help smooth out those little wiggles, and watch your lines magically behave!

2. Shape Up! Procreate shape practice

Time to become a shape master! Draw circles, squares, triangles—whatever shapes make you happy. You can freehand them (for a bit of a challenge) or use Procreate’s quick shape hack to make them perfect. You’ve got the power!

SD_Tip: Try drawing them at different sizes without cheating and resizing. Think of it as finger yoga for your drawing hand.

3. Layer Cake: Procreate digital art layers

Layers are like the magical cake of digital art. Want a flower? Put the petals on one layer, the stem on another, and the leaves on another. Play around with blending modes and see what delicious effects you can create.

SD_Tip: Group your layers when things get messy, because organization = artistic zen.

4. Shading Shenanigans: Procreate shading techniques

Let's make that flat circle pop! Grab a simple object like a ball and practice shading. Start with light at one end and dark at the other. Smooth it out with a soft brush, and BOOM! You’ve got a 3D effect happening.

SD_Tip: Use Alpha Lock to make sure your shading stays inside the lines, because coloring outside the lines is only cool in kindergarten.

5. Brush Adventures: Explore Procreate brushes

Think of Procreate's brush library as a candy store—go ahead and try everything! Doodle with pencil brushes, paint with textured brushes, or make magic with some crazy texture effects. It’s your playground!

SD_Tip: Save your fave brushes in a custom set so you can easily find them again. You don’t want to lose track of your candy... I mean, brushes.

6. Color Party! Digital color harmony

Let’s throw a color party! Use Procreate’s color wheel to pick out your palette. Experiment with colors that make you feel things—happy, calm, or just totally wowed. Try mixing complementary or analogous colors to see what vibes you create.

SD_Tip: Use the Color Harmony tool for a cheat sheet on colors that just click. No more guessing games!

7. Perspective Magic: Procreate perspective drawing

Ready to turn flat doodles into 3D awesomeness? Try drawing cubes or cylinders in one-point perspective. Imagine them floating off the page like you're some kind of digital wizard.

SD_Tip: Use Procreate’s Drawing Guides to keep your perspective lines on point, because nobody wants wonky cubes.

8. Symmetry Wizardry: symmetry art Procreate

Symmetry is your new best friend. Turn on the Symmetry tool and start creating magical mandalas, cool creatures, or fancy patterns. Watch your art multiply like magic—without lifting a finger!

SD_Tip: Play around with the different symmetry settings like radial, vertical, and horizontal. It’s like having a mirror for your art.

9. Speed Doodles: Quick digital sketches

Set a timer for 5 to 10 minutes and GO! Draw anything and everything—your coffee mug, your cat, maybe even an alien spaceship. The goal here isn’t perfection, it’s just to get your ideas flowing and build up speed.

SD_Tip: Stick to one or two brushes during these speed rounds, so you can focus on creating rather than brush hopping.

10. Trace and Ace: Procreate tracing

Tracing isn’t cheating, it’s training! Grab a simple image, import it into Procreate, and trace over it to get the feel for shapes and forms. Once you’ve nailed that, try redrawing it from memory on a blank layer.

SD_Tip: After tracing, hide the original layer and redraw from scratch. You’ll be amazed how much you’ve already improved!

Conclusion: Procreate exercises

There you have it—ten super fun and easy exercises to get you rolling in Procreate! Remember, the key here is to play, explore, and enjoy the process. Don’t stress about perfection; you’ll get there with practice. For now, just have fun, experiment, and let your creativity flow.

Now, grab your Apple Pencil, fire up Procreate, and let the good times (and good art) roll!