How to Create a Realistic Hairbrush in Procreate: A Step-by-Step Guide
Trailblazer - Celebrates those who lead the way, marking paths for future generations.
As a digital artist, having the right tools can elevate your work to new heights. Vibrant acrylic and mixed-media pieces explore nature, movement, and emotion, rendering realistic hair—whether human, animal, or inspired by anatomical illustrations—can add depth and authenticity to your art. Procreate’s powerful brush customization feature allows you to craft a hairbrush tailored to your unique style, perfect for creating flowing strands, textured fur, or intricate details.In this in-depth guide, we’ll walk you through the process of creating a realistic hairbrush in Procreate, step by step. Whether you’re painting wildlife, portraits, or abstract forms inspired by Canada’s lakes and forests, this custom brush will help you achieve lifelike hair with ease. Let’s dive in!
Why Create a Custom Hairbrush?
Procreate offers default hair brushes (e.g., Fine Hair, Flowing Hair, Short Hair in the Materials set), but they may not always match your vision.
A custom hairbrush allows you to:
Personalize Your Style: Craft a brush that aligns with your bold, textured aesthetic.
Save Time: Streamline the process of drawing realistic hair, from individual strands to voluminous locks.
Enhance Realism: Achieve natural-looking hair with precise control over shape, texture, and flow.
This guide assumes you’re familiar with Procreate’s interface but includes tips for all skill levels. Let’s get started!
What You’ll Need
Procreate App: Ensure you’re using the latest version (5X or higher) for full functionality.
iPad and Apple Pencil: For precise control.
Canvas: A 2000x2000-pixel canvas is ideal for testing brush details.
Reference Images: Gather photos of hair (e.g., human, animal, or fur) to guide your brush design.
Step 1: Set Up Your Canvas
Create a New Canvas:
Open Procreate and tap the “+” icon.
Choose a canvas size like 2000x2000 pixels to see brush details clearly. A square canvas is great for experimenting without overwhelming your device.
Prepare a Test Area:
Fill the background with a mid-tone color (e.g., light gray) to evaluate brush strokes.
Create a new layer for sketching and testing your brush.
Tip: If you plan to use this brush for wildlife-inspired art (e.g., wolf fur), test it on a canvas with a rough texture to mimic your mixed-media style.
Step 2: Access the Brush Library
Open the Brush Library:
Tap the paintbrush icon in the top toolbar to open the Brush Library.
Familiarize yourself with existing brushes, especially the Materials set, which includes hair brushes for reference.
Create a New Brush:
Tap the “+” icon in the Brush Library to start a new custom brush.
This opens the Brush Studio, where you’ll customize your hairbrush.
Tip: Name your brush something descriptive, like “MysNyx_HairStrand,” to keep your library organized.
Step 3: Design the Brush ShapeThe brush shape determines the structure of each hair strand. For a realistic hairbrush, aim for a tapered, pointed shape to mimic natural hair.
Go to the Shape Tab:
In Brush Studio, tap the “Shape” tab.
Tap “Edit” next to the shape preview, then select “Draw” to create a custom shape.
Draw the Shape:
On the canvas, draw a single, tapered stroke using your Apple Pencil. Start with a thin point, widen slightly in the middle, and taper to a point again, resembling a single hair strand.
Alternatively, import a shape (e.g., a photo of a hair strand) by tapping “Import” and selecting an image from your Photos app.
Adjust Shape Settings:
Set “Scatter” to 0% to keep strokes consistent.
Enable “Randomized” for slight variations, mimicking natural hair irregularity.
Adjust “Spacing” to around 5–10% for smooth, continuous strokes.
Tip: For your anatomical illustration-inspired art, a sharp, precise shape works best for detailed strands. Test the shape by drawing on your canvas and tweak until it feels right.
Step 4: Add Texture with GrainThe grain adds a natural texture to your brush, making hair look less flat and more lifelike.
Go to the Grain Tab:
Tap the “Grain” tab in Brush Studio.
Select “Edit” to choose or create a grain texture.
Choose a Grain:
For hair, a subtle, linear texture works best. Select a default grain like “Cloud” or “Noise,” or draw a custom grain with faint, streaky lines to mimic hair’s organic feel.
Alternatively, import a texture (e.g., a scanned paper texture) for a mixed-media effect that aligns with your acrylic style.
Adjust Grain Settings:
Set “Scale” to 50–70% to keep texture subtle.
Set “Movement” to “Static” to prevent the grain from shifting along the stroke.
Adjust “Zoom” to 100% to maintain texture clarity.
Tip: For wildlife fur, increase grain intensity slightly to capture the coarse texture of animal hair. Test on your canvas to ensure the grain complements your vibrant color palettes.
Step 5: Fine-Tune Brush DynamicsDynamics control how the brush responds to pressure and tilt, crucial for realistic hair.
Go to the Dynamics Tab:
Adjust “Speed” to 10–20% to allow slight variations in stroke width based on drawing speed.
Set “Jitter” to 5–10% for natural strand variation.
Taper Settings (in Taper Tab):
Enable “Pressure Taper” to make strokes thinner at the start and end, mimicking hair’s natural taper.
Set “Tip” to 50% for a soft, gradual taper.
Stabilization (in Stroke Path Tab):
Set “StreamLine” to 20–30% to smooth strokes without losing organic flow, ideal for precise hair strands.
Tip: For your Calgary-inspired wildlife art, adjust dynamics to allow bold, sweeping strokes for fur, balancing control with expressive freedom.
Step 6: Customize Brush PropertiesThese settings refine how the brush behaves in practice.
Go to the Stroke Tab:
Set “Spacing” to 5–10% for smooth, continuous hair strands.
Adjust “Fall Off” to 50% for a natural fade at stroke ends.
Rendering Tab:
Choose “Uniformed” rendering for consistent strokes.
Set “Opacity” to 80–90% to allow layering for depth (e.g., highlights and shadows).
Apple Pencil Tab:
Enable “Opacity” and “Size” sensitivity to vary stroke thickness and transparency with pressure, mimicking traditional brushwork.
Tip: For your mixed-media aesthetic, experiment with lower opacity to layer strokes, creating a textured, painterly effect.
Step 7: Test and Refine Your Brush
Test on Your Canvas:
Create a new layer and draw hair strands, varying pressure and speed.
Try different stroke directions to mimic hair flow (e.g., curved for wavy hair, straight for sleek fur).
Test layering strokes to build volume, as you might for a wolf’s mane or human portrait.
Tweak as Needed:
If strands look too uniform, increase “Randomized” in the Shape tab.
If the brush feels too stiff, reduce “StreamLine” in the Stroke Path tab.
Adjust grain scale for more or less texture, depending on your subject (e.g., coarse for bear fur, fine for human hair).
Tip: Save versions of your brush (duplicate in the Brush Library) to create variations for different hair types, such as short fur or long, flowing locks.
Step 8: Use Your Brush in a ProjectNow that your brush is ready, apply it to a real artwork:
Sketch the Hair Base:
On a new layer, sketch the hair’s overall shape using a default brush (e.g., Procreate’s Chalk brush).
Block in base colors with a texture brush to establish volume.
Add Strands:
Use your custom hairbrush to draw individual strands, following the hair’s natural flow.
Vary pressure to create thin and thick strands for realism.
Layer Details:
Create new layers for highlights and shadows, using your brush with lighter/darker colors.
Experiment with blending modes (e.g., Overlay for highlights) to enhance depth.
Refine with Texture:
Use a textured brush (e.g., from Procreate’s Organic set) to add subtle noise or grit, echoing your mixed-media style.
Example Application: For a wildlife piece inspired by Canada’s forests, use your brush to render a wolf’s fur. Start with broad strokes for the undercoat, then layer finer strands for the outer fur, using your vibrant color palette to capture light and shadow.
Bonus Tips for Realistic Hair
Combine Brushes: Use your custom hairbrush alongside Procreate’s default brushes (e.g., Fine Hair for wispy strands, Gouache for blending) to add variety.
Work with Layers: Keep base, strands, highlights, and shadows on separate layers for easy adjustments, especially for complex wildlife fur.
Study References: Analyze real hair (e.g., photos of animals or human portraits) to understand flow, texture, and highlights. This aligns with your anatomical illustration inspiration.
Experiment with Color: Use Procreate’s color palettes to create realistic hair tones, blending warm and cool shades for depth.
Explore Tutorials: For advanced techniques, check YouTube tutorials on rendering hair in Procreate, such as those recommended on Reddit for strand-by-strand methods.
Saving and Sharing Your Brush
Save Your Brush:
Tap “Done” in Brush Studio to save your custom brush to the Brush Library.
Organize it in a custom set (e.g., “MysNyx_Brushes”) for easy access.
Share with Others:
Export your brush by tapping “Share” in the Brush Library (Actions > Share).
Share it with the artmatch.ca community or on platforms like Etsy, as many artists do for hairbrush sets.
Backup: Save your brush file to iCloud or your device to avoid losing it during Procreate updates.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Brush Looks Too Uniform: Increase “Jitter” or “Randomized” in the Shape tab for natural variation.
Strokes Feel Choppy: Reduce “Spacing” in the Stroke tab to 5% or lower.
Texture Overwhelms Strands: Lower grain scale or choose a subtler grain texture.
Brush Lags: Simplify the shape or reduce canvas size to optimize performance.
Final Thoughts:
Creating a realistic hairbrush in Procreate is a game-changer for artists who blend bold textures and vibrant colors in nature-inspired art. By customizing the shape, grain, and dynamics, you’ve crafted a tool that brings your vision to life, whether you’re painting a wolf’s fur, a human portrait, or an abstract form inspired by anatomical illustrations. Experiment, test, and refine your brush to make it a staple in your digital toolkit.
