As a digital artist, one of the best features of the Procreate app for iPad is its extensive, customizable brush library. While Procreate comes with an impressive selection of default brushes, you can expand your creative toolkit even further with custom brush downloads.
Best of all, there is a huge variety of high-quality Procreate brushes available for free online. Whether you‘re looking to recreate traditional painting and drawing media or play with unique digital effects, free brush sets allow you to experiment without spending a dime.
In this post, I‘ve rounded up 10 of the best free Procreate painting brush sets that are a must-try for any digital artist. We‘ll take a look at what‘s included in each set, compatible Procreate versions, and download details. Let‘s dive in!
Built-in Procreate Painting Brushes
Before we get to the free downloads, it‘s worth taking a quick look at the default painting brushes that come with Procreate. In the Painting folder of the brush library, you‘ll find sets like:
- Round & Flat: Basic round and flat brushes that imitate traditional paint brushes
- Artistic: Painterly brushes with canvas and paper textures
- Watercolor: Brushes that create a watercolor look with wet edges and paint mixing
- Acrylic: Thick, textured brushes that mimic acrylic paint
- Gouache: Opaque matte brushes for a gouache style
- Airbrush: Smooth airbrush tools with customizable spray patterns
While these built-in brushes provide a great foundation, they only scratch the surface of what‘s possible with Procreate painting. Seeking out new brushes is a great way to expand your artistic range and find the tools you need for specific projects and styles.
Why Use Free Procreate Brush Downloads?
There are a few key benefits to taking advantage of free brush downloads:
- Access a wider variety of brush styles and features
- Find specialized brushes for certain traditional media (oil paint, spray paint, etc.)
- Get brushes made by other artists and designers for unique results
- Try out different brushes without spending money
Best of all, you can install custom brushes with just a few taps and start using them in your artwork right away. It‘s an easy, low-risk way to supercharge your Procreate toolkit.
Where to Find Free Procreate Brushes
There are a few go-to places to look for free Procreate brush sets:
- Creative Market: Digital marketplace with a selection of free goods weekly (procreate.com/creative-market)
- Brushes for Procreate: Blog dedicated to reviewing free and paid Procreate brushes (brushesforprocreate.com)
- BrushUp: Procreate brush shop with a free section (brushup.io)
- Gumroad: Online shop where designers share free and paid digital products (gumroad.com)
- Artist websites: Individual artists and designers often share free brush sets to promote their work
For this roundup, I‘ve selected high-quality free brush sets from a variety of sources. Always make sure to download brushes from artists and sites you trust. Let‘s check them out!
Top 10 Free Procreate Painting Brushes
1. Oil Paint Brush Set by Sadie Lew
If you want to recreate the look of classic oil painting, this free set of 12 Procreate brushes by artist Sadie Lew is a great place to start. The pack includes round, flat, and filbert brushes with realistic paint texture and blending. Use the dry brush for rough strokes or the smooth blender to create a polished look.
Download: Oil Paint Brush Set (Free for personal and commercial use)
Compatible: Procreate 5+
2. Watercolor Brush Set by Lisa Glanz
Procreate is well-suited for digital watercolor painting, and this free brush set by designer Lisa Glanz pushes the default tools to the next level. With 27 brushes ranging from washes to splatters to salt texture, you can create loose illustrations and dreamy landscapes. The brushes interact with each other in unique ways for an organic look.
Download: Watercolor Brush Set (Free for personal and commercial use)
Compatible: Procreate 5X
3. Acrylic Paint Brush Set by Mark Fanguy
Bring the bold, textural look of acrylic paint to your iPad with this set of 9 free brushes by artist Mark Fanguy. The pack covers all the essentials, from flat and round brushes to a palette knife and sponge for blending. The brushes build up in 3D layers for an impasto effect.
Download: MF Acrylic Brush Set (Free for personal and commercial use)
Compatible: Procreate 4+
4. Gouache Brush Set by Bardot Brush
Gouache is a tricky paint medium to recreate digitally, but this free set of 12 brushes from Bardot Brush nails the velvety, matte finish. The pack includes flat and round brushes in different sizes, plus a sketch pencil and blender. They‘re perfect for stylized illustrations, posters, and hand lettering.
Download: Gouache Brush Set (Free for personal use only)
Compatible: Procreate 5+
5. Airbrush Set by Georg
Take your digital paintings to the next level with this set of 10 free airbrush tools by designer Georg. The pack includes a variety of spray and splatter brushes for smooth blending and special effects. Customize the brush settings for opacity, scatter, and flow to fit your project.
Download: Airbrush Procreate Brushes (Free for personal and commercial use)
Compatible: Procreate 5+
6. Glitter & Metallic Brush Set by Crave Design
Add some sparkle to your digital art with this free pack of 8 glitter and metallic texture brushes from Crave Design Co. The set includes a range of foil styles like gold leaf, sparkle gel pen, and chunky glitter. Use them for highlights, lettering, or all-over patterns.
Download: Glitz & Glam Brush Set (Free for personal use only)
Compatible: Procreate 5+
7. Texture & Pattern Brush Set by Stina Jones
If you want to add visual interest to your digital paintings, try this free set of 15 texture and pattern brushes by Stina Jones. The pack includes ink hatching, dots, cross shading, and fabric weave brushes to help you build dimension. Use the brushes on their own or layer them for a collage effect.
Download: Texture Toolkit (Free for personal and commercial use)
Compatible: Procreate 5+
8. Brush Pen & Marker Set by Molly Suber Thorpe
Lettering artist Molly Suber Thorpe created this free set of 9 Procreate brushes to help you create the popular brush lettering look. The pack includes monoline and brush pens in different weights, plus chisel tip markers. Use them for hand lettering, illustration, and graphic design projects.
Download: The Hand Lettering Toolkit (Free for personal use only)
Compatible: Procreate 5+
9. Charcoal & Pastel Drawing Set by Eggplant Collective
Traditional drawing media like charcoal and pastel are notoriously messy–but not with this digital brush pack from Eggplant Collective. The free set includes 12 brushes that recreate the dusty, smudgy qualities of charcoal and chalk pastel. Use the kneaded eraser brush and blenders to create a range of soft and subtle shading effects.
Download: Charcoal & Pastel Brush Set (Free for personal and commercial use)
Compatible: Procreate 5+
10. Paint Splatter & Spray Brush Set by RetroSupply
Make a mess (digitally) with this fun set of 14 free paint splatter brushes from RetroSupply. The pack includes drips, splatters, splashes, and spray paint brushes for cool graffiti and grunge effects. The brushes work great for adding texture to illustrations, creating abstract backgrounds, and more.
Download: Drippy Spray Paint Brushes (Free for personal and commercial use)
Compatible: Procreate 5+
How to Install Custom Procreate Brushes
Once you‘ve downloaded a free brush set, getting the brushes into Procreate is a simple process:
- Download the .brush or .brushset file to your iPad
- Open the Procreate app
- Tap the brush icon in the top menu to open the Brush Library
- Tap the + button in the top right corner
- Select Import and find the brush file in your iPad files
- The brush or brush set will appear in your library, ready to use!
If the brush download is a .zip file, you‘ll need to unzip it first to access the .brushset file inside. Some brush sets also come with a .pdf info guide and .png brush previews.
To delete a custom brush or brush set, simply swipe left on it in the Brush Library. Keep in mind that you‘ll need to re-import the brush file if you want to use those brushes again later.
Customizing Painting Brushes in Procreate
One of the best features of Procreate is the ability to customize any brush to your liking. When you tap on a brush in the library, you‘ll see a menu of editable settings like:
- Shape: The size, rotation, and spacing of the brush tip
- Grain: Add paper or canvas textures to your brush strokes
- Dynamics: Adjust how the brush responds to tilt, pressure, and velocity
- Apple Pencil: Customize the double-tap shortcut for each brush
- About this brush: Set a new name or share the brush
Feel free to play with these settings to modify the free brushes you download. You can always reset them back to the original if needed. Creating your own unique brushes is a great way to develop your signature digital art style!
Procreate Painting Project Ideas
Ready to take your new free brush sets for a spin? Here are a few digital painting project ideas to try:
- Paint a landscape or cityscape using the oil paint or gouache brushes
- Create a whimsical watercolor illustration with ink lines and washes
- Design a retro gig poster with the marker and texture brushes
- Paint an abstract background using the splatter brushes and metallic details
- Illustrate your favorite food or drink with the acrylic paint brushes
- Draw a still life or portrait using the charcoal and pastel set
- Add painterly effects to a photo with the airbrush and blender tools
With practice, you‘ll find creative ways to combine different brush sets to suit your unique art style. Remember, experimentation is key to growth as a digital artist!
Enjoy Expanding Your Procreate Brush Library!
I hope this roundup of free Procreate painting brushes has inspired you to explore new tools and techniques. Whether you‘re a beginner or a seasoned pro, custom brush sets are a great way to expand your creativity and elevate your digital art.
Installing and trying out new brushes is quick, easy, and low-risk thanks to the amazing selection of high-quality free downloads out there. You might just discover a new favorite brush that transforms your work!
Of course, this is just a small sampling of the free Procreate brushes available. There are so many talented artists and designers releasing new brush sets all the time. Be sure to follow your favorites and keep an eye out for new freebies.
Do you have a go-to free brush set that I didn‘t include here? I‘d love to hear about it! Feel free to share your Procreate painting tips in the comments.
Now go forth and paint something awesome with your leveled-up brush library! And if you‘re looking to add even more tools to your Procreate collection, check out my list of must-have paid brush sets for illustration and lettering.
Happy painting!