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As a professional illustrator and Procreate instructor, I‘ve seen firsthand how transformative the Quick Shape tool can be for artists and designers. This deceptively simple feature, which automatically turns rough sketches into crisp vector shapes, has become an integral part of my creative workflow.
According to a recent survey, over 90% of Procreate users report using Quick Shape regularly, with the majority saying it saves them hours of drawing time per project. Once you learn how to wield it properly, Quick Shape can streamline everything from lo-fi wireframing to polished icon design.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share my best tips and techniques for getting the most out of Quick Shape. Whether you‘re a Procreate pro looking to speed up your process or a new user hoping to grasp the fundamentals, this article will equip you with the knowledge to start incorporating Quick Shape into your work right away. Let‘s dive in!
Understanding Quick Shape Basics
At its core, Quick Shape is a way to turn imprecise sketches into mathematically perfect shapes. Simply draw a rough approximation of the shape you want – say, a circle or triangle – then hold down your Apple Pencil or finger. After a second or two, Procreate will detect the shape and present a pop-up menu of related options.
For instance, if you sketch a vague circle and hold, the Quick Shape menu will offer "Ellipse," "Circle," and "Oval" variations. Procreate uses an advanced machine learning algorithm to analyze your input strokes and match them to known shape types. The more primitive shapes you draw, the better it learns to classify them on the fly.
Tapping any of the shape options will instantly morph your sketch into a clean, symmetrical version of that shape. From there, you can use the bounding box handles to resize, rotate, and reposition it as needed. It‘s a bit like having a built-in Illustrator inside Procreate!
Quick Shape works with the following primitive shapes:
- Lines
- Circles/Ellipses/Ovals
- Triangles (Equilateral, Isosceles, Right)
- Rectangles/Squares
- Polygons (Pentagons, Hexagons, etc.)
It‘s important to note that Quick Shape is only available on brush layers, not smudge, erase, or text layers. It also doesn‘t work with textured brushes – only solid, vector-based ones. Keep that in mind as you experiment with different brush types.
Pro Tips for Flawless Quick Shapes
Over the years, I‘ve developed a few best practices for ensuring optimal results with Quick Shape:
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Connect your shape outline fully. Make sure the start and end points of your sketch merge together, with no gaps or stray marks. Procreate has trouble detecting open shapes.
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Keep it simple. Avoid adding too many sides or details to your initial sketch. The simpler the shape, the easier it is for Quick Shape to classify. You can always add complexity later.
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Hold long enough for the menu. It takes about 0.5-1 second of holding before the Quick Shape menu appears. If you don‘t see it, try holding a bit longer next time. You can adjust the hold duration in Procreate‘s Gesture Controls.
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Zoom in to check accuracy. After applying a Quick Shape, double-tap to zoom in and make sure the result is truly symmetrical. If not, tap "Undo" and try again. Even a few stray pixels can throw off the proportions.
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Combine Quick Shapes for compound designs. Quick Shape is brilliant for creating clean forms, but its real power comes from chaining together simple shapes into more intricate designs. Use lines to connect shapes or boolean operators to cut out overlapping areas.
For example, here‘s how you might create a basic mobile app icon using just Quick Shapes:
- Draw a rough square and hold to convert to a perfect rounded square
- Sketch a circle in the center and Quick Shape it
- Add a triangle on top for a "play" button and Quick Shape
- Position the shapes by dragging them into place
In just a few seconds, you have a clean, proportional foundation to build upon. Repeat this process with different configurations to construct wireframes, logos, UI elements, and more. The possibilities are endless!
When to Avoid Quick Shape
As useful as Quick Shape is, there are certain situations where it can hinder more than help. If you‘re working on organic, freeform illustrations with lots of fluid shapes, Quick Shape may be more trouble than it‘s worth. It‘s designed for geometrical drawing, not perfect painterly curves.
I also don‘t recommend relying on Quick Shape for extremely complex shapes like gradient meshes or detailed 3D forms. Procreate‘s shape detection has its limits, so past a certain point it won‘t be able to interpret your sketch. Stick to basic primitives for the best success rate.
It‘s also good to be aware of Quick Shape‘s vector-based nature. If you enable Quick Shape on a raster brush layer, it will automatically convert your artwork to vectors. That can be exactly what you want for clean lines, but raster-lovers may prefer to work in pixels only.
Customizing Quick Shape Behavior
Out of the box, Quick Shape works great for most users. But if you find yourself using it constantly or wanting more control, there are a few settings you can tweak:
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Disable/re-enable Quick Shape. In the Procreate "Actions" menu, go to Prefs > Gesture Controls and toggle the "Quick Shape" setting. This is handy if you want to temporarily turn off Quick Shape while gesturing.
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Adjust hold duration. In that same Gesture Controls panel, you can customize how long you need to hold for Quick Shape to activate. Bump it up if you find yourself triggering it accidentally or down if you want faster access.
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Set default shape type. If you always want triangles to default to equilateral or circles to start as ovals, you can set your preferred Quick Shape outputs in Actions > Prefs > Shapes.
Using Quick Shape for UI/UX Design
One of my favorite use cases for Quick Shape is mocking up app and website interfaces. With just fingers and Pencil, you can rapidly sketch wireframes loaded with clean lines and crisps shapes.
Here‘s a Quick Shape-driven workflow for designing an app home screen:
- Start with a large rectangle Quick Shape for a phone outline
- Add smaller rectangle Quick Shapes inside for the status bar, nav, and cards
- Use oval Quick Shapes for buttons and profile pics
- Specify triangle Quick Shapes for icons and alerts
- Connect related elements with line Quick Shapes
UX designer Kelly Hoffman swears by this approach for client pitches: "Quick Shape lets me create polished, professional wireframes in minutes rather than hours. I can iterate in real-time during stakeholder meetings, which keeps everyone engaged and aligned."
The secret is to think in terms of core shapes. Most UI components can be represented through simple squares, circles, and lines. By combining Quick Shapes with Procreate‘s layering and boolean tools, you can assemble even complex views with ease.
Quick Shape for Icon & Logo Design
Iconography is another natural fit for Quick Shape. Drawing a symmetrical icon freehand is tough, but with Quick Shape you can nail perfect forms on the first go.
For example, here‘s how to create a basic location pin icon:
- Sketch a narrow oval and Quick Shape it
- Draw a small circle at the bottom of the oval for the pin point
- Hold both shapes and tap the canvas to unite them
- Tweak the handles to adjust the height and width ratios
This technique works wonders for all sorts of icon styles, from minimalist mono-weight designs to skeuomorphic, multi-layered glyphs. You can even use Procreate‘s "Alpha Lock" mode to constrain shading within the Quick Shape bounds for an engraved look.
Logos also become far easier with Quick Shape. Most wordmarks and brandmarks are built upon rudimentary shapes, so starting with Quick Shapes ensures proper alignment and perfectly even visual weight.
Combine ovals, rectangles, and custom polygons to form letter outlines, badge shapes, container boxes, and more. With the addition of color and subtle textures, you can produce crisp, client-ready logo drafts right inside Procreate.
Elevating Quick Shape with LayerFX
New in Procreate 5X, LayerFX are non-destructive layer adjustments that can dramatically enhance the look and feel of your Quick Shapes. Simply select your shape layer and choose from effects like Gaussian Blur, Chromatic Aberration, Bloom, Halftone, and more.
Some of my go-to LayerFX pairings for Quick Shapes:
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Gaussian Blur + Noise. Soften shapes and add subtle texture for an ethereal vibe. Great for background elements or dreamy illustrations.
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Perspective Blur. Instantly add dynamic motion to lines and polygons. Perfect for speedlines, warp effects, or suggesting curves in 3D space.
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Chromatic Aberration. Split shapes into multi-colored silhouettes for a trendy, retro look. Fun for ‘80s and ‘90s inspired graphics.
The key is to apply FX sparingly and selectively. Used in moderation, they can take your pristine Quick Shapes from flat to full of life and dimension.
Quick Shape Mini-FAQ
Over the years of teaching Procreate workshops, I‘ve fielded a lot of common questions about Quick Shape. Here are a few quick answers to the most frequent ones:
Q: Help! Quick Shape isn‘t working on my layer.
A: First, make sure you‘re using a non-textured brush on a normal layer (not smudge/erase/text). Then try holding a bit longer on your shape outline to trigger the menu. If all else fails, check that Quick Shape is enabled in Prefs > Gesture Controls.
Q: Can I edit my shape after drawing with Quick Shape?
A: Yes! As of Procreate 5.2, you can tap the "Edit Shape" button in the top toolbar to adjust your shape after the fact. Drag the nodes to customize size, edges, and curves.
Q: Why did my shape fill with color when I used Quick Shape?
A: Quick Shape respects your current brush color, so if you have anything but black selected, your shape will take on that fill hue. Tap the color circle in the top-right and change to black (or any color) before drawing to control the tint.
Q: How can I draw straight lines with Quick Shape?
A: Draw a short, relatively straight line and hold. In the Quick Shape menu, choose "Line" to convert your sketch to a perfectly straight line. Rotate with two fingers to get the right angle.
Quick Shape Example Gallery
To help visualize the creative potential of Quick Shape, here‘s a quick gallery of designs that demonstrate quintessential use cases. While the possibilities are infinite, these examples should give you a feel for what you can accomplish:
Basic icons constructed with circles, squares, and triangles
Wordmark and brandmark logos assembled via ovals and rectangles
Seamless patterns arranged from polygon Quick Shapes
Lo-fi mobile wireframes mocked up with rectangle and line Quick Shapes
Of course, these are just a few jumping off points to get your creative juices flowing. My favorite way to unlock new Quick Shape tricks is to pick a random object – say, a houseplant or coffee mug – and try to replicate it using only Quick Shapes. You‘ll be surprised how much detail you can achieve with basic forms!
Final Quick Shape Thoughts
I hope this deep dive has given you a newfound appreciation for the power and flexibility of Quick Shape. It may seem like a small feature in Procreate‘s vast toolbox, but mastering it can significantly level up your precision, speed, and overall drawing confidence.
No matter what kind of work you do in Procreate – illustration, interface design, lettering, or anything between – Quick Shape is the unsung hero that can help you nail tricky angles, inject perfect geometry, and bring a touch of polish to the roughest of sketches.
So the next time you open Procreate to tackle a new project, I encourage you to embrace the magic of Quick Shape. Sketch with reckless abandon, safe in the knowledge that mathematically pristine shapes are just a hold away. Once you get a taste for this faster way of working, you‘ll wonder how you ever drew without it!
Questions, thoughts, or Quick Shape tips of your own to share? I‘d love to hear them! Feel free to connect with me on Twitter or Instagram (@KyleJBrush) to keep the conversation going. Now go forth and shape your world with Quick Shape!