How to Create Straight Lines in Procreate

There’s an easy way to make straight lines in Procreate.

This article will detail how to do it.

But first, let’s get to some some facts about this powerful program.

What is Procreate?

Procreate is a graphics editor app that enables the user to edit and create graphics.

It was designed to provide a creative app for the iPad and was launched in 2011. 

Procreate aims to recreate the natural feel of a real sketch while applying the functional advantages of a digital platform.

It offers:

• Over 130 brushes,
• Multiple layers
• Blend modes
• 4K Resolution export of process tapes
• Autosaves
• Many other alphanumeric art tools

Procreate is multi-touch and works in tandem with the Apple Pencil. 

It also allows use for many third-party styluses.

Importing and exporting with Adobe Photoshop is possible.

Savage Interactive developed Procreate

Its stable date release was 5.0.2 / February 14, 2020.

The license is proprietary, and the operating system is iOS.

It offers a tool to create straight line.

Procreate transports the tool we’ve been waiting for – Quick line. 

With a Quick line, we can quickly create perfectly straight lines without converting tools or switching screens.

Simply hold to snap it into a conservative line, retaining the texture and quality of the brush.

Drawing Straight Lines in Procreate

We can draw straight lines in Procreate quickly.

What we have to do is draw a line and hold at the end of the line .

This will create a perfectly straight line.

So, what if we want it to be at a 90-degree angle?

Just put a finger on the canvas, and it will move to that angle.

When we shift our finger all over or move our stylus around, we’ll see that it will snap to a straight line.

Make sure to begin withdrawing a line and stop, but keep pen or finger on the canvas to activate it. 

If we don’t want this to happen, there’s a way to toggle it on and off on the upper left side corner with the wrench icon.

Then we go over the preferences.

Look for Quick Line Delay.

There’s a slider that we can slide down.

That will disable a quick line if we don’t want it.

We can slide it up to activate.

We just have to draw a line and hold until we see that it becomes straight.

Draw it and keep it.

We can then proceed with the angle of that straight line by the stylus’s movement around it. 

For more information, please check this link.

How to Draw a Line or a Circle in Procreate

There’s a secret feature that allows doing this.

Begin by drawing a circle or a line, hold down the stylus until it smoothes out the shape.

You can EDIT SHAPE with from above the canvas.

We can create perfect circles and ellipse.

The same goes for squares, triangles, etc.

How to Draw Straight Lines with Apple Pencil

The easiest way to draw a straight line with Apple Pencil is to utilize the Ruler in the Notes app. 

Open up the Ruler, place it where you need it to be, Use the Pencil to draw that along the straight edge.

Common Problems With Straight Lines 

Here are some problems that we come across while drawing straight lines in Procreate.

What is Quick Line Problem in Procreate?

This problem refers to line snaps that are straight, after putting the finger on the canvas, then it disappears, and the new line starts.

It doesn’t snap into a 15° position in Quick Line. 

We can fix this by drawing a line and waiting to enable Quickline to touch the screen with another finger. 

Now smoothly pass the pen on the side you want to go.

It will move by 15° every time. When it comes to the desired position, then lift the pen.

Why is it Only Drawing Straight Lines?

Apple pencil draws only straight lines in Procreate happens when we switch on Drawing Guide on the canvas.

We can fix this quickly.

Go to the Action menu, open it, go to Preferences, then Gesture controls.

Tap the Assisted Drawing tab in the Gesture Control Panel, which is on the left side.

Turn off the Apple pencil if it is toggled.

It restricts Pencil that we set for the canvas to Drawing Guide. 

If it doesn’t work, try two other things.

Open Action menu then goes to canvas.

If Drawing Guide is on, turn it off or click on Edit Drawing Guide.

Switch off Assisted Drawing in the Drawing Guide screen.

Open Menu of Layer to see a thumbnail for layers.

If Assist is displayed, click the Layer Thumbnail to start the Layer Options menu.

Then, click on Drawing Assist, then toggle it to Switch Off.

Auto-Fixing Lines

Lines can be auto fixed to be straighter.

Draw a line and then hold for a second to lift it.

The line will become straight, and then it can be moved wherever desire. 

But if it doesn’t work, then go to Wrench> Prefs and note if Quickline is switched off.

Open a brush, then go to the Stroke icon and increase streamline.

Do this for each brush that is used. 

Don’t want to change it permanently, then copy a default brush.

Increase the streamline and then alter the name of the brush to some other thing.

Straight Lines are a Snap!

If we’re not familiar, Procreate Layers work only as they sound.

They allow us to layer various sections of content on top of each other while supporting a level of independence. 

So, for example, we could draw something on one Layer, and then create a new layer for an additional design.

We can move and manipulate two layers separately in contrary to one Layer, dependent work in a shared space.

To disclose Layers, drag on the Layers Icon on the top of the right hand in the work area.

By default, we’ll see two Layers in a Document: Layer 1 and Background Color.

Layer 1 and Background Color

The Layer we select will be highlighted in blue.

A New Layer can be created by tapping on Plus Sign in Menue of Layers.

When we swift Left, we will discover additional actions that can be used for Layers, including Lock, Duplicate, and Delete.

The Lock is being use to lock the Layer to protect it’s material.

After Lock, we will not be able to change the content.

We can Unlock it from the same place.

Duplicate

Duplicate is used to create a copy of the material on a Different Layer.

Delete is used to delete the selected Layer.

But if we only have one Layer then we’ll notice “Clear” rather than Delete.

Organize, Hide, Lock, Duplicate and Delete Layers

If we want to move the Layer, Tap it and Hold it.

Then move the Layer in which order you want.

We can also group the Layers. In this example, we have three layers. 

Swipe Right on the layers we would like to Group. Selected Layers will be highlighted in blue.

Then, choose the Group Icon on the upper right-hand side.

This is how these Layers appeared as a group.

In this example, we widened the Group to see its contents.

We can hide contents by Tapping on the downward arrow to contract.

We can also organize these Layers within the Group.

Use the same technique to move Layers here and there in a group.

When we swipe left, we will see the same Lock, Duplicate, and Delete actions that we have seen in Layer of standard Procreate. 

Visibility of Procreate Layer can be Switched on and Off through the checkboxes on the right-hand side of each Layer.

The same action is used for Layers within Groups and Layers groups.

Layer Options in Procreate

Click on a layer to show an additional menu.

Let’s begin with a few of the most direct ones:

Rename option can be used to rename any particular layer.

It’s handy for organizational purposes.

Select the option to selects the content of that particular Layer.

Copy option copies the contents of the Layer.

Contents can be pasted from the Actions panel. 

Fill option can be used to fill the whole Layer with your actual color.

Clear option removes all of the contents of that particular Layer.

Invert option will reverse your Layer.

So, e.g., if the Layer is filled with the black color and then I selected Invert, it would make the contents white.

Merge Down option combines the Layer below with the Layer under it.

The result will be one combined Layer.

Combine Down option will combine the active Layer and the Layer under it into a Layer group. 

Note: The appearance of these menus can depend on the number of layers and/or their sequence.

For example, if we only have one Layer, then we will not see “Merge Down” or “Combine Down”.

If we have Drawing Assist on, this can also be switched on or Off from these Layer selections.

Now, let’s move to some complicated selections.

Alpha Lock locks the Layer’s clearness. 

In this sample, We have a layer called “Circle” having a purple circle in it. We then click the Alpha Lock option.

Now, we can draw inside the purple circle zone without going outside of my artwork because the available diagram space has been protected to the area engaged by the purple circle.

When we try to add yellow lines, they will remain inside the limits of the purple circle we have previously drawn.

Selecting the Mask option will add a Procreate Layer Mask to the current Layer. 

In the below sample, we have given the layer “Example” a Fill Color as all green.

Keep an eye on the Layer Mask in the Layers panel, below.

When viewing at the Mask Preview, the black space is not visible.

The white space is visible.

For example., the white dots in the Mask Preview are the only space where the green will be noticeable.

Procreate has Clipping Masks, which we can add from our Layers.

Clipping Masks

Now, create a shape of a particular type on a layer of its own. 

After that, create a New Layer on top of this pattern.

Select the layer preview and then tap on Clipping Mask.

This Layer will perform as a Clipping Mask, which means its visibility will be relayed on the Layer under it. 

In the below sample, notice that we cannot add the red lines’ outer side of the black circle.

Its because the red lines were drawn on our Clipping Mask.

The Reference makes the active Layer a Reference Layer. To keep Line Art and Color Fills separate.

We can use Procreate Reference Layers.

In the sample above, We have made a few lines art on a Layer we are calling “Line Layer.”

We then select Reference to make this into Reference Layer.

After adding a New Layer and have its name as “Color Layer.”

The Layer over the Reference Layer is the one that will depend on the said Reference. 

Procreate Reference Layers make it very straightforward to add.

Both Procreate and other programs can make Line Art while keeping lines independent and on a layer.

With my “Color Layer” selected, all we have to do is drag actual color into space.

We like to be filled with color. 

Now, It recognizes this space defined in my Reference Layer, keeping the color separate on the above Layer.

Layer Opacity and Blending Modes in Procreate

We can also change the Layer’s Blending Modes and the Procreate Layer Opacity.

To see these options, tap on the N beside the Visibility Toggle.

Exact below our Layer’s Preview, we can see the Opacity Slider.

100% is full, and 0% is invisible.

It can be applied to Groups and Grouped Layers also.

Blending Modes affect how the Layer interconnects with the other Procreate layers in the specific composition.

The Blending Mode is on the Normal option by default.

Numerous procreate blending modes contains Multiply, Luminosity, Darken, Color Burn, Saturation, Linear Burn, and many others.

Yes, it’s so many! 

One of the top techniques to get to know blending modes is to add and use them individually. 

We can also set the Blending Mode back to normal on any given instance.

To achieve this, we have to go back to the Layer’s default look.

Let’s try to attempt it. Underneath is some line art, on its Layer. 

Then, on a layer above it, there will be a solid color.

Check the variance among the same Layer with alternate Blending Modes.

The left side has the Layer with the red color will be set to Normal. 

In the middle, the same red Layer is fixed to Lighten.

The right side, this same Layer’s Blending Mode is fixed to Multiply.

Premium Procreate Brushes

Procreate has exceptional high quality, flexible, and workable brushes for artists and illustrators. 

Shader Brushes for Procreate

These gorgeous pools of brushes are perfect for adding consistency and feel in our work. 

Art Brushes for Procreate

Procreate also have some lovely real media brushes.

These consist of 21 brushes and have a vast range to offer. 

Snow Brushes for Procreate

To add organic snowfall to your work or trial with texture, these 16 snow brushes set has a lot of content to offer.

Master the Basic Gestures

Procreate gestures can increase productivity when drawing.

Gestures limit the amount of time used to carry out simple activities.

Instead of looking for undoing or zoom command on the Procreate app, we can simply swipe, tap, or pinch fingers on the screen.

We can easily customize these shortcuts also by going to Actions > Prefs > Gesture Controls. 

Procreate Tips that Everyone Needs to Know

Here are some procreate tips that every artist should know.

Looking at it initially, the app seems to be very simple and versatile, but it has many amazing features to be explored.

Get Familiar with Masks

Procreates mask options offer a method to manage a single or many layers in a given article.

Clipping Mask, Alpha Lock, and Mask are three mask selections to choose from in Procreate application.

Don’t fall with similar names as each mask option has its exclusive role.

Tap on the Layer’s thumbnail and choose from the three in the dropdown menu.

Some Capabilities of Masks

Alpha Lock

To draw within that Layer’s shape, We can use the Alpa lock option.

This tool is perfect for drawing inside the shape’s limits.

Alpha Lock command also can be used to apply textures, shadows, and highlights. 

It’s instrumental to quickly change the Layer’s fill colors.

To access the Alpha Lock tool, double finger swipe right on the particular Layer. 

Mask

The Mask tool offers a way of taking away portions of the shape with brushes when applied to solid shape or line. 

Set the brush color to black to remove from Layer, set the brush color to white to reveal the original Layer.

Clipping Mask

Similar to the Alpha Lock command, We can use Clipping Masks to change multiple layers non-destructively.

It is almost the same as the clipping mask tool in Adobe Illustrator. 

To add a new layer, Tap on the plus sign icon and then select Clipping Mask to make changes to the below Layer.

Keep Your Color Palettes Organized

Keep your color palettes both organized and accessible while working in Procreate application.

Every color palette can be retrieved from the Palettes tab in the color circle icon. 

Tap the plus sign icon at the top of the Palettes tab to generate a new palette, then choose Untitled to rename the palette. 

Hold down on the hue and move as needed to arrange the color squares; hold down on the square to delete the swatch. 

For an in-depth explanation of the Color menu, look through this link.

Quick Shape Command

Sometimes we find it difficult to draw a perfect circle or other shapes in Procreate.

Quick shape Command in Procreate can be used for straightening out unequal lines to create classic geometric shapes. 

For this, simply draw a Shape with the help of Brush Tool and restrict the pencil cursor until the shape snaps into the right position.

A menu will show above the canvas, allowing us to edit the shape.

Tap on the button to manipulate individual points. Tap the cursor to switch back to the canvas.

Learn the Recolor Methods

Color Drop method is an excellent option to recolor a single shape or an entire layer.

To recolor layer as a whole, Alpha Lock Fill Layer works excellent. 

Using the Alpha Lock Fill Layer command is a much quicker way to go while working with a more complex composition. 

Instead of dragging the Color Drop onto each line, shape, or letter, you can change the entire Layer’s colors in one fell swoop. 

Select a layer to edit, and then click on its thumbnail and select Alpha Lock.

Go back to the color menu and generate a new swatch.

Tap the Layer’s thumbnail again and choose Fill Layer.

Final Thoughts

Procreate is an excellent app with some fantastic tools designed for sketching, drawing, prototyping graphics.

It is very useful graphic editor application.

It’s an award-winning app designed for artists.

Moreover, Procreate has everything you want to create from sketches, paintings, and many more.

It’s the most advanced app that was ever designed for a mobile app.

It is effortless to use with some fantastic features.

Go on download it from here now.

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