Procreate Stitch Brush
If you love designing in Procreate and have been looking for a way to add a stitch brush to your toolkit, you're in the right place! This easy tutorial will guide you step by step, helping you customize and tweak your brush to perfection.
Visual learner? Scroll to the bottom for the step-by-step video guide.
Step 1: Setting Up Your Canvas
To get started, you need a square canvas. Tap the “+” symbol, choose the square option, and you’re good to go! The background color isn’t crucial, but for this tutorial, I’ll use black. You can either go with a black or transparent background—either will work!
Step 2: Create the Base Shape for the Stitch
We want our stitch to resemble small rectangles. Instead of drawing a rectangle from scratch, I’ve already created one. To save time, I’m using a pre-made shape from my library. You can either draw your own or use an existing shape. I love using a rectangle with slightly rounded edges for a more polished look.
Make sure the rectangle is centered on your canvas. Use the move tool to adjust the position if needed. Don’t worry too much about perfection; the key is that it fits nicely inside the square.
Step 3: Copying the Shape
Once your shape is ready, copy it by using a three-finger slide-down gesture, then tap "Copy” OR going to the layer that the shape is one click on it for a dropdown menu, choose “Copy”. Now we have the base for our brush!
Step 4: Selecting and Duplicating the Monoline Brush
We’ll build this brush using the Monoline brush as a base. You can find the Monoline brush under the Calligraphy section in Procreate. Once you’ve found it, swipe left to duplicate the brush—this ensures that you won’t overwrite the original. The duplicated brush will be labeled as “Monoline 1.”
Step 5: Editing the Brush
Now it’s time to edit the duplicated brush! Tap on the brush, and we’ll begin by pasting the rectangle shape we copied earlier. To do this, go to the "Shape" option in the brush settings. You’ll see the current shape (likely a circle), but we’ll change that by hitting “Edit” and selecting “Import.” Choose the “Paste” option, and voilà! Your rectangle is now part of your new brush.
Don’t forget to tap “Done” twice—this ensures that your changes are saved!
Step 6: Adjusting Brush Spacing for a Stitch Effect
To make your brush resemble stitches, head to the "Stroke Path" section at the top of the brush settings. Adjust the spacing all the way to the maximum. This spaces out your shapes, making them look like individual stitches. You’ll likely notice some rectangles are rotated incorrectly. To fix that, go back to the "Shape" section and lower the “Scatter” setting to zero.
Step 7: Fine-Tuning Brush Properties
The brush might still feel too small or large. Under the "Properties" tab, you can play with the brush’s behavior. Increase the maximum size to get bigger stitches. I recommend setting the max size to around 169% and keeping the minimum size at 2%. This gives you flexibility when using the brush.
Step 8: Testing and Tweaking the Brush
Once your stitch brush is ready, test it out! Draw some lines, and see how it looks. If the stitches feel too far apart, go back into the "Stroke Path" and reduce the spacing. If everything looks good, save your settings by hitting "Done” at the top right.
Step 9: Renaming Your Brush
Now that you’ve made your custom stitch brush, let’s rename it! Go to the “About Brush” section in the brush settings, and rename your creation—perhaps something like “Basic Stitch Brush.” This makes it easy to find later.
Step 10: Fixing Alignment Issues
While using the brush, you may notice one odd rectangle at the beginning of your stitch line. No worries! Simply hold down the stroke, and Procreate will auto-correct the wonky rectangle, giving you a perfectly aligned stitch.
Step 11: Organizing Your Brushes
To keep your stitch brush handy, you might want to add it to your "Go-To" brush library. Hold down the brush, and drag it to the correct library. If it lands in the wrong spot, try dragging it to a library above your intended one—Procreate sometimes has a glitch here, but this workaround works!
Step 12: Creating a Second Brush (Optional)
Want to take your brush creation even further? Duplicate the stitch brush and make a new one! You can import shapes from Procreate’s source library to create different stitch effects. For example, using a slim oval shape will give you a “Seed Stitch Brush” for a more unique look.
Final Thoughts
There you have it—your custom stitch brush in Procreate! Play around with the settings, experiment with spacing, and make it truly your own. Whether you're using it for digital stitching on journal designs or adding texture to illustrations, this stitch brush will surely become a staple in your toolkit.
I hope this tutorial was helpful and gave you the confidence to create your brushes in Procreate. Thank you for following along, and I’ll see you in the next tutorial! Happy creating!
Browse My Collection of Custom Procreate Brushes
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