From Sketch to Artwork: Unraveling the Best Charcoal Brushes for Procreate
Introduction
Creating digital art has become increasingly popular, and artists are always on the lookout for the best tools to enhance their skills. Among the various digital art platforms, Procreate stands out as one of the most versatile and powerful apps available. If you are an artist looking to bring the traditional charm of charcoal sketches into the digital realm, you need the right tools to achieve that effect. In this article, we will explore the best charcoal brushes for Procreate, enabling you to transform your sketches into stunning artworks.
Why Charcoal Brushes Matter
Charcoal sketches have a unique texture and depth that can be challenging to replicate with standard digital brushes. The right charcoal brushes for Procreate offer a more organic and authentic feel, giving your artwork the richness and artistic touch it deserves. These brushes can make your digital art stand out, resembling traditional media but with the convenience of digital creation.
The Must-Have Charcoal Brushes
1. Tip Top Real Charcoal Brushes for Procreate
Make sure your iOS is updated and you have the latest version of Procreate App – Procreate 5 and higher . It’s very important, because some of the brushes were made with the feature available in Procreate 5.
Procreate Pocket doesn’t have the feature available in Procreate 5, so you can install brushes, but some of them will behave in a different way, not as shown on the video. The canvas file will work correctly in Procreate Pocket as in Procreate 5. Palettes became available in the latest version of Procreate Pocket.2. Dry Media Pro Charcoal and Chalk Procreate Brushes
This is a top quality professional level set of highly realistic dry media brushes for Procreate. A long time in development, this one is really special. It contains a fine tuned set of pencils, charcoal, chalks, conte, pastels, smudgers, dusters, base textures and special blenders (you don’t even need to switch to the blend tool to use them. There are 38 brushes in total.
3. Charcoal Procreate Brushes
Charcoal Procreate Brushes
15 Solid charcoal-style brushes for Procreate 4 and up. Perfect for drawing and coloring your next masterpiece. Used as a smudger gives the brushes a more realistic look
4. Dry Media Pro Charcoal and Chalk Procreate Brushes
This is a top quality professional level set of highly realistic dry media brushes for Procreate. A long time in development, this one is really special. It contains a fine tuned set of pencils, charcoal, chalks, conte, pastels, smudgers, dusters, base textures and special blenders (you don’t even need to switch to the blend tool to use them. There are 38 brushes in total.
5. The Charcoal Master Pack – Procreate Brush Set
Lane’s Charcoal Master Pack is a collection of finely tuned brushes for Procreate 5+.
Enjoy an arsenal of 44 brushes and tools inspired by master artists such as Andrew Loomis, Glen Keane, and John Singer Sargent.
Taking full advantage of Procreate 5’s new brush engine and the Apple Pencil’s tilt control, these brushes are capable of incredibly natural and satisfying effects.
The set includes a range of charcoal pencils, vine, willow, conté, charcoal dust, and compressed charcoal sticks. Also, special smudge and eraser tools for very natural effects.
A description of each brush and tips on how to use them effectively is provided.
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Pro Tip: Try holding the Apple Pencil between your index finger and middle finger. This makes it easier to transition between the tip (for fine lines) and the edge (for broad strokes) without having to change your grip!
6. Charcoal and pencil brushes set
In this set, you will Charcoal and pencil brushes set for creative projects.
You will love to use these brushes in Procreate on any kind of project, from illustrations for kids, grunge style illustrations, comic and realistic projects.
To use the brushes simply choose a brush, select the paint tool, and draw.
The color and width of the strokes can be adjusted easily.Charcoal and pencil brushes set
If you love the brushes or creation what you’ve made with them, don’t hesitate to share! Charcoal and pencil brushes set
IMPORTANT:
These brushes are ONLY for Procreate and for use with Pencil or compatible stylus. These brushes DO NOT WORK IN PHOTOSHOP or ILLUSTRATOR.
HOW TO INSTALL:
Download the file, Go to the file, preview the content, you will see brushes file, click on it and it will be imported to Procreate at your iPad.
7. Procreate Circlee Charcoal Chain Retro Brush
Circlee brush for the Procreate app – A digital charcoal pencil grainy texture round repeat circle loop chain brush mini .brushset pack tool iPad or iPad Pro drawing, sketching, painting, calligraphy hand lettering, for many aesthetics: cute, kawaii, retro vintage, goth, gothic, boho, artsy, school, office, work, studying, university, college, uni, teacher, student, back to school stationary, planner, planning, minimalist, punk rock, sweet, casual, cool, classy, elegant, etc. You can use these brushes for backgrounds, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram social media images, graphic design, illustration, drawing, character art, portrait art, valentines day art, birthday cards, party invitations, scrapbooking, scrapbooks, digital planning, randomly doodling, etc.
A tool for digital artists, graphic design, iPad Pro hand lettering, calligraphy, writing, planning, drawing, art, illustrating / illustration, painting and more.
Happy drawing!
*REQUIRES PROCREATE APP & IPAD / IPAD PRO
*INSTANT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD. THIS IS A DIGITAL FILE. NO PRINTED OR PHYSICAL PRODUCT OR ITEM WILL BE SENT OR MAILED*
WHAT’S INCLUDED: 2 .brushset files –
– 1 .brushset file with 3 variations of the Circlee brush and smooth line versions of each. 1 FREE brush.
(Some with pressure and opacity sensitivity when used with the Apple Pencil)
Happy drawing!
8. Pencil & charcoal Procreate brushes
A set of 14 handmade charcoal and pencil brushes for Procreate to give a traditional media look to your drawings! The set includes charcoal brushes (great for shading), and different pencil brushes that can be used for sketching.
► You will receive a ZIP containing the 14 brushes, in .brushset format.
To use these brushes, you will need:
- The iPad app Procreate (the brushes will only work in Procreate)
- An iPad + stylus: even though the brushes will work with other iPad models and third party styluses, I recommend the iPad Pro + Apple Pencil combo, as they’re currently the most precise & accurate tools for drawing in Procreate. The brushes were created & tested using an Apple Pencil so I cannot guarantee that they will behave as advertised with third party styluses.
9. THE LINER BRUSH PACK FOR PROCREATE
Make realistic pen and ink line art with this collection of 22 brushes for Procreate. Includes inkers, pencils, charcoal, chalk, fillers, washes and more.
- 22 Procreate brushes inspired by ink illustrations.
- Made by hours of side-by-side comparisons with real ink illustrations.
- Includes a variety of inkers, charcoal, pens, pencils, fillers, and washes.
- Tested by professional illustrators on real client projects.
- Inspired by the line art in a children’s magic book from 1955.
The Liner Brush Pack for Procreate was inspired by pen and ink illustrations from a book called Spooky Magic published in 1955. We loved the artwork so much we carefuly worked to create the brushes through side-by-side comparisons between the Procreate brushes and the original artwork.
10. Charcoal Brushes
This pack is the result of hours of experimentation, which has resulted in brushes with a smudgy, life-like, soft textures that look so real that it’s hard to believe that they’re vectors. Use these tools to up your vector illustration game and create authentic looking artwork!
Use them to build subtle layers of charcoal tone but setting the opacity to ‘Multiply’.
The pack contains all of these fantastic components:
The Brushes
- 6 smudged charcoal brushes.
- 13 smeared charcoal brushes.
- 6 charcoal outline brushes.
- 8 chunky textured charcoal brushes.
- A pressure sensitive version of the brushes is also included – perfect for those who use graphics tablets (Please note that this feature only works in Illustrator CS5+).
A quick reference guide
This will help you find the right brushes for the task in hand quickly.
Example files
The bird image, the main cover image and the ‘Charcoal’ text image: Use these to see how I achieved the look.
Please note: the guide and example files are compatible with Illustrator CS5, CS6 and CC only.
Instructions
A very thorough guide on how to load, apply and then adjust the brushes is supplied.
11. CARBON Brushes COMPLETE SET for Photoshop and Procreate
Justin Gerard’s CARBON Brush Sets have been developed to give illustrators digital tools for sketching and drawing that simulate the look and feel of traditional tools. This set offers 60 unique Brushes for Photoshop and Procreate that simulate CHALK and CHARCOAL texture, texture and shading. Each brush was hand-designed using samples of actual pencil, chalk and charcoal strokes on a variety of paper surfaces. They have been refined over the course of the past two years so that their tool settings are highly optimized. They wil
CARBON Brushes COMPLETE SET for Photoshop and Procreate
Justin Gerard’s CARBON Brush Sets have been developed to give illustrators digital tools for sketching and drawing that simulate the look and feel of traditional tools. This set offers 60 unique Brushes for Photoshop and Procreate that simulate CHALK and CHARCOAL texture, texture and shading. Each brush was hand-designed using samples of actual pencil, chalk and charcoal strokes on a variety of paper surfaces. They have been refined over the course of the past two years so that their tool settings are highly optimized. They will save the artist time and energy while also providing highly-nuanced, varied and interesting brush-work, line-work, and texture.
Each brush contains built-in characteristics such as opacity, flow, special modes and textural effects that make each one handle in unique ways. Please see the Brush Guide in the sample images for some helpful tips on how to use the brushes to their fullest potential.
If you encounter any bugs or errors with this version, please PM me!
12. The Procreate Charcoal Box
The Procreate Charcoal Box
Set with 7 Procreate Brushes that emulates charcoal marks.
This is a digital download.
In order to use the product all you need to do is to download the file and install it in Procreate.
Procreate Product Only!
The Procreate Charcoal Box
Set with 7 Procreate Brushes that emulates charcoal marks.
This is a digital download.
In order to use the product all you need to do is to download the file and install it in Procreate.
Procreate Product Only!
13. The Comics MaxPack – Brushes for Procreate
The Comics MaxPack is a set of brushes compatible with Procreate 4+
Enjoy 75 comics-focused brushes designed to give your illustrations energy and character. They’re perfect for creators of sharp web comics, grungy graphic novels, stylish editorial illustrations, elegant calligraphy, and anyone who needs subtle, rich linework. Highlights include the Sable Inkers, premium ink brushes with subtle texture perfect for the most sensitive linework. The Toothy Inkers are bold and gritty, with tilt action giving you a rough halftone just where you need it without having to switch brushes. If it’s precision you’re looking for, the Fountain Pens and Tech Pens have you covered. The Leaky Inker and Blobby Pen are perfect for retro mid-century pieces and cartoon modern flair. For calligraphers and adventurous illustrators, the Parallel Pens create dynamic thick and thin marks and realistic drying effects with tilt. They’re the ideal complement to the scratchy texture of the Rake Brushes. The Charcoal Brushes can be used to add texture and value to any piece, or on their own to create loose, fun images. When it’s time to add color, the Markers are an instant classic. They layer just like the real thing. Then finish it all off with a waxy Colored Pencil that blends just the way you’re used to. Most brushes are capable of a wide range of marks and feature unique dry brush effects when tilting with the Apple Pencil. Many of the ink brushes and markers include valuable variants like multiply blend modes that mix colors just the way you’d expect with real ink. And don’t forget, you’re not limited to linework with ink brushes, you can paint with them too! No matter the effect you’re looking to create, this is the pack you need.
To round out your brush collection, you can start with The Essential MaxPack. It contains realistic, expressive pencils, smooth pastel shaders, and more. Then loosen up and add rich texture to your paintings with The Painter’s MaxPack.
75 Brushes Included in the Set:
2 Tech Pens
2 Super Clean Inkers
8 Sable Inkers
4 Toothy Inkers
3 Retro Inkers
6 Precise Fountain Pens
2 Organic Sumi Brushes
4 Unique Dry Brushes
4 Expressive Parallel Pens
6 Scratchy Rake Brushes
4 Versatile Sketch Markers
8 Uncanny Markers
3 Familiar Ballpoint Pens
3 Realistic Pencils
A Smooth Colored Pencil
2 Gritty Charcoals
13 Complementary Smudge Brushes
See more samples @maxulichney on Instagram and Twitter. And see what everyone else is making using the #maxpacks hashtag!
v1.1
Update notes:
– Installation has been dramatically simplified due to use of .brushset files
– MaxPacks naming on brush sets for clarity
– Improved ReadMe
– Brushes are unchanged
14. 25 Graphite & Charcoal for Portraits
If you love the look of 25 Graphite & Charcoal for Portraits and you’d like to recreate the look in Procreate, then this set is a MUST! I’ve created a set of 25 Graphite & Charcoal for Portraits that make it really easy to get a Riso effect in Procreate. The 25 Graphite & Charcoal for Portraits are pressure sensitive giving you complete control of the look and feel of your piece. I’ve also included FOUR Paper Texture Overlay Brushes to so that you can boost the realism of your 25 Graphite & Charcoal for Portraits There are also five extra brushes, for creating your initial design. Key features: Huge variety of textures, edge effects and brush poses to suit almost any drawing style. Built from high-def analogue source materials and designed for pro-quality output. Intuitive and easy-to-use whether your’e a weekend warrior honing your craft or a full-time pro chasing deadlines and dreams. Easy to navigate brush list with dividers separating brushes by style. Includes easy-to-use ink washes and watercolors with realistic bleed and blend effects for authentic results. Have fun applying the authentic stamps to your paintings and play with clipping masks and blending modes to mimic that wonderful unpredictability of real watercolor. PLEASE NOTE: These brushes will only work with the Procreate for iPad app & Apple Pencil, and will not work in any other app. INSTALLATION: Make sure your iOS is updated and you have the latest version of Procreate App – Procreate 5 and higher . It’s very important, because some of the brushes were made with the feature available in Procreate 5. Procreate Pocket doesn’t have the feature available in Procreate 5, so you can install brushes, but some of them will behave in a different way, not as shown on the video. The canvas file will work correctly in Procreate Pocket as in Procreate 5. Palettes became available in the latest version of Procreate Pocket.
15. Procreate Brushes Starter Kit 3060368
To use these brushes, you will need:
- The iPad app Procreate (the brushes will only work in Procreate)
- An iPad + stylus: even though the brushes will work with other iPad models and third party styluses, I recommend the iPad Pro + Apple Pencil combo, as they’re currently the most precise & accurate tools for drawing in Procreate. The brushes were created & tested using an Apple Pencil so I cannot guarantee that they will behave as advertised with third party styluses.
16. Mistletoe Charm Brush Box for Procreate
This brush set helps you focus on your lettering and calligraphy. Simply decorate your artwork — use these stamps and flow brushes to create the perfect illustration.
! This brush box is only compatible with Procreate app ! (Procreate version 5 or later is required)
In zip file you find:
- Mistletoe_Stamps.brushset
- 34 filled stamps of mistletoe branches, including 6 additional greenery pieces and 3 bows
- Mistletoe_Line_Stamps.brushset
- 34 contour stamps of mistletoe branches, including 6 additional greenery pieces and 3 bows
- Mistletoe_Flow.brushset
- 34 flow/borders
- 1 lettering soft charcoal brush
- 1 drawing soft charcoal brush
- 1 background watercolor brush
- 1 splatter brush
- ReadMe.txt file contains installation info
Requirements:
- iPad Pro
- Apple Pencil
- Procreate app
17. Real Pencils – Procreate Brushes
This Brush-Set includes 18 custom made, realistic, and natural-looking pencils for Procreate 5. Drawing (and sketching in particular) is my most favorite thing to do. I love the simplicity of picking up a pencil and sketchbook and to just start scribbling away, letting all my creative ideas flow. It’s like keeping a journal but without words, and it’s most enjoyable when the tools don’t get in the way. There’s just something about pencil drawings that I’m deeply in love with. Perhaps it’s the rawness, the honesty and imperfection that you can see in each single pencil stroke…
This Brush-Set includes 18 custom made, realistic, and natural-looking pencils for Procreate 5. Drawing (and sketching in particular) is my most favorite thing to do. I love the simplicity of picking up a pencil and sketchbook and to just start scribbling away, letting all my creative ideas flow. It’s like keeping a journal but without words, and it’s most enjoyable when the tools don’t get in the way. There’s just something about pencil drawings that I’m deeply in love with. Perhaps it’s the rawness, the honesty and imperfection that you can see in each single pencil stroke… With this brush-set I wanted to recreate my favorite traditional tools for Procreate and I can confidently say, that this is the best set of pencils that I’ve ever used when drawing digitally. If you want to experience a more natural and realistic drawing feeling in Procreate, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy these brushes.
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Here’s what you’ll get:
- 2 Shaders / Blenders
- 2 Charcoal Sticks
- 1 Oil-based Colored Pencil
- 1 Mechanical Pencil
- 12 Realistic Graphite Pencils
- 1 Paper Texture
- FREE Stippling Set
18. Charcoal Sketch Set – For Procreate
Everything you need to convert your ipad into a sketchpad. 5 brushes with a charcoal finish.
The pack includes: 5 brushes
- Soft Shadow
- Charcoal Paper
- Texture brush
- Hard stroke
- Messy Soft
Note: These brushes only work in procreate not in photoshop I hope you enjoy them
fully customizable
Todo lo que necesitas para convertir tu Ipad en un sketchbook. 5 Pinceles con un acabado de carboncillo.
El paquete incluye 5 pinceles
- Soft Shadow
- Charcoal Paper
- Texture brush
- Hard stroke
- Messy Soft
Nota: Estos pinceles solo funcionan en Procreate no en Photoshop
¡Son totalmente personalizables!
19. 25 Graphite & Charcoal for Portraits – Procreate
This Graphic and Charcoal pack is super versatile. You’ll easily be able to go from sketch to a final piece in one go. Plus it comes with a Free E-book Tutorial!
This Graphic and Charcoal pack is super versatile. You’ll easily be able to go from sketch to a final piece in one go. Plus it comes with a Free E-book Tutorial!
This Brush Set will help you create pieces that look and feel like traditional media with the wonders of the digital era!
Made from Real Life textures, this Brush Set is as close as it gets to the real thing!
Included in this set:
- 25 Pressure Sensitive Graphite And Charcoal Brushes Made From Real Life Textures:
- 9 Graphite Sketch Brushes
- 7 Graphite Charcoal Brushes
- 5 Graphite Texture Brushes
- 4 Graphite Filling Brushes
- Free E-book Tutorial On How To Draw A Digital Portrait
- What is Shading and Why is it Important?
- Shading Exercises to help you Improve.
- How to Draw an Eye?
- How to Draw a Nose?
- How to Draw a Mouth?
- Face Measurements and Proportions.
- About the Procreate Graphite and Charcoal Brushset for Realistic Portraits.
20. Procreate Rough Sketch Brush Set – 21
Procreate Rough Sketch Brush Set – 21 Sketching Brushes, Bundle Pack, Grain Charcoal Texture, Ink, Shading Brushes & Pens Portrait Drawing Illustration Graphic Design INSTANT DIGITAL DOWNLOAD
2 .brushset files (7 brushes in Part 1, 14 brushes in Part 2) (as shown in the picture)
Tips for Using Charcoal Brushes in Procreate
- Experiment and Play: Don’t be afraid to try different brushes and techniques. Charcoal brushes offer a wide range of effects, so experiment to find what suits your style best.
- Layering and Blending: Utilize layers to build up your artwork and blend different charcoal brushes together for stunning effects.
- Pressure Sensitivity: Take advantage of Procreate’s pressure sensitivity settings. Adjusting the brush opacity based on pen pressure can add depth to your strokes.
- Reference Traditional Art: Look at traditional charcoal artwork for inspiration and guidance. Understanding how real charcoal works can help you achieve more convincing digital results.
Bringing Your Sketch to Life
The process of turning a simple sketch into a mesmerizing charcoal artwork involves more than just the right brushes. It’s about understanding shading, highlights, and composition. Take your time to study traditional charcoal drawings and apply those principles to your digital creations.
Conclusion
Procreate, coupled with the best charcoal brushes, offers artists an unparalleled opportunity to create stunning artwork with the ease and convenience of digital tools. Whether you’re a professional artist or just starting your artistic journey, the charm and versatility of charcoal brushes will undoubtedly elevate your digital art to new heights.
FAQs
- Are these brushes compatible with all versions of Procreate?Yes, these charcoal brushes are designed to work seamlessly with all versions of Procreate.
- Can I customize the brushes to suit my style?Absolutely! Procreate allows you to customize and tweak these brushes to match your unique artistic style.
- Do these brushes require any additional downloads?No, all the brushes mentioned in this article come ready to use with Procreate.
- Can I use these brushes on my iPad and iPhone?Yes, Procreate is available for both iPad and iPhone, and these brushes are fully compatible with both devices.
- Do these brushes support pressure sensitivity?Yes, most of the recommended charcoal brushes in Procreate support pressure sensitivity, enhancing your creative control and brush effects.
