Is Procreate Easier Than Photoshop?

Is Procreate Easier Than Photoshop? What One Should An Artist Learn?

Many artists wonder if they should learn the Procreate or the Adobe Photoshop program. They also wonder which computer program is faster for an artist to learn and master.

Procreate is a much easier computer program to learn than Photoshop, especially if you are new to the Adobe program. The Procreate program is a fabulous computer program to layout your artwork before painting on the canvas. Photoshop can also design your artwork, but as it is a more robust program than Procreate, it will take much longer to master.

Learning Procreate

Procreate is a drawing and art program that has become one of the hallmarks for many artists in the digital world. It is now an art powerhouse. As Procreate is such a unique and powerful program, many artists use it to create professional digital artworks.

Despite Procreate’s artistic power, it is an extremely user-friendly computer program. Once you understand some Procreate basics, there many ways you can use it to help you become a better artist. I personally use Procreate to design my art on paper before I put it on canvas.

Here are some ways that artist can use the Procreate program:

  • Digital Art – Many artists use Procreate for digital artwork. You can join the ranks of these artists and use Procreate as a way to create art.
  • Layout Paintings – I use Procreate to layout my paintings before I put anything on canvas. I paint many animals with hats, glasses, and other things, so I use Procreate to design my pictures before painting them on the canvas.
  • Save Steps in Painting – When I paint my abstract paintings, I may first paint a base coat; if I want to see how something would look on top of the base coat, I will photograph the painting and use Procreate brushes to check out different design ideas. This gives me an idea of how my final artwork will look. It is much easier for me to play around with potential designs on the Procreate than to paint over something I did not like. I find that Procreate helps me save steps in the painting process.
  • Use As A Digital Art Journal – As Procreate is a sketch and design program, you can use it as a digital art journal to sketch any inspiration you may have.

There are a lot of ways that an artist can use the Procreate program. Everything from design to art journaling.

Learning Photoshop

Photoshop is a mighty program that both professional and amateur artists use. It is one of the industry-standard design programs.

As Photoshop is a mighty program, it is also more difficult to learn than the Procreate app and is more expensive than Procreate. To understand the very basics of Photoshop, you will need about five hours; this is only the basics and not any of the advanced features. Also, to use Photoshop, you need to purchase a Creative Cloud account, which you will be charged monthly for.

Photoshop has many features that Procreate does not. For example, Photoshop has a 3-D function that Procreate does not have.

Procreate vs Photoshop

Which program is really better for an artist to learn? The answer to this question depends on a few factors and if you already use Apple products.

If you are looking to have a program to help you design and layout your artwork before painting on the canvas, Procreate is an amazing program. Procreate can help you design your painting or decide what to paint next on your working canvas.

If you are looking to do some digital design, then all the Adobe apps, including Photoshop, are the way to go for your digital art design needs.

One drawback of Procreate is that it can only be used on an Apple Ipad with an Apple Pencil. If you are not an Apple user, then using the Procreate app is not possible. If you are an Apple products user and have a compatible Ipad, it is a great program to use as an artist to help you layout and design your artwork.

Here are the reasons why I would use Procreate to layout my paintings and artwork:

  • Cheaper – Procreate is a much cheaper program than Abode Photoshop. Depending on what plan you have, Adobe will charge you per month; Procreate is 9.95 for the entire program.
  • Ease of Use – Once you learn some of the Procreate basics it is quite easy to learn.
  • Fast to Use – I find that using Procreate to layout my artwork is super easy and very fast.
  • Variety of Brushes and Sizes – Procreate comes with a variety of artistic brushes and sizes for the brushes. This means you can get as close as possible to the brush strokes you will use on your actual canvas.
  • Training by Apple – As Procreate can only be used on an Ipad, many Apple Stores do some basic Procreate training. I have found this as a great way to learn Procreate. Before I even purchased an Ipad that would used Procreate I went to the Apple store and they allowed me to borrow one of their Ipads to try out the Ipad and the Procreate app.

Apple Ipad Versions That Can Use Procreate

Most of the Apple Ipads can use Procreate unless you have a much older Ipad. Here are the Apple Ipads that can run the Procreate program:

  • Apple Ipad using a version that is IOS 13.2 or newer.
  • Must have an Apple Pencil or compatible pencil.
  • Works with the following Apple Ipads:
    • 12.9-inch iPad Pro (1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th generation)
    • 11-inch iPad Pro (1st and 2nd generation)
    • 10.5-inch iPad Pro
    • 9.7-inch iPad Pro
    • iPad (8th generation)
    • iPad (7th generation)
    • iPad (6th generation)
    • iPad (5th generation)
    • iPad mini (5th generation)
    • iPad mini 4
    • iPad Air (4th generation)
    • iPad Air (3rd generation)
    • iPad Air 2

If you already have an Apple iPad or plan to purchase one, then getting the Procreate program is the logical choice. You can download the Procreate program from the app store. Procreate also has a Pocket Version that you can use on your iPhone.

I use both Procreate and Adobe products, including Photoshop, daily. I love many Adobe products, including Photoshop, but I find Procreate much easier for me to use to layout and design my artwork.

How Do You Use Procreate to Layout your Oil Paintings?

Procreate is a really great computer app to use to help you plan and layout your oil paintings before you put them on your canvas.  Procreate will help to save you time because when you will not need to paint over your artistic mistakes.  You can also use Procreate as an online sketchbook or art journal.

You can discover more by reading Procreate to Layout your Oil Paintings, What You Need to Know by clicking here.  

Why Are Oil Paints Preferred When It Comes to Painting?

Many artists prefer oil paints as they are a classic art medium to use. Oil paints also offer rich, lush colors; oil paints are versatile paints to use and have a slow drying time. Oil also paints very durable and stable paints while also giving you a great color blending quality. Use can use a variety of brushes or even a palette knife with your oil paints.

You can learn more by reading Why Are Oil Paints Preferred When It Comes to Painting? by clicking here.

Anita Louise Hummel

Hi, I am Anita Louise Hummel. I am an artist and a blogger. I paint mainly oil paints. I love to paint women, animals (mainly dogs and cats), and abstracts. I use a lot of gold and silver leaf in my paintings. I also love to blog about anything to do with art, business, Procreate, and all the wonderful artists that inspire me.