How to Blend in Procreate: Tips and Methods

Creating beautiful digital artwork in Procreate becomes even more captivating when you master the art of blending. The app’s blending tools allow you to seamlessly merge colors, creating stunning gradients, soft transitions and unique textures.

The best part is, you don't need to be a technical wizard to make the most of blend modes in Procreate. With some knowledge of the best tools for the job, details about the app’s various blending methods and a few pro tips for good measure, you can elevate your digital art game and start blending colors with ease.

The Basics of Blending in Procreate

A person’s hand holding an Apple Pencil over an iPad on a white tabletop. The Procreate app is open on the iPad, and is displaying a colorful and surreal image of a cat, a moon and flowers on a lilac background. — In the Skillshare class “Procreate Fundamentals: Everything You Didn't Realize You Wanted to Know,” teacher Peggy Dean uses the Gaussian Blur tool to blur the background of an image in Procreate.

In real-life art mediums, from oil painting to pencil drawing, blending is an important part of the equation. It can create shading, combine colors and add dimension to just about any work of art.

With Procreate’s blending tools, you can achieve similar effects digitally, giving you precise control over the blending process. And unlike if you were working on paper instead of an iPad, you’ll easily be able to tweak, undo and redo your blending efforts, no eraser required.

Types of Blending Effects

Instead of limiting users to a single blend tool, Procreate offers a range of blending effects that can be employed to achieve different results.

Some of the most commonly used blending tools include:

1. Smudge Tool

The Smudge tool is perfect for creating subtle blending effects. It allows you to gently mix colors together. You can control the intensity of this blending effect by adjusting its strength via the opacity slider in the left-hand menu:

High Strength

Raise the opacity of the Smudge tool to increase its strength. Use high strength when you want a more pronounced blending effect.

Low Strength

Decrease the opacity of the Smudge tool to lower its strength. Low strength is ideal for creating a more delicate and nuanced blending effect.

2. Gaussian Tool

The Gaussian Blur tool is a powerful option for achieving a more dreamy and ethereal look in your artwork. It softly blurs colors and textures, creating a captivating hazy effect that instantly removes harsh edges and distinct details.

3. Airbrushing

Open up Procreate’s Brush Library and you’ll find a section called Airbrushing. The brushes included there are fantastic for adding a touch of softness to your artwork, as well as creating soft highlights and subtle gradients.

Procreate Blending Made Simple

Now that you're familiar with some of Procreate’s primary blending tools, discover the methods you can use to employ them.

The Easy Method: With Gaussian Blur

In the Skillshare class “Procreate Fundamentals: Everything You Didn't Realize You Wanted to Know,” teacher Peggy Dean uses the Gaussian Blur tool to blur the background of an image in Procreate. — In the Skillshare class “Introduction to Procreate for Digital Painting,” teacher Serena Avril Archetti uses the Gaussian Blur tool to blur a particular area of her artwork.

1. Decide What to Blur

You can apply a Gaussian Blur to your active layer, or you can use the Selection tool to tell Procreate precisely which area of your work you’d like to blur.

2. Apply Gaussian Blur

In the Adjustments menu, find Gaussian Blur. Tap it, then select Layer or Pencil—this will determine if the blur is applied to the current layer, or if you manually draw on the blurring effect with your stylus.

3. Play With the Settings

Adjust the Gaussian Blur slider to increase or decrease its intensity for different effects.

The Traditional Method: With the Soft Brush

In the Skillshare class “Introduction to Procreate for Digital Painting,” teacher Serena Avril Archetti uses the Gaussian Blur tool to blur a particular area of her artwork. — In the Skillshare class “Use Blending Modes in Procreate to Draw a Starry Night,” teacher Iva Mikles uses Procreate brushes to blend a variety of colors together.

1. Pick a Blending Brush

Choose a soft brush that suits your blending requirements. As we mentioned above, the Airbrushing section is full of great choices, though you can also find prime options in the Painting section.

2. Add Colors

Using the hues of your choice, begin to add colors over the areas you want to blend.

3. Try Different Brush Sizes

Experiment with various brush sizes to achieve different blending results.

The Controlled Method: With the Smudge Tool

A person’s hand holding an Apple Pencil over an iPad lying on a white tabletop. The Procreate app is open on the iPad, and the person is using the Apple Pencil to blend a blue rectangle with a pink rectangle. — In the Skillshare class “Blending in Procreate - How to Blend for Beginners,” teacher Celine D. shows students how the Smudge tool can be used to blend two contrasting colors.

1. Access the Smudge Tool Library

Select the Smudge tool and choose from various brush options in the library.

2. Begin Blending Colors Using the Selected Brush

Use the selected brush to smudge and blend your artwork’s colors as desired.

3. Experiment with Various Brushes and Sizes for Different Blending Effects

Try different brushes and sizes to achieve various blending effects, from soft to pronounced.

Pro Tips for Blending in Procreate

A person’s hand holding an Apple Pencil over an iPad, and using the pencil to add shading to an illustration of purple flowers within the Procreate app. — In the Skillshare class “Procreate - Learn 15 Easy Painting Techniques,” teacher Maurizio De Angelis adds soft shading to his artwork with the help of an airbrush.

Further enhance your blending skills with the help of these pro tips:

Work on a single layer: Working on a single layer simplifies the blending process, allowing you to focus on the effect you want to achieve. If you want to blend the background but not the foreground, for example, you can easily do so by applying blending effects only to the background layers.
Make use of the Selection tool: Use the Selection tool to isolate specific areas for blending without affecting the entire canvas. This makes it possible to blend one portion of a layer while leaving the rest of the layer untouched.
Activate Alpha Lock: Procreate’s Alpha Lock feature locks the transparency of a layer, allowing you to blend colors without going outside the lines.
Choose your colors carefully: Using analogous color schemes can help achieve smoother and more harmonious blending, for example. And if you want to blend drastically different colors together, ensuring they’re complementary colors can help you create a unified look. (Hint: Learning the color wheel can help you choose the perfect colors for each piece.)
Maintain a light touch: When blending any colors, use a light touch with your stylus or finger to avoid overdoing it.

Create Vibrant Artwork with Procreate

By understanding Procreate’s blending tools, you can open up a slew of artistic possibilities. Whether you prefer the soft and dreamy look of the Gaussian Blur tool, the delicate touch of the Smudge tool or the realistic blending that brushes provide, Procreate offers a wide range of tools to suit your artistic vision.

Don’t stop at learning how to blend, though—with Skillshare’s wide array of Procreate classes, you can master everything from beginner-friendly basics to advanced techniques.

Written By

Carrie Buchholz

Carrie Buchholz is a freelance writer who lives in Northern Colorado with her husband and dog.