Procreate 5.2: What’s New and How to Update

Procreate 5.2 Release Date

Procreate 5.2 was released on November 1, 2021. The update is available on the Apple App Store for iPad.

Procreate New Features

Procreate 5.2 offers several new features that make it even more useful for digital illustrators and animators. Below, we highlight some of the most exciting Procreate features available in this release. 

How do you put your favorite features into action? Learn five fun tips and tricks in this helpful tutorial.

3D Model Painting

This Procreate update introduces a new way for digital artists to paint: in 3D. Now, you can upload 3D objects into the app (or experiment with the standard Procreate 3D models available in the app’s library) and use all of Procreate’s brushes, textures, and effects to enhance that model. By rotating the object, you can paint all sides and surfaces of the object.

Take advantage of material brushes—like metallics and roughness—to apply effects to only certain areas of a 3D model. So, for example, you could give a helmet’s face shield a metallic appearance, while the rest of the helmet remains matte. 

You can also now add lighting to your Procreate 3D models, arranging up to four lights in different positions and intensities. When it’s finished, you can share your models as an image or a video, showcasing every detail in a 360-degree view. 

Menu Accessibility

Procreate 5.2 now offers enhanced accessibility options, so every artist can interact with the app in a way that’s most helpful.  

For example, you can now select larger text, and the entire app will scale with it, displaying bigger sliders, thumbnails, and buttons. The Procreate update also offers motion stabilization, which allows you to draw smoother lines, even if your hand tremors or shakes. 

You can also now do more with just one finger. Where you used to have to use a pinch motion to zoom in or out, you can now use a single-finger touch to move or rotate your canvas. And, you can enable color naming notifications that display the name and shade of every color in your image or color palette. 

Color Palette Tool

Procreate new features also include a new way to view color palettes—as color cards. Compared to the more traditional compact version of color palettes, these cards are larger and easier to work with. They are also labeled with descriptive color names (e.g., blue green), as well as the ability to add your own customized name (e.g., sea green). 

Audio Feedback

The new audio feedback feature in Procreate 5.2, powered by Apple VoiceOver integration, allows you to hear a different sound as you complete each action. For example, when you use the selection tool, you will hear a rapid clicking noise as you draw around an area of your canvas, followed by a “ding!” when you close off the selection. This can be especially helpful to alert artists who are visually impaired to know when they have correctly or incorrectly completed an action. 

Installing the Procreate Update

If you don’t yet have Procreate, you can download the latest version from the Apple App Store for iPad. The download requires iPadOS 14.4 or later, and Procreate is supported on iPads with the new Apple M1 chip. While you don’t need the iPad Pro M1 chip, many users report that the iPad M1 chip does enhance the app’s performance. 

If you already have Procreate, you just need to update your app to the most recent version. Go to the iPad App Store and click on your picture in the top right corner. Scroll through your list of apps until you find Procreate. If there is an update button, click it to download and install the latest version of the app. If there is no update button, then you likely have automatic updates enabled and already have version 5.2. 

Back Up Your iPad Data

Before installing the Procreate 5.2 update, it’s important to back up your iPad data. While you shouldn’t lose any data when you install the update, there’s always the chance that you may experience a technical hiccup. Backing up your data will ensure that all of your favorite brushes, color palettes, and images are available when you open the latest version of Procreate. 

You can enable automatic iCloud backups, but you can also manually back up your iPad at any time. To do this, first make sure your iPad is connected to Wi-Fi. Then, go to settings, click your name, and select iCloud. Tap iCloud backup, and then Back Up Now. On this screen, you will also see the ability to toggle automatic iCloud backups. 

Not sure where to start? Follow along as Skillshare teacher Vashti Harrison details how to get going in Procreate.

Try It Out

If you’re a current (or aspiring) digital artist, these new Procreate features make illustrating easier and more enjoyable than ever. So try out Procreate 5.2 and see what you can create! 

Bring Your Characters to Life!

Drawing People: Creating Unique and Dynamic Character Poses in Procreate

Take the Class

Featured image by Jarom Vogel.