Armed with an iPad, an Apple Pencil and the Procreate 5X app, it’s like drawing on paper. Or actually much better than drawing on paper. No clutter and lots, lots of creative potential. Procreate has long been the darling of many iPad artists. Now there is Procreate 5X, and this update turns what was already a great app into something even better.
What can you do with Procreate 5X?
Procreate has been around longer. The idea behind the makers was to create an app that makes it as easy as possible to create digital art. No interface to get in the way so you could draw and paint in multiple layers and create your own brushes too. In addition, any user can become a huge show-off by uploading an automatically recorded video of the creation of your masterpiece to social media.
The 5X update adds a whole host of new creative and productivity features. There are brush filters such as glitch, blur and chromatic aberration. You can now also add a custom gradient to a layer in seconds. Palettes can be captured from any image. There are new transformation tools. And you can even apply ‘live’ make-up to yourself or a willing model. (okay, the latter is a bit weird, but still: lots of new things!)
The Disadvantages of Procreate 5X
One of the disadvantages of Procreate is that it is not always clear where you can find a certain function or how it works. You notice that if you are already a Procreate user. Because if there is one thing that has always been appreciated in this app, it is directness. That also has its drawbacks. For example, effects should always be applied directly to layers. There is no non-destructive option. Yet the latter is actually an echo of real painting. Moreover, you can always duplicate a layer first if you are not sure whether a certain filter does what you want.
If you’re willing to learn how the new tools work, procreate 5X is well worth the investment. Moreover, it can online manual get you through the tricky bits.
An overview of the new functions
- New brush filtersYou can now use a brush to paint adjustments and effects exactly where you want them. Swipe out your filter to create texture effects like you’ve never seen before. You can even erase or adjust the amount in real time.
- GradientsYou can now create your own custom gradients with as many buttons as you want.
- New filtersMany new filters have been added. In addition, existing filters, such as noise and blur, have been adjusted and improved.
- ReferentieafbeeldingYou can now import a reference image, which can provide inspiration and from which you can select colors.
- SchminckYou can now apply FacePaint ‘live’. So you can function as a canvas in your own animations. This function is only available on iPads with an A12 chip (or newer) and a TrueDepth Camera.
- Palet ‘Capture & SwatchDrop’Capture the colors around you with your camera or in photos from your library. You can now place these color samples directly on the canvas. Adobe ACO and ASE palette files can now also be imported directly.
- TransformThere are now precise new ways to move, scale, and align objects precisely, even on other layers.
- Color fill of a selectionYou can now automatically fill a selection with color. With automatic selections you fill your illustrations in the right places with a color of your choice.
- Private layerNow your time lapse remains free of sketches, notes and reference images.
- ScribbleA whole new way to add text to artwork, just with your Apple Pencil.
- QuickMenu ProfilesWith just the push of a button, you can switch to custom QuickMenus for sketching, coloring or finishing.
- Blur brushesMix colors effortlessly with the new settings in the ‘Brush Studio’.
- Finally:– Redesigned menu for copy and paste
– magnetic crop and resize
– Numeric text input
– New Font Companion
– iPadOS 14 Quick Launch Widget
– HEVC Time lapse with alpha channel
– Color profile improvements
– Brush Studio performance improvements
– Animated transformations
– New look for text selection
More info can be found on the Procreate website.
Where can you buy Procreate 5X?
Procreate 5X is available in the App Store for € 10.99. To use the app, you need an iPad with iPadOS 13.2 or higher. An Apple Pencil and some artistic skill are optional, but useful.
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