Last Updated on September 21, 2023 by Dee
If you’re a digital artist who uses the Procreate app on your iPad, you’ll want to check out these 22 color palettes for Procreate!
Ever find yourself in the middle of a killer Procreate project and then, BAM, you hit a creative brick wall just trying to pick the perfect palette? 🎨
We’ve all been there. It’s like being a kid in a candy store but not knowing which sweet treat to grab first. But fear not, my artsy amigo!
I’ve got your back with a fab list of 22 totally free color palettes for Procreate that are gonna give your artwork that extra oomph.
Dive in, play around, and let the hues do the talking! Let’s splash some color on that canvas, shall we? 🌈✨
(Grab the whole Procreate Color Palette Bundle at the bottom of the post!)
If you’ve been looking for color palettes, then look no further! I have put together a list of color palettes that are perfect for Procreate.
They come in handy whether you’re creating an illustration, a digital painting, or a new piece of wall art.
All color palettes on this page work only with the Procreate app!
Why Picking the Right Palette is a Game-Changer for Digital Artists!
Imagine you’re cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
The ingredients you choose, and how you mix ’em, can either make your dish a star or a total flop, right?
Well, the same goes for art, especially in the digital realm.
Color isn’t just about making things pretty; it sets the mood, tells a story, and can evoke all kinds of emotions.
Ever noticed how a sunset hue can make you feel all warm and fuzzy, while icy blues can send chills?
That’s the magic of color!
For digital artists, nailing the right color palette is like getting the secret recipe just right. It’s the backbone of the whole piece and can elevate your artwork from “meh” to “WOWZA!”
So, whether you’re sketching, painting, or designing, remember: color is your BFF, the MVP, the secret sauce.
Choose wisely and watch your creations come to life! 🎨💥🖌️
What makes great color palettes for Procreate?
There are several factors that go into a successful Procreate color palette. First and foremost, we must remember that color is hugely subjective, and that means that there may be some color combinations that I love but you absolutely hate!
We associate colors with a whole range of experiences we have had in our lives.
Color has the power to move us, anger us, excite us, calm and soothe us! So color can be a very personal thing.
In terms of the formal characteristics of color, the most beautiful color palettes tend to be color schemes made up of color gradients, color harmonies, and color contrasts.
Color Gradient: A color gradient is a transition between two or more colors. When you use color gradients in your color palette, you introduce subtle changes in a color tone which makes the palette feel dynamic and not static.
In good all-around palettes, there will be color gradients for the light color and the dark color, as well as color gradients for each of the main color swatches in your palette.
Color Harmony: A color harmony is a set of colors that work together to create an aesthetically pleasing color scheme.
The best color harmonies tend to be asymmetrical, which means that they do not rely on color schemes such as monochromatic, or complementary color schemes and they avoid split-complementary color schemes.
Split-complementary color schemes rely on one color to create contrast with adjacent colors almost the same. This is useful in some cases, but it makes for a less dynamic color scheme.
Color contrasts are color schemes where color is used for color contrast rather than color harmony.
Color contrast can be useful in some color scheming, but the best color palettes are asymmetrical, meaning they do not rely on color contrasts to create dynamic color palettes.
The best color palettes incorporate color gradients and color harmonies.
Using Procreate Color Palette Files in Adobe Photoshop and Other Design Programs
If you’ve built a beautiful color palette in Procreate and want to use it in Adobe Photoshop or another design program, you might be wondering: Can I transfer these palettes seamlessly?
Let’s break it down.
Procreate Color Palettes: In Procreate, color palettes are saved as .swatches files. This specific file format is unique to Procreate and isn’t directly compatible with many other design programs.
Adobe Photoshop: Photoshop primarily uses the .aco file format for its color swatches.
While Procreate’s .swatches files can’t be directly imported into Photoshop, there’s a workaround.
You can manually create the same palette in Photoshop by recording the RGB, CMYK, or HEX values from Procreate and then inputting them into Photoshop.
There are also some online tools and converters that can aid in this process, though results can sometimes vary in accuracy.
Other Design Programs: The story is pretty much the same across other software.
Many design programs have their own specific swatch file formats.
However, most professional-grade software allows for manual input of color values.
This means, with a bit of effort, you can recreate your Procreate palettes in nearly any program.
Overall, while you can’t directly use Procreate .swatches files in Photoshop or other design software out of the box, with a little elbow grease (or the help of online tools), you can have your favorite Procreate palettes ready to roll in just about any program.
So, while it might require a bit of manual work, your creative vision can remain consistent across platforms! 🎨🖥️🌈
22 Free Procreate Palettes
Happy Thanksgiving Color Palette
Rooted in warmth, gratitude, and harvest abundance, the Thanksgiving palette takes inspiration from the earthy hues of autumn.
Golden ambers, rich browns, and rustic oranges dominate this set, mirroring the bounty of fall leaves and the glow of candlelit feasts.
Subdued greens echo the last of the summer’s vegetation, while deep cranberry reds give a nod to the cranberry sauce, pies, and wines of the season.
This palette is ideal for creating pieces that are cozy, wholesome, and heartwarming.
Winter Snow
Evoking the serene beauty of a tranquil winter morning, this palette captures the essence of freshly fallen snow, muted blues, and soft grays.
At its heart, you’ll find the untouched purity of a snow-white shade, paired with icy blues reminiscent of frozen ponds and winter skies.
Light pastels and charcoal greys hint at the skeletal trees and shadows cast on snowy landscapes.
Use these colors for a fresh, cold, and calming atmosphere in your artwork.
Christmas Joy
Dive into the festive spirit with a palette that encapsulates the joy and magic of Christmas.
Bright reds and greens embody traditional holiday decorations, from the red of Santa’s suit and holly berries to the green of mistletoe and fir trees.
Gold and shimmering silvers are a nod to twinkling lights and ornaments, while creamy whites and blues capture snowy scenes and chilly December nights.
Reach for this palette when you’re looking to infuse your Procreate projects with unmistakable yuletide cheer.
Halloween Procreate Color Palette
Channel the eerie charm and playful spookiness of Halloween with this captivating range of shades.
Dominated by midnight blacks and deep purples, this palette sets the stage for moonlit nights and witching hours.
Electric oranges and fiery reds reflect carved pumpkins and the glow of candles, while mossy greens and ghostly grays transport you to ancient graveyards and haunted houses.
This is your go-to palette for creating haunting atmospheres, mysterious scenes, or even the fun and vibrant side of Halloween festivities.
Birds of Paradise Color Palette
This procreate palette is filled with bright colors to help you create bright Procreate artwork.
These vibrant colors are great for digitally painting flowers or brightly colored birds.
Fall Leaves Autumn Color Palette
Shades of orange, browns, and the colors of autumn – if you are looking for a warm collection of colors to paint fall leaves with then this color palette is for you.
Galaxy Blues Color Palette
This is one of my free Procreate color palettes that I love the most.
It can be used for a variety of art and it works wonderfully for digitally painting space scenes with Procreate brushes.
If you want to add more brushes to Procreate check out this article.
Happy Rainbow Color Palette
These are happy colors from the color wheel! If you’re looking for a color palette that is filled with color then this color palette is perfect for you.
Misty Mountain Color Palette
This color palette is one of my most popular color palettes on Etsy. Check out more amazing color palettes in my Artsydee Creations store.
I use it all the time for fantasy artwork and landscapes.
If you want to create a beautiful, whimsical mountain effect then this color palette is perfect for you.
Mulled Wine Color Palette
This Christmas Procreate palette is perfect for festive artwork and design! The warm colors are classic and will help you create a wonderful Christmas theme.
Nudes Color Palette
This color palette is perfect for creating beautiful nude color gradients using Procreate. These colors are great for blending and soft colorwork.
Ocean View Color Palette
This color palette is filled with color and seaside-inspired color gradients for Procreate.
It works great with watercolor brushes 🙂
Pastel Delight Pastel Color Palette for Procreate
This Procreate Palette is all about pastels!
Pastel colors are great for adding a soft color touch to your work. You can also use these colors to create a watercolor effect.
Pony Sparkle Color Palette
With bright pinks, mauves, and blues, this Procreate palette is great for floral artwork and anything to do with springtime!
Purple Sunset Color Palette
This color palette will help you color the sky at sunset with beautiful purples, oranges, and pinks.
Raw Honey Color Palette
A color palette filled with yellow, orange, and brown color gradients.
Great for creating a color gradient background on your device or for colorizing photos.
Retro Color Palette
Think hues from the 70’s! Brown, oranges, teal and more. This color palette is perfect for colorizing photos and all things retro!
St. Patricks Day Palette
A color palette filled with green, blue, and yellow color gradients. Great for creating some lucky art 🙂
Succulents Color Palette
Not only does this color palette work well for plants, but it is also great for digitally painting natural landscapes!
Summer Fruit Salad Color Palette
A color palette filled with color gradients of reds, oranges, and yellows. Perfect for creating juicy fruit art!
Vintage Green Color Palette
Think green hues from vintage color palettes. Great for colorizing photos or adding color gradients to your artwork.
[Related article: How to Undo on Procreate]
Wintery Color Palette
One of my cool Procreate palettes for when the temperature drops! Great for colorizing photos or adding color gradients to your work.
Check out my specialized color palettes for Procreate HERE…
Other Color Schemes:
Complementary color
Complementary color schemes are color palettes that use colors from opposite ends of the color wheel.
Triadic
Triadic color schemes use three colors that are equally spaced around the color wheel.
Analogous
Analogous color schemes use colors close to each other on the color wheel.
Tetradic color schemes
Tetradic combinations use color schemes with four color swatches rather than three.
Tetradic color schemes tend to be very vibrant color schemes.
Grab these FREE Procreate Coloring Pages to use with your Color Palettes 🙂
The basics of using Procreate color palettes
Color palettes are an integral part of creating artwork on Procreate.
If you are starting out exploring the world of color on Procreate, then it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the basics of using and manipulating color palettes.
How do I get more palettes in Procreate?
You can get color palettes by opening the color swatches menu and tapping the Palettes icon on the bottom right of the window.
Once you have selected this, Procreate will open up all your stored color palettes.
To set up your own Procreate color palette manually
If you want to set up your own personalized color palette on Procreate, tap the color icon, select the palettes option and tap the + button on the top right of the colors window.
Once you have tapped this +, a new empty palette will open up, allowing you to select and input colors.
Pro Tip: This new color palette will be called “Untitled”. Rename the palette by tapping the word “untitled”.
This will help you identify which palettes you have saved and help you in your design or artwork process!
How do I get the Procreate palette from my photos?
You can use the colors directly from a photo or image in Procreate.
This is a great way to find color combinations that are associated with the specific subject matter.
For instance, if you are looking to digitally paint a forest scene, you can use a photo of a forest to get an accurate color palette in Procreate.
To get a specific color palette off a photo or image in Procreate you tap the color icon, select the palettes option and tap the + button on the top right of the colors window.
Then select “New from photos”. This will take you to your photo gallery and you can choose the image you want to get a color palette from!
How do you edit palettes in Procreate?
You can also go ahead and edit palettes in Procreate so that they are personalized.
This is especially helpful if you have created a color palette from an image and there is a wide variety of colors.
To edit a Procreate color palette tap the color icon and select the palettes option. Scroll to the palette you want to edit.
You can delete color swatches by tapping a color, holding it down for a bit, and then releasing it. An option will come up asking you whether you want to delete it.
You can also add new colors to your color palette by holding your finger down on the color you want on your artwork, then touching an empty block within your color palette.
What happens when your Procreate color wheel is stuck in greyscale?
Read this very helpful article on how you can figure out what to do to fix this!
How do color swatches work in Procreate?
Create your own unique color palette with Procreate color swatches, which are essentially color libraries for your work and color combinations that can help you create distinctive color palette designs.
You can use color swatches to add additional color gradients and color harmony to your artwork.
To add color swatches for color harmony in Procreate, you tap the color icon and select Harmony.
You can then choose from a wide variety of color combinations to add to your artwork by tapping on the title of the color combination in the top left corner of the color window!
Download free Procreate Palettes HERE!
How to download and use these Procreate palettes!
Click the link above to access the swatches files. You can then drag them into your Procreate palette menu or use the JPEG images to create a new palettes.
Using your iPad, copy and save the color palette you want for your image gallery.
Open Procreate.
Tap the color icon, select the palettes option, and tap the + button on the top right of the colors window.
Then select “New from photos”. This will take you to your photo gallery, and you can choose the image you want to get the color palette from!
Procreate will then lay out your swatches neatly for you to easily use!
The Best color palette for Procreate
There are color palettes that work in Procreate for almost every mood and color scheme.
I’ve compiled 19 free color palettes below that I personally use and love, but color swatch color schemes change from person to person, depending on your preferences!
Essentially, Procreate palettes are color combinations that work well together, so think of these color swatches as being your color group who you can turn to for inspiration or ideas with color.
Conclusion
Alright, pals, let’s wrap this up! 🎁
Color Palettes for Procreate are basically the secret sauce to making your artwork pop and sizzle.
Think of them as the playlist for your art’s mood – whether you’re feeling those chill, lo-fi vibes or a punchy, electric beat.
While it’s tempting to stick to your old faves, diving into new palettes can give your work a fresh twist.
Remember, it’s all about experimenting and having fun.
So, grab a palette (or, you know, all 22 of ’em!) and get your art groove on.
Happy coloring, folks! 🎨🖌️😄
And, if you’re still wondering how to use Procreate then check out my comprehensive article for beginners!
Other articles you may enjoy…
21 Procreate Coloring Pages to Help You De-stress and Relax
59 Aesthetic Things to Draw: Art Ideas for Creative Minds
Choosing the right digital art canvas size
Love these color palettes! They’re perfect for procreate!
I love these color palettes! They’re perfect for creating art with Procreate.
So glad to hear that! Let me know if there are any more you would like me to create 🙂