Last Updated on July 22, 2026 by Dee
Want to create a watercolor brush in Procreate that actually looks and behaves like real paint? The default brushes don’t always give that soft, blended effect, so today, I’ll show you how to make your own custom watercolor brush from scratch – a perfect Procreate tutorial for beginners!
Download this exact watercolour brush along with my Procreate watercolour paper texture below 👇🏻!
Table of Contents
🎥 Watch the Procreate Tutorial
To follow along visually, check out my step-by-step video tutorial on How to Make a Watercolor Brush in Procreate:
🛠️ Tools & Supplies for This Tutorial
For the best experience, here are the tools I recommend using in Procreate (These are the tools I use in this video!)
- iPad Pro (2024) – Optimized for smooth Procreate performance.
- Apple Pencil Pro – Allows precise control and pressure sensitivity.
- Procreate App – Available on the App Store.
- Free Watercolor Brush & Texture Pack – Download below!
**This page may contain affiliate links to products I have used or recommend. If you purchase something from this page, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.**
✨ Step-by-Step: How to Make a Watercolor Brush in Procreate
Follow these easy steps to create your own realistic watercolor brush in Procreate.
Step 1: Setting Up the Base Brush
- Open Procreate and go to the Brush Library.
- Scroll down to the Painting set and find the Wash brush.
- Duplicate the Wash brush by swiping left and tapping Duplicate.
- Rename it something fun like “D’s Watercolor Brush”.
✅ Why? The Wash brush already has a soft texture, making it a great base for customization.
Step 2: Adjusting Taper for a Softer Stroke
- Tap your newly duplicated brush to open Brush Studio.
- Select Taper and move both points toward the center.
- Set Size to 99-100% for smoother stroke control.
✅ Why? This setting mimics the way real watercolor fades at the start and end of a stroke.
Step 3: Changing Shape for a Natural Edge
- Tap Shape > Edit > Import > Source Library.
- Scroll down and select “Bleed” for a more organic brush tip.
- Enable Azimuth & Barrel Roll for dynamic brush rotation.
✅ Why? This setting works great with the Apple Pencil Pro, allowing natural rotation for a more traditional painting feel.
Step 4: Adding Watercolor Paper Texture
- Tap Grain, then Edit Grain Source.
- Select “Clouds 2” from the Source Library.
- Set Grain Behavior to Texturized instead of “Moving”.
- Adjust Depth to 75% for a realistic paper effect.
✅ Why? This step gives the brush the texture of pigment settling into paper rather than looking too digital.
Step 5: Adjusting Rendering for a More Transparent Look
- Tap Rendering and select Uniform Blending.
- Adjust these settings:
✅ Why? This makes color pooling at the edges while the center remains soft—just like real watercolor.
Step 6: Adjusting Wet Mix for Realistic Paint Flow
- Tap Wet Mix and adjust:
✅ Why? These settings replicate watercolor flow by allowing colors to mix smoothly and spread naturally.
Step 7: Saving & Testing the Brush
- Tap Done to save your brush.
- Test it on a watercolor-textured canvas.
- Experiment with light and heavy pressure to see the transparency and texture in action.
- Layer multiple strokes to demonstrate depth and blending.
✅ Why? A good watercolor brush should have soft transparency and natural pigment pooling at the edges.
🎨 Bonus: How to Blend with the Brush
If you want to create seamless watercolor washes, follow these blending tips:
- Tap the Smudge Tool.
- Select the same watercolor brush.
- Adjust its size and opacity for softer blending.
- Lightly blend two colors together to mimic wet-on-wet watercolor.
✅ Why? This method creates smooth, natural color transitions—just like traditional watercolor!
More Procreate Watercolor Tutorials…
Check out my other Procreate Watercolor Tutorial Videos below.
Procreate Watercolor: How To Paint A Watercolor Watermelon
Procreate Watercolor Blueberries
🚀 Want More Free Procreate Brushes & Tutorials?
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📌 Pin This Tutorial for Later!
Save this guide to Pinterest so you can come back anytime:
Grab the Free Watercolor Brush & Paper Texture for Procreate HERE (below)!
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✅ Final Thoughts
By following this tutorial, you’ve now created a realistic watercolor brush in Procreate that mimics real paint beautifully! 🎨
If you found this guide helpful: ✅ Hit LIKE & SUBSCRIBE on YouTube for more tutorials!
✅ Comment below with your thoughts or questions!
✅ Check out my next video on Procreate Blending Techniques—perfect for this brush!
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Frequently Asked Questions
Made your own brush? If you’d rather skip the settings and just paint, my ready-made Procreate brush sets are in the shop.
Browse the shop →Do I need to build the brush from scratch, or is there an easier starting point?
You don't start from nothing — the trick is to duplicate Procreate's built-in Wash brush (in the Painting set) and customise from there. It already has a soft texture, so it's the perfect base. Just swipe left, tap Duplicate, and rename it something like 'D's Watercolour Brush' before you begin tweaking.
Which settings actually give that soft, watery watercolour look?
A few key ones in Brush Studio. Pull both Taper points toward the centre so strokes fade at each end like real paint; under Shape, import the 'Bleed' tip for a natural organic edge; and in Grain, set the source to 'Clouds 2' with Texturized behaviour and depth around 75% for that paper feel. Uniform Blending in Rendering plus a tweaked Wet Mix are what make colour pool at the edges.
How do I get realistic paint flow and blending?
The Wet Mix settings are what let colours mix and spread smoothly, so play with those until the flow feels natural. For seamless washes, use the Smudge tool loaded with the same watercolour brush, drop its size and opacity, and gently blend two colours together to mimic a wet-on-wet effect.
What do I need to follow along?
Just an iPad running the Procreate app and an Apple Pencil for pressure control — that's really it. I use an iPad Pro and the Apple Pencil Pro in the tutorial (the Pencil Pro's barrel roll works nicely with the brush rotation), but any Apple Pencil will do to build and test the brush.
How do I download the free watercolour brush and paper texture?
Pop your email address into the box in this post and the brush and texture files will be sent straight to your inbox. Give it up to an hour to arrive, and check your promotions or spam folder if it's being shy.
Building one brush from scratch teaches you a lot — but a full set saves you hours. My Procreate brushes, stamps and printable templates all live in the Artsydee shop, ready to drop straight into your iPad.
Browse the Procreate brushes →