Quick answer: To get free Procreate brushes, look to the Procreate Folio community, artists’ free downloads on sites like Gumroad and Behance (often “pay what you want” where you can enter $0), weekly freebies on design marketplaces, artist newsletters and art communities like Reddit’s Procreate groups. Download the .brushset or .brush file to your iPad, tap it in the Files app, and it imports into Procreate automatically. Always check the license, and you can also make free brushes yourself in Procreate’s Brush Studio.
Procreate’s built-in library is generous, with well over a hundred brushes covering sketching, inking, painting and texture. Still, almost every Procreate artist eventually wants a specific gouache, a grainy pencil or a lettering brush the defaults do not cover. Plenty of excellent ones are available at no cost if you know where to look.
This guide covers legitimate places to find free Procreate brushes, how to download and install them on iPad and iPhone, how to judge quality and licensing, and how to build your own. For curated sets, including free and paid options compared side by side, see our guide to the best Procreate brush packs.
Where to Get Free Procreate Brushes
Availability changes over time, so treat this as a list of where free brushes are commonly shared rather than a guarantee that any specific freebie is still live.
| Source | What you’ll find | Things to know |
|---|---|---|
| Procreate Folio and community forums | Brushes shared by Procreate users | Quality varies; many are made by hobbyists and pros alike |
| Gumroad | Artist-made packs, often “pay what you want” | Enter 0 in the price field for a free download where allowed; tipping supports creators |
| Behance and ArtStation | Free packs shared by illustrators | Download links are often in project descriptions |
| Design marketplaces’ weekly freebies | Rotating free products, including brushes | Usually require a free account; grab them during the free window |
| Artist and brand newsletters | Free sample packs for subscribers | Fine if you like the creator; unsubscribe anytime |
| Reddit and Discord art communities | Shared brushes and recommendations | Check that posters are original creators or linking to them |
| Free samples of paid packs | A few brushes from a larger set | Good way to test a creator’s style before buying |
Using “pay what you want” fairly
Many artists list brushes on Gumroad with a suggested price but allow $0. Downloading free is allowed when the option exists. If you end up using a set often, especially for paid work, going back and paying something is a good way to keep creators sharing.
How to Spot Brushes That Aren’t Really Free
Not every “free brush” site is legitimate. Watch for these red flags:
- Repackaged paid packs: Sites offering well-known premium sets for free are usually distributing pirated files. Using them violates the creator’s license.
- Download pages full of ads and fake buttons: Legitimate creators rarely hide files behind multiple redirects.
- Requests for unusual permissions or app installs: A brush is just a file. You should never need to install another app or provide payment details to download a free brush.
- No creator credit: If there is no artist name, you have no way to check the license.
Brush files themselves are low-risk, since they are compressed images and settings, but shady download sites can still push unwanted ads or phishing pages. Stick with known platforms and original creators.
Understanding Free Brush Licenses
“Free” can mean several different things. Read the license that comes with the brush, usually on the download page or in a text file.
| License type | What it typically allows |
|---|---|
| Personal use only | Art for yourself; no selling prints, commissions or client work |
| Commercial use allowed | Use in artwork you sell or deliver to clients |
| No redistribution | You can’t share or resell the brushes themselves, even if free |
| Attribution required | Credit the creator when sharing work, as specified |
Artwork you make with brushes is generally yours. Licenses mainly govern whether you can use the brushes for commercial projects and whether you can share the brush files. When in doubt, ask the creator.
How to Download Procreate Brushes on iPad
- Download the file in Safari or another browser. Tap the download link and confirm. The file saves to the Downloads folder in the Files app by default.
- Check the file type. You want .brushset (a set) or .brush (a single brush). If it is a .zip, open Files, tap the zip and it will extract into a folder.
- Tap the brush file. In Files, tapping a .brushset or .brush file opens Procreate and imports it automatically.
- Find it in the Brush Library. Brush sets appear at the top of the sets list; single brushes go into a set called Imported.
Alternatively, open Procreate’s Brush Library, tap the + in the top-right corner, choose Import and select the file from Files. Drag and drop from the Files app in Split View works too.
Downloading on a computer first
If you download on a Mac or PC, transfer the file via AirDrop, iCloud Drive, Google Drive, Dropbox or email. Then open it from the Files app on the iPad as above.
Free brushes for Procreate Pocket on iPhone
Procreate Pocket supports brush imports too. The process is the same: download, open in Files, tap to import. Most brushes made for iPad Procreate work in Procreate Pocket, though very large textured brushes may feel heavier on older phones.
How to Install Brushes in Procreate When Something Goes Wrong
- File opens as text or does nothing: The file may still be zipped or have the wrong extension. Unzip and check that it ends in .brush or .brushset.
- “Import failed” message: The file may be damaged or made for a much newer Procreate version. Update Procreate and redownload.
- Brushes are actually Photoshop .abr files: Procreate can import some .abr files, though results vary because not every Photoshop setting translates. Check that you downloaded the Procreate version if the creator offers both.
- Can’t find imported brushes: Look at the top of the sets list and in the Imported set.
How to Judge a Free Brush Before Keeping It
Free packs vary widely in quality. A quick test routine helps you decide what stays.
- Pressure test: Draw a long stroke from light to heavy pressure. Good brushes respond smoothly without sudden jumps.
- Speed test: Draw slowly and quickly. Poor spacing settings show up as dotted lines or blobs.
- Size test: Use the brush at very small and very large sizes. Low-resolution shapes blur when large.
- Layer test: Paint over a colored background to check how grain and opacity interact.
- Tilt test (Apple Pencil): Shading brushes should respond to tilt if they are designed for it.
If a brush fails two or more tests, delete it. A small set of excellent free brushes is more useful than a large set of mediocre ones.
How to Make Brushes in Procreate for Free
Making your own brushes costs nothing and gives you tools no one else has.
Method 1: Modify an existing brush
- Swipe left on a default brush and tap Duplicate.
- Tap the duplicate to open Brush Studio.
- Adjust settings such as Stroke Path spacing, StreamLine, Taper, Grain and Apple Pencil pressure.
- Rename it in the About section.
Method 2: Create a brush from scratch
- Tap the + in the Brush Library to open Brush Studio with a new brush.
- In Shape, tap Edit to import a shape image. You can paint one in a square canvas in Procreate, then export it as an image, or use a photo of a real mark.
- In Grain, import a texture image such as a scanned paper surface or sponge texture.
- Adjust spacing, jitter, rotation and pressure until it behaves the way you want.
How to craft a brush in Procreate that feels natural
- Shape images work best as white shapes on black, square and fairly high resolution.
- Seamless grain textures avoid visible repetition.
- Small amounts of jitter in size and opacity make strokes feel organic.
- StreamLine around 20 to 50 percent smooths line art without excessive lag.
Free vs Paid Procreate Brushes
| Free brushes | Paid brushes | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $0 | Usually a few dollars to around $30+ per set |
| Consistency | Varies widely | Often more consistent within a set |
| Commercial license | Sometimes | More commonly included |
| Extras | Rarely | Color palettes, canvases, tutorials |
| Support and updates | Limited | Often available |
Free brushes are a great way to explore styles. Paid packs are worth considering once you know what you need, or when you require a clear commercial license.
Building a Free Starter Kit
If you are new to Procreate, you do not need dozens of downloads. A balanced free kit might include one sketching pencil, one tapered inking pen, one or two painting brushes, a soft blender and two texture brushes. Start with Procreate’s defaults for most of these, then fill only the gaps with free downloads. This keeps your library lean and helps you learn each brush properly instead of constantly switching.
Keep Your Free Brush Collection Organized
Free brushes pile up fast. Create a set called “Testing” for new downloads, try each one on a real piece and either move it to your main sets or delete it. Rename sets with number prefixes so your daily brushes stay at the top, and share important sets to Files as backups.
How to Get Free Procreate Brushes From Your Own Photos and Scans
Some of the most distinctive free brushes come from textures you capture yourself. This approach also removes licensing questions, because you own the source material.
- Collect textures. Photograph or scan watercolor paper, canvas weave, concrete, bark, sponge prints or charcoal smudges. Even light, flat photos work best.
- Convert to grayscale. In Procreate, use Adjustments > Hue, Saturation, Brightness and drop saturation to zero, then increase contrast with Curves.
- Crop to a square. Shape images and grain textures should be square. Around 1,000 to 2,000 pixels gives good detail.
- Make grains seamless. Procreate’s grain editor can help make a texture tile smoothly. Visible seams show up as repeating patterns in strokes.
- Load into Brush Studio. Use the image as the Shape source for stamp-like brushes or as Grain for texture inside strokes.
Within an afternoon, you can build a small set of textured brushes that look like nothing else in the free brush ecosystem.
Free Procreate Brushes by Use Case
- Lettering: Monoline and tapered pressure brushes are among the most widely shared free brushes, often given away by lettering artists as samples.
- Watercolor and gouache: Free versions tend to be simpler; for realistic wet blending effects, paid sets often have an edge.
- Texture and grain: Easy to make yourself, and many free options exist.
- Comics and inking: Procreate’s default inking brushes are strong, so free downloads here are often variations rather than essentials.
- Nature and stamps: Foliage, stars and clouds are common free brushes, though quality varies.
FAQs
How to get free Procreate brushes legally?
Download from original creators on platforms like Gumroad, Behance, the Procreate Folio community and design marketplaces’ official freebie sections. Avoid sites offering paid packs for free.
How to download Procreate brushes on iPad?
Download the .brush or .brushset file in Safari, open the Files app, and tap the file. Procreate opens and imports it automatically.
Are Procreate’s built-in brushes free?
Yes. Procreate is a one-time purchase, and its built-in brush library is included with the app.
Can I use free Procreate brushes for commercial work?
Only if the brush license allows it. Many free brushes are personal use only. Check the license or ask the creator.
Why won’t my free brushes import into Procreate?
The file may be zipped, damaged or in a different format. Unzip it, confirm it ends in .brush or .brushset and update Procreate.
How do I make custom brushes in Procreate?
Open Brush Studio by tapping + in the Brush Library or by duplicating and editing an existing brush. Import your own shape and grain images to create something unique.
Final Thoughts
Getting free Procreate brushes is easy when you stick to original creators, check licenses and test each brush before keeping it. Combine a handful of strong free finds with Procreate’s defaults and a few brushes of your own, and you will have a capable kit without spending anything. When you want sets that are already vetted, compare our picks for the best Procreate brushes pack with free download options.
