Tried a free brush pack versus the $15 Procreate set, and wow.

I was working on a fantasy character piece last week and decided to test both. The free pack had 50 brushes but only about 5 felt smooth and didn't pixelate at 300 DPI. The Procreate set had 20 brushes, but each one worked perfectly with my Apple Pencil's pressure, especially for blending skin tones. After three hours, the piece with the paid brushes just looked way more professional and finished. Has anyone else found a specific brush set that totally upped their game?

3 comments

3 Comments

keith9002d ago

It's a classic trap. Free packs always look good on the download page. The real test is when you're trying to blend and nothing works right. I spent way too long trying to fix bad brushes before just buying a set from an artist I follow. The time saved alone was worth it. Now I only grab free ones if I need a very specific, weird texture.

ellis.faith2d ago

Totally get that! I read an article about how free brush sets often have weird pressure settings that mess up your workflow. It makes sense that paying for a tested set saves so much frustration. You really do get what you pay for with digital tools.

keith9002d ago

Watched my buddy struggle with a free watercolor set for a portrait. Every brush left weird, choppy edges that looked nothing like paint. He finally caved and bought a small, cheap set from a known artist, and the difference in his next piece was night and day. It just flowed onto the canvas.