Master Procreate Gestures and Shortcuts for Faster Digital Art

Gestures and shortcuts are the secret weapons of professional digital artists. By mastering these simple touch commands in Procreate, you can dramatically speed up your workflow and focus more on creating rather than navigating menus. This guide covers all the essential Procreate gestures that will transform your digital art experience.

Essential Gesture Categories

Procreate's gesture system can be organized into five main categories:

1. Drawing Assistance: Gestures that help you create more precise artwork
2. Navigation: Moving around your canvas efficiently
3. Editing: Quick actions for modifying your artwork
4. Interface Control: Managing the Procreate interface
5. Selection and Transformation: Working with selections and elements

Let's explore each category in detail.

Drawing Assistance Gestures

QuickLine

Create perfectly straight lines with this simple gesture:

1. Draw a line or stroke
2. Hold your finger or Apple Pencil at the end without lifting
3. Procreate automatically straightens the line
4. You can then adjust the line before releasing

This works with any brush and is perfect for architecture, product design, or any artwork requiring straight lines.

QuickShape

Create perfect geometric shapes with ease:

1. Draw a rough shape (circle, square, triangle, etc.)
2. Hold your finger or pencil at the end without lifting
3. Procreate converts it to a perfect geometric shape
4. Adjust as needed before releasing

Drawing with Finger vs. Apple Pencil

Procreate allows simultaneous use of your finger and Apple Pencil with different functions:

• Apple Pencil: Primary drawing tool
• Finger: Can be set as an eraser or color picker in Preferences

To configure this:

1. Tap the wrench icon
2. Go to Preferences > Gesture Controls
3. Set your preferred finger gesture behavior

Navigation Gestures

Canvas Movement and Zoom

Navigate your canvas with these intuitive gestures:

• Pinch with two fingers: Zoom in and out
• Two-finger rotation: Rotate the canvas
• Two-finger tap: Reset canvas rotation to default
• Pinch with three fingers: Fit canvas to screen
• Three-finger swipe: Navigate between artwork history states

Quick Interface Toggle

For distraction-free drawing:

• Four-finger tap: Hide/show all interface elements
• Perfect for reviewing your work without UI distractions

Editing Gestures

Undo and Redo

Quickly correct mistakes with these essential gestures:

• Two-finger tap: Undo last action
• Three-finger tap: Redo last undone action

You can tap repeatedly to undo or redo multiple steps. These are among the most frequently used gestures and will save you significant time compared to using menu buttons.

Quick Menu

Access commonly used tools instantly:

1. Swipe down with three fingers
2. The Quick Menu appears with options for:
   • Copy
   • Cut
   • Paste
   • Copy All
   • Paste All
   • Clear
   • Fill Layer

You can customize this menu in Preferences > Gesture Controls > Quick Menu.

Color Selection Gestures

Color Picker

Select colors directly from your canvas:

1. Tap and hold with one finger on any area of your canvas
2. The color under your finger is selected as your active color
3. Start drawing immediately with the selected color

Color Swap

Quickly alternate between your primary and secondary colors:

1. Tap and hold the color dot in the top-right corner
2. Your previous and current colors are swapped
3. This is useful for creating patterns or alternating between two colors

Color Disc Expansion

For more precise color selection:

• Pinch outward on the color disc to expand it
• This gives you finer control over your color choices
• Pinch inward to return to normal size

Layer Gestures

Quick Layer Selection

Select the content of a layer without using the Selection tool:

1. In the Layers panel, tap and hold with two fingers on the layer
2. The contents of that layer are automatically selected
3. You can now transform, copy, or modify just that selection

Layer Opacity Adjustment

Quickly change a layer's opacity:

1. In the Layers panel, tap a layer with two fingers
2. Drag left or right anywhere on the canvas to adjust opacity
3. This works without having to use the opacity slider

Alpha Lock Toggle

Quickly toggle Alpha Lock for a layer:

1. In the Layers panel, swipe right with two fingers on a layer
2. Alpha Lock is toggled on/off
3. When on, you can only paint on existing pixels on that layer

Selection Gestures

Copy and Paste

Quickly duplicate elements:

1. Make a selection using the Selection tool
2. Three-finger swipe down to open the Quick Menu
3. Tap Copy, then tap Paste
4. The selection is copied to a new layer

Transform Selections

After making a selection:

1. Tap the Transform tool (arrow icon)
2. Use pinch, rotate, and drag gestures to manipulate the selection
3. Tap anywhere to confirm the transformation

Combining Gestures for Advanced Workflows

The real power of Procreate gestures comes from combining them into efficient workflows:

Example Workflow: Duplicating and Transforming Elements

1. Two-finger tap on a layer to select its contents
2. Three-finger swipe down for Quick Menu
3. Tap Copy, then Paste
4. Use transform gestures to position the duplicate
5. Two-finger tap to undo if needed

This entire sequence takes seconds but would require multiple menu taps without gestures.

Customizing Gesture Controls

Procreate allows you to customize many gestures to suit your workflow:

1. Tap the wrench icon
2. Go to Preferences > Gesture Controls
3. Modify settings for:
   • General
   • Quick Menu
   • Erase with Touch
   • Touch to Quickshape
   • Select with Touch
   • Color Dynamics with Tilt

Enhancing Your Gesture Workflow with Custom Brushes

Our specialized brush collections are designed to work seamlessly with Procreate's gesture system:

• VFX Master Collection: Combines beautifully with QuickLine and transform gestures for creating dynamic effects
• NatureScape Pro: Iceland Brushes: Features dual-texture functionality activated by pressure, enhancing your gesture workflow
• ArtPack Pro: Designed for optimal performance with Procreate's gesture system

Practice Exercises for Mastering Gestures

Try these exercises to build muscle memory for essential gestures:

1. Undo/Redo Race: Draw random lines and practice undoing/redoing as quickly as possible
2. Quick Menu Sprint: Time how fast you can copy and paste selections using the Quick Menu
3. Canvas Navigation Challenge: Practice zooming, rotating, and repositioning the canvas while drawing
4. Layer Selection Drill: Create multiple layers and practice selecting layer contents with two-finger taps

Just 5-10 minutes of deliberate practice with these exercises will dramatically improve your gesture fluency.

Next Steps in Your Procreate Journey

Now that you've mastered gestures, explore these related topics to further enhance your Procreate skills:

• Learn to work with Procreate's brush system
• Master color techniques and palettes
• Explore layer techniques and blend modes
• For a comprehensive overview, check out our Complete Guide to Mastering Procreate

Conclusion

Mastering Procreate's gesture system is like learning keyboard shortcuts for a word processor—it transforms you from a casual user into a power user. These touch-based commands become second nature with practice and will significantly accelerate your digital art creation process.

Remember that muscle memory takes time to develop. Practice these gestures regularly, and soon you'll be navigating Procreate with the fluidity and precision of a professional digital artist.

Frequently Asked Questions