Pages of Stillness. Patterns of the Sacred. Notes, Reflections & Quiet Writing.
Category: Procreate Brushes & Tutorials
Welcome! This part of the blog is dedicated to all things digital watercolour in Procreate, with a special focus on botanical illustration. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to develop your style, you’ll find tools, tips, and tutorials to help you create natural, painterly artwork using your iPad.
The Realistic Watercolour Brush Set was designed with traditional techniques in mind – soft textures, layered washes, and subtle details that work beautifully for painting plants, flowers, and nature-inspired subjects. Alongside the brushes, I’ll be sharing process breakdowns, Procreate tips, and step-by-step tutorials to guide you through creating your own botanical pieces.
This space is for experimenting, learning, and enjoying the slower process of building detailed illustrations with a handmade feel – all within Procreate.
For artists who love the organic feel of watercolour but crave the flexibility of digital tools, my first brush set for Procreate delivers that kind of experience—with just 14 brushes and 1 canvas.
The following illustrations were created using the Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set shown above. All tutorial packs include PDF step-by-step tutorials to use in “split-view” alongside the Procreate app, sketch outlines, reference images, and the Procreate colour palettes.
Learn how to illustrate an orchid plant in Procreate using the Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set. A calm, step-by-step botanical illustration process with a time-lapse video.
Orchids wait in their places, neither seeking attention nor withdrawing from it. Their stems rise slowly, shaped by weeks of quiet growth rather than any single moment. Each bloom opens with restraint, petal by petal, as if testing the air before fully arriving. There is no urgency in their flowering. They take what light they are given, what moisture drifts their way, and transform it with patience into colour and form.
Up close, their details reward stillness—the gentle curve of a petal, the soft patterning that seems almost deliberate. They endure long pauses between bloom and rest, understanding the value of waiting. In their presence, time feels less pressing. The orchid does not hurry to be seen; it simply grows, blooms, and fades when it is ready, reminding us that quiet persistence can be its own kind of grace.
Spending time with these graceful plants encourages a slower kind of attention. Their shapes reveal themselves gradually, asking to be observed rather than rushed. To draw them is to linger—to follow curves, notice pauses, and allow the image to emerge in its own time.
If you’d like to see the process step by step, I’ve shared it on Patreon, along with the complete library of past walkthroughs, work and reflections. See my Patreon page here…
Join me on Patreon for a behind-the-scenes look at my process and a deeper way to engage with it.
📖 An ongoing journal practice: Follow along as I share handwritten notes, hand-drawn sketches, and personal reflections from my journal — and discover inspiration for your own creative practice.
🖌 Step-by-step illustration tutorials: Learn through detailed illustration walkthroughs, from botanical studies to pattern composition.
🗂 Full archive access: Explore the complete library of past work and reflections.
Procreate Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set – Buy Here
Created for artists who love traditional watercolour but work digitally, this brush and canvas set makes painting botanicals feel natural, intuitive, and beautifully organic.
Purchase includes:
x14 Brushes
x1 Large Canvas (5000x4000px)
x1 Small Canvas (3500x2535px)
x1 User Guide
Files will be available to download instantly once payment has been made.
Whether you’re a digital artist or a traditional watercolour enthusiast, this carefully crafted step-by-step PDF tutorial will guide you through painting a detailed hydrangea botanical illustration using watercolour techniques.
This is the second tutorial in the Botanical Illustration series for Procreate – designed to help you master floral painting at your own pace.
What’s Included
A comprehensive PDF tutorial fully illustrated and easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions from sketch to finished bloom (to use in “Split View” alongside the Procreate app).
A PNG Sketch Outline (if you want to skip the sketch part)
Colour Palette to install in Procreate
Reference photo to follow
Timelapse/Speed Video of the full illustration from sketch to paint.
Bring the elegance of nature into your digital sketchbook with this ash leaf botanical illustration tutorial—designed especially for Procreate and created using the Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set. Whether you’re a beginner or an experienced artist exploring digital watercolour, this guided lesson will help you develop a clean, minimalistic style like real watercolour.
This in-depth PDF guide walks you through my complete process for creating a realistic botanical illustration of a green ash leaf in Procreate, using my watercolour brush set. You’ll see every stage clearly broken down — from initial sketch and colour planning to layered washes, texture, and final details.
This guide is designed for artists who prefer to work at their own pace, with high-resolution progress images and clear written explanations. It is formatted to be used in “Split View” alongside the Procreate app for easy reference while you work.
Time to complete: 6-7 hours
The ash leaf is a beautiful subject for botanical illustration thanks to its elegant structure and distinctive details. Composed of multiple slender leaflets arranged in pairs along a central stem (or rachis), the ash leaf has a graceful, feather-like form that naturally lends itself to minimalist design. Each leaflet tapers to a fine point and often features gently serrated edges and a delicate central vein, providing just the right amount of detail for watercolour texture to shine through. This combination of symmetry, variation, and organic flow makes the ash leaf both visually striking and meditative to paint—perfect for practicing layering, brush control, and subtle colour blending in digital watercolour.
What You’ll Need
To complete this illustration, you’ll first need:
An iPad with the Procreate app
Apple Pencil or compatible stylus
The Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set
The PDF Tutorial (link below)
What’s Included in the Purchase
Here’s a preview of what you’ll receive:
x1 Step-by-Step PDF Tutorial to use in “Split View” alongside the Procreate app
x1 Full Extracted Timelapse Video from Procreate
x1 Colour Palette
x1 PNG Sketch Outline
See a time-lapse of the illustration here (also included in the tutorial pack):
Ready to Get Started?
Once payment is complete, you’ll automatically receive a Dropbox link to a ZIP folder with all the files—please be sure to save them to your device so you can access them easily whenever needed.
Buy Now – Watercolour Green Ash Leaf Botanical Illustration in Procreate (1) (PDF Tutorial)
The step-by-step tutorial is available for purchase here:
Buy Now – Procreate Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set
The brush set used to create this tutorial is available for purchase here:
For artists who love the organic and textured feel of watercolour but crave the flexibility of digital tools, my first brush set for Procreate delivers an exceptional experience. This is an improved version of my original minimalist set—featuring expressive textures, dry brush strokes, splatter stamps, and enhanced watercolour effects. This set achieves the look of real watercolour after it has dried — soft edges, granulation, salt textures, and natural imperfections. Crafted from real watercolour textures and scans, these brushes give you authentic dried-watercolour character with effortless control in Procreate.
Whether you’re a beginner exploring the basics of watercolour or a seasoned illustrator looking for efficiency and realism, this set is designed to offer a seamless and inspiring workflow.
What’s Included
Sketch Brushes
Sketch—Pencil: A simple pencil-style brush for planning and loose sketching, which also blends naturally into paint layers.
Sketch—Watercolour Pencil: Slightly softer, with a watercolour pencil feel — good for outlines.
Filler Brushes
Designed for laying down colour with varying levels of texture.
Filler—Soft: Gentle texture with a lighter, more even feel.
Filler—Medium: A balanced brush with visible grain and natural variation.
Filler—Coarse: Heavier texture, ideal for dry brush effects and expressive strokes.
Detail & Blending
Details (Main): A controlled brush for smaller shapes, edges, and layered detail.
Blender: Softens edges and blends colour while keeping texture intact.
Texture & Effects
Effects—Sponge Texture: Adds irregular, organic texture similar to sponging paint on paper.
Effects—Salt Texture: Mimics the grainy, blooming effect of salt on drying watercolour.
Splatter Stamps
Made from real watercolour splatters.
Effects—Splatter 1
Effects—Splatter 2
Effects—Splatter 3
Effects—Splatter 4
Wet Bleed
Effects—Wet Bleed
This brush creates a soft bleed effect and only works when white is selected as the colour. It’s designed to be used subtly, adding the suggestion of moisture rather than a strong effect.
Canvas
Textured Canvas (1 Large: 5000x4000px, and 1 Small: 3500x2535px)
Included with the brush set is a high-quality watercolour canvas designed to respond beautifully to each brush. This custom Procreate canvas recreates the texture and absorbency of real watercolour paper, making every stroke feel authentic and dynamic.
Botanical illustration of a green ash leaf made using the Realistic Watercolour Brush Set. For the full tutorial, click here.
Designed for Every Artist
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a professional illustrator, this set allows you to focus on creativity without being bogged down by complexity. The intuitive brushes and responsive canvas work together to simulate traditional watercolour techniques—without the mess or setup.
Botanical illustration of a purple hydrangea flower made using the Realistic Watercolour Brush Set.
Authentic textures and flow
Beginner-friendly and professional-grade
Efficient and uncluttered
Natural blending and layering effects
Perfect for detailed botanicals and more
Buy Now – Realistic Watercolour Brush & Canvas Set for Procreate
Click below to view pricing and option to purchase. File will be available to download instantly once payment has been made.
Purchase includes:
x14 Brushes
x1 Large Canvas (5000x4000px)
x1 Small Canvas (3500x2535px)
x1 User Guide
See My Illustrations on YouTube Using This Brush Set
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use this set for commercial artwork?
Yes — use it for personal and commercial projects. Redistribution of the brush set is not permitted.
Do I need an Apple Pencil?
Recommended for pressure sensitivity, but brushes work with touch input at reduced responsiveness.
Why is the Wet Bleed brush white-only?
White activates the bloom interaction with existing pigment, simulating traditional watercolour backruns.
Can I combine these brushes with my existing brushes?
Absolutely — the workflow is compatible with other Procreate brushes that support layering and transparency.
