How to blend in Procreate

If you struggle with blending in Procreate, you are definitely not the only one. In this article, I will show you a couple of ways how to blend and create seamless gradients in Procreate. Plus I will include some of my favorite tips for better blending.

Ways to blend in Procreate

There are a couple of ways of how you can blend colors in Procreate: using the Smudge tool or Gaussian Blur.

Smudge tool

The smudge tool is probably the first tool that comes to mind when you think about blending. To access the Smudge tool, tap on a finger icon on top of your screen (next to brushes). Choose a brush and start blending.

While any brush could be a Smudge brush, some work better than others. I always suggest blending with the same brush you were drawing with because it preserves the texture and the overall look. My favorite brushes for smudging are ones from Artistic and Painting sets because they are very realistic and create great textures.

Depending on the opacity, the Smudge tool can create different effects. If you raise the opacity it will strengthen your smudge tool, but if you lower the opacity you will get more subtle and softer results.

Gaussian blur

I love Gaussian blur because it gives your image a very soft and out-of-focus look. If you are into creating gradients you need to use Gaussian blur.

To access Gaussian blur go to Adjustments (magic wand icon) and find Gaussian Blur. Just like with most other Adjustment tools in Procreate, you can blur the whole layer or only where you draw with your pencil. While a pencil would give you more control, I usually blur the whole layer because it creates a more seamless effect.

When you enter the Gaussian Blur interface, you will notice a blue bar labeled “Slide to adjust”. This bar shows how much blur is applied to your image. Initially, it will be set at 0%, but if you drag your finger to the right the amount of blur will increase.

Blending tips

Here I want to share some of my favorite and most working blending tips that will improve your blending skills.

• Don’t apply too much pressure
  When blending it is better to go very light with your brush and don’t apply too much pressure. You will get better and smoother results if you use a light touch.

• Try to vary the brush size
  When blending colors, try to vary the brush size. Go with a larger size if you want a soft gradient look in a larger area. And go with a smaller brush if you blend in a smaller area or want to preserve the details.
• Analogous colors
  Keep in mind that it is way easier to blend analogous colors (colors closer to each other in hue) than complementary colors (colors that are far apart from each other in hue). Analogous colors would give you a smoother transition and softer look.
• Use low opacity
  I always suggest blending with a low opacity brush. The result is so much softer and you preserve all the shades in-between.