Robert Rios

Austin, Texas

Freelance illustrator and letterer. Drawing in Procreate since 2013, BFA in Studio Art from UT Austin. Practical guides on brushes, layers, color and export.

More about Robert Rios

A layered comic drawing opening into separate Page Assist pages.

Why Procreate Layers Become Pages in Page Assist

Check Page Assist before moving or deleting layers. Understand PDF activation, page order and the current 5.4 Group menu for layered pages.

Onion Skin cover with a solid swallow wing pose between translucent earlier red and later green poses.

Procreate Onion Skin Settings: See Nearby Animation Frames Clearly

Separate the current pose from neighboring frames, adjust onion-skin count and opacity, and check the simple causes of invisible guide drawings.

QuickShape cover with a hand holding a Pencil beside a clean circle, straight line and triangle.

How to Use QuickShape in Procreate for Clean Lines and Circles

Draw, hold, snap and edit. Use a second finger for a circle or square, and check QuickShape gesture settings when the hold behaves unexpectedly.

A project brief with a lemon-header layer stack and editable contour under Procreate plus Fresco.

Procreate and Fresco: A Project Brief Worksheet

Define the finished image and next required edit before drawing. This project worksheet records recipients, file formats, source masters and the checks needed for delivery.

Leaf artwork separated into paint layers with two empty reserve sheets under Plan Your Layers.

Plan a Procreate Layer Budget Before You Start

Start with the required output size, reserve layers for likely revisions, and protect an editable native copy before you merge.

Separate leaf and paper layers beside a PSD tab under PSD Handoff.

Procreate PSD Handoff: Agree on Required Edits

Agree on the exact edits before delivering a PSD. Check those edits and the rendered image, then keep a matching preview and the original Procreate master.

Procreate Color Profile Handoff: Verify the Delivered File

Record the recipient's profile, dimensions and format, then check the saved export. Keep unknown metadata visible and preserve the native master.

Saved koi artwork copy beside an empty artwork silhouette under Recover Artwork.

Recover Procreate Artwork: Check Copies Before a Restore

A deleted Gallery canvas needs a surviving copy or suitable device backup. Check the correct recovery route and secure newer artwork before any iPad restore.

Lighthouse poster with trim and bleed edges under Plan Your Print.

Procreate Canvas-to-Print Planner

Convert print inches and the printer's requested PPI into canvas pixels, then check bleed and aspect ratio before creating the delivery file.

Textured painted fox and editable curve outline under Procreate vs Fresco.

Procreate vs Adobe Fresco: Choose for Your Project

I'd choose Procreate for a raster illustration finished on iPad, and Fresco for editable vector strokes, Live Brushes or compatible Windows drawing. Check the delivery first.

A watercolor spiral seashell and wet wash strokes beside the words Free Watercolor Brushes.

Free Watercolor Brushes for Procreate: Downloads and Licenses

Three creator-hosted watercolor packs, with the included paper, access requirements, and commercial-use limits explained before you download.

A dragonfly has bold contours, thin inner wing lines and a small textured section beside Line Art Brushes.

Built-in Procreate brushes for line art: four useful starting points

Choose a stock brush for controlled contours, finished ink, textured outlines or pencil-like lines. Follow current Classic Library paths and one focused smoothing adjustment.