Digital Illustration | Tools of the Trade

Take a look inside my business and see which tools I use to create wedding design illustrations for my clients as well as the ones you can use to complete my digital illustration courses if you are one of my students.

ESSENTIALS

I create all of my digital illustrations using the Apple iPad Pro 12.9″ and the Apple Pencil.

You can purchase different size Apple iPads such as the smaller 11 inch iPad Pro and there are iPads with different memory sizes, so you can pick one for your budget and design needs.

There are also a lot of styluses on the market and I would recommend getting a pressure-sensitive one as they replicate drawing with a pencil better and a lot of Procreate brushes are built with pressure-sensitive settings (including mine).  If you want a stylus that feels as close to drawing with pencil and paper the Wacom Bamboo is a lovely professional one to use.

I create all of my artwork in the Procreate application which can be downloaded from the Apple store for around $10 USD.  I teach all of my courses and record my tutorials using this app, I am such a big fan of its interface and tools.  The possibilities are truly endless with this application.

One of my communities favourite resources are my Procreate Brush Sets.  I have hand-drawn hundreds of pieces of decor over the years and created these handy brush stamps so you don’t have to draw decor, flowers and much more from scratch.

PROTECTION

I like to protect my iPad’s screen, especially when I’m drawing out of the office.  I use a tempered glass screen protector

and an iPad case with a handy stand for on-the-go drawing.

DRAWING AIDS

To get that paper-like feel and realistic drawing on your iPad screen, you can use a ‘paper-like’ screen covering like this one.

Depending on which screen covering and stylus you choose you may want to wear an artists glove that reduces the chance of those unwanted touches when you lean your hand against the screen. It also makes for smooth transitions when moving your hand across the screen.

I like to use a table stand in the office which helps reduce neck strain and I like one that is small enough to pack in a bag for when I can’t be at my desk.