Best IPad For Procreate In 2022

Desember 25, 2022Desember 23, 2022 falma.u99 procreate

I guess that for anybody who knows me, there’s no secret that I love the Procreate digital illustration app on my iPad Pro with Apple Pencil. So I wanted to write a brief guide about the best iPad models and Apple Pencil for Procreate. Let’s have a look!

Photo: Iva drawing on her iPad Pro – © Art Side of Life 💡 Please note: We are supported by our readers. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you! For more info, please read our disclosure.

If you’re in a hurry and want a quick recommendation, here are my top picks for the best iPad for Procreate:

Table of Contents
For sure, there is no digital tool – hardware or software – that has done more to advance my art or to make it faster or easier than Procreate has.

Since discovering Procreate and getting an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, I often say that my process is ten times faster than before, and I can do so much more, much better, and with so much less effort.

So in this article, I’ll try to answer some basic questions.

* First, is it worth it to buy an iPad for Procreate?
* Second, what are the best iPad models and Apple Pencils for Procreate? Are all iPads compatible with Procreate?
* Finally, what’s the best way to learn Procreate?

How Much Does Procreate Cost? Is it Worth Buying It?

Procreate is, without question, the best art program available for the latest generation iPad with Apple Pencil. Yet, it is very affordable – only $9.99 (one-time payment) – so if you already have a compatible iPad, you should get this great app. There are no recurring subscription fees, which makes Procreate one of the best and most affordable drawing programs!

With a little effort and learning, you will find, like me, that it transforms, accelerates, and optimizes your art process, inspires and enables you to do more, and improves your artwork.

Graphic: Procreate App in Apple App StoreThe promise of digital art seems quite strong and compelling.

It is, after all, what everybody’s doing, isn’t it? It’s what all commercial and fine artists today are working on and the way of the future. So, naturally, any aspiring artist buys a big laptop and subscribes to Adobe Creative Cloud to access serious art programs like Photoshop and Illustrator.

Then, they just stare at the screen if they didn’t invest hours and hours in studying how to work in those programs full of tools, options, and settings. They click on a couple of tools, try to draw whatever comes to their mind, giggle a little, click some more and then reach for their sketchbook, worrying that their creative inspiration might run away if they don’t draw something meaningful.

Procreate is different!

It is an incredibly powerful program, with all the tools and options you would ever need, and yet it is so intuitive that you can just sit down with it the first time and start making art.

You have a canvas (and various canvas sizes), brushes, pens, shapes, the color wheel, and so you are immediately in the familiar creative territory.

Using Procreate on my iPad Pro with Apple Pencil is such a joy!

Photo: Iva drawing in Procreate – © Art Side of LifeYes, Procreate is indeed a detailed and complex program that you will eventually need to spend some time learning, and in fact, the sooner you know all it can do, the sooner you can take your own processes and artwork to the next level.

But any artist can immediately start making beautiful things and finally understand and realize the promise of digital art.

Some of the best features of the latest version of Procreate, in my experience, are:

* 150+ Procreate Brushes – and you can customize them and even add more!
* Countless Filters, Effects, Gradients, and more
* Incredible Color Selection and Control, including Blending and Gradation
* Aids and Cheats like Clipping Masks, Alpha Locks and Quick shape
* Drawing Guides like Perspective, Isometric, and Symmetry
* Layers
* Customizable Gestures
* Animation
* Intuitive Interface
* Brilliantly Thought-Out Layout, Controls, and Functions Overall

Yeah, when you see even this very short and incomplete list of the best features of Procreate, it can seem like an impossibly complicated, difficult, and intimidating program, and for sure a really good course or deep self-study will reveal more and more that this marvelous app can do.

But the best feature of Procreate is, in fact, ease of use.

It is simply a way to paint and draw that is familiar and comfortable for anybody, even if they’ve never used a computer for more than emails and browsing the web.

You can immediately sit down and make a beautiful drawing or painting without worrying about Isometric Guides or Clipping Masks!

Are there any downsides to Procreate?

If pressed, I would have to say that it does not allow vector work, although this can also be an advantage.

Vector work is great for creating high-resolution, small-sized, clean, and sharp images like logos, but it is not an intuitive process – especially for people who work well and naturally in traditional media like painting, pen and ink, colored pencils, and such.

Procreate, on the other hand, is a raster-based, or pixel-based, program which is more reminiscent of physical painting and drawing.

Yes, pixel-based files are much larger, but they are also much richer, more detailed, colorful and realistic.

Anyway, I can do 99 percent of what I want and need – for my own work and clients – with Procreate, and if I need to work with vectors, I can simply use Illustrator on my MacBook Pro.

But when I’m painting or drawing digitally, I always use Procreate on my iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, and I love it!

One of the most powerful and important benefits of Procreate is its portability. Well, I guess this is more of a benefit of the iPad itself, but I consider Procreate and my iPad Pro as a single tool, which is always right there with me wherever I go.

As such, I can see that Procreate on my iPad Pro allows and encourages me to work more often and see more in the world around me. I can sit down anywhere and start drawing or painting with beautiful detail, rich, vibrant colors, and an easy creative flow.

So, if this is kind of what you envision as the “promise of digital art,” you’ll now probably have one of the following questions:

* What kind of iPad model and Apple Pencil do you need to use Procreate?
* Which iPad models and Apple Pencil work best with Procreate?
* What is the cheapest iPad for Procreate?
* Do you need to upgrade your current iPad to work with Procreate and Apple Pencil?

While most recent iPads and Apple Pencil will work with the newest version of Procreate (5.2.6 at the time of writing), it does need PadOS 14.4 or newer to run.

This, in combination with the advances and improvements in the latest iPads, makes lots of artists feel like they want to get a new iPad and Apple Pencil to run this fabulous program, but if you are running any of the below, with iOS 14.4 or later, you are already good to go.

For the full list of Procreate-supported iPad models, look at the newest update from the team at Procreate, located in beautiful Hobart, Tasmania – The latest version of Procreate and supported iPad models.

Overview: What is the Best New iPad for Procreate?
1. NEW Apple iPad Pro (12.9″, WiFi, 512GB)The best iPad for drawing and Procreate Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model Get it on Amazon
2. NEW Apple iPad Air (10.9″, WiFi, 256GB)Best iPad for drawing and Procreate if you are on a budget or you are a student / beginner Latest M1 processor :: 10.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, brightness :: Light & extremely strong :: Premium fit & finish :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2022 model Get it on Amazon
3. NEW Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 256GB)Best cheapest and smallest iPad I recommend for drawing and Procreate Apple A15 Processor for Best-in-Class Performance :: 8.3 inch Liquid Retina Display for Superior Color, Contrast, Brightness :: Light and Extremely Strong :: Premium Fit and Finish :: Up to 10 Hours Battery Life Get it on Amazon

I could easily recommend any current Apple iPad for Procreate, and they will all work great, but I wanted to offer what I think are the three very best choices on three levels.

So, for the shortlist, I would recommend the following:

Best iPad overall for Procreate: iPad Pro 12.9 Inch
Best Cheap iPad for Procreate: iPad Air 10.9 Inch
Best Cheapest iPad for Procreate I recommend: iPad Mini 8.3 Inch
Graphic: Best iPad for Procreate Technical Specifications – © Art Side of LifeIf you want to buy a new iPad and Apple Pencil or upgrade to the latest generation, I have to say the new models are fabulous – fast and powerful, with bright and beautiful displays, light and yet a reassuringly solid look and feel.

My Recommendations For Getting The Best iPad for Procreate
Get The Biggest Screen You Can Afford
To make your Procreate experience optimal, I recommend getting the biggest screen size you can afford, but remember that even the smallest iPad screens are sharp, clear, and imminently usable.

I started using Procreate on the now-discontinued iPad Pro 10.5″. I used it in my studio, on the go, on public transport, in the passenger seat in the car, in the parks, cafes, shopping malls … you name it.

When I upgraded to the latest iPad Pro 12.9″, I was worried it would be too big to fit into my backpack and too heavy to draw on the go. But after a week of getting used to it, I didn’t notice the size difference anymore.

Get Bigger Storage Which Comes With Bigger RAM
Graphic: Iva’s iPad Pro 12.9 with 512GB storage and 8GB RAM allows for 116 layers in Procreate in size A4 and 300 DPI – ©Art Side of LifeGraphic: Iva’s iPad Pro 12.9 with 512GB storage and 8GB RAM allows for 56 layers in Procreate in size A3 and 300 DPI – ©Art Side of LifeIt is also good to get as much RAM and storage space as possible – especially if you are a commercial or serious digital and fine artist.

More RAM will let Procreate (and other programs) run faster, more smoothly, and with more layers.

And the storage space will allow you to keep even very large, complex, or high-resolution files – finished pieces or works in progress – on your iPad.

You could even store a fairly complete portfolio of your work on a larger SD drive.

Get The Apple Pencil
Graphic: Best iPad for Procreate Apple Pencil Compatibility – ©Art Side of LifeI also strongly urge you to get the Apple Pencil – I’d say this is crucial, in fact, for ease, control, pressure sensitivity, and detail.

Other styluses support drawing on the iPad, but the experience with Apple Pencil is just out of this world, and at the time of writing, there is no worthy alternative.

Photo: Iva showing her iPad Pro and Apple Pencil 2nd Generation – © Art Side of LifeAll the iPads on my list support Apple Pencil 2nd Generation, which is an amazing upgrade from the previous generation! The “invisible button” activated with a double-tap on the pencil is very useful!

Photo: Iva showing the Apple Pencil 2nd Generation Double-Tap Feature – ©Art Side of LifeGet Other Useful Accessories
Photo: Iva’s iPad Pro and Procreate Accessories – ©Art Side of LifeI love the feeling of drawing on paper! The texture, the subtle sound of a pencil or pen on paper, and the control it gives me to express my ideas. So, I naturally wanted to recreate the same feeling while drawing in Procreate on my iPad. After testing different options, I chose the matte Paperlike screen protector with the paper texture:

One important note. Depending on how much you draw, the matte paperlike screen protector will quickly use Apple Pencil’s tip. I draw in Procreate on my iPad daily, and I have to change it every 2 to 3 months. So don’t forget to get yourself a set of original, extra Apple Pencil tips:

Also very nice to get is the Magic Keyboard – it protects your new iPad. Also, it helps you use it as a full-fledged mobile computer, which is great for working commercial artists who need to do administrative tasks, billing, email, social media, and other communications. And the trackpad on the Magic Keyboard is really good and useful with Procreate.

If you don’t need the keyboard, though, I’d recommend you get yourself a protective case that supports the magnetic charging function for the Apple Pencil.

I am using the ESR case with a pencil holder below and have a felt sleeve for extra protection. But that’s just me being me – extra careful!

At the same time, many of us are on a budget and have to ask not just, “which iPad should I buy for Procreate” but instead, “which iPad can I afford for Procreate?”

And so, let’s not just find out what are the best iPads for Procreate, but what are the most affordable iPads for Procreate as well:

Apple iPad Pro 12.9 Inch Screen Size
NEW Apple iPad Pro (12.9″, WiFi, 512GB)The best iPad for drawing and Procreate

Apple M1 Processor for next-level performance :: 12.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, and brightness :: Light and extremely strong :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2021 model

Get it on AmazonThe best of the best, iPad Pro is the most useful and powerful mobile art tool I know.

The newest liquid retina screen creates incredibly rich, sharp, bright, and contrasty graphics. They not only make the creative process easier and more effective, but the beauty of the big display – and my work on that display – inspires and encourages me to become better and better.

Apple’s proprietary M1 processor in the newest iPad Pro is far faster than most laptops and never lags or crashes, no matter how big or high-resolution my artwork is.

And the pen-to-screen interface is nothing short of superb, with a great feel, real physical control, great response and flow, and extraordinary levels of precision.

For my money, the Apple iPad Pro is not just the best iPad for artists on the market today but the best standalone drawing tablet available today!

Best Apple Pencil for iPad Pro and Procreate
Although other styluses support drawing experience on the newest iPad, Apple Pencil’s compatibility and feature set are crucial if you want to enjoy the full experience of Procreate on your iPad.

All models on my list for the best iPad for Procreate support and are supported by the amazing 2nd generation of Apple Pencil:

Apple Pencil (2nd generation)Second Generation Apple Pencil :: Best Drawing and Painting Experience :: Compatible with: iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th, 4th and 3rd generation), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd, 2nd and 1st generation), iPad Air (5th and 4th generation) and iPad mini (6th generation)

Get it on AmazonApple iPad Air 10.9 Inch Screen Size
NEW Apple iPad Air (10.9″, WiFi, 256GB)Best iPad for drawing and Procreate if you are on a budget or you are a student / beginner

Latest M1 processor :: 10.9-inch liquid retina display for superior color, contrast, brightness :: Light & extremely strong :: Premium fit & finish :: Up to 10 hours battery life :: Early 2022 model

Get it on AmazonI might have just as easily recommended the smaller iPad Pro 11-inch as a less expensive alternative to Apple’s top-of-the-line 12.9-inch model.

And the 11-inch Pro is certainly a perfect choice for Procreate, but it is not significantly less expensive than its bigger brother, so not a “budget” option.

The iPad Air, however, with about the same sized screen (10.9 inch) and still featuring the superb Liquid Retina display, is an incredible tool and an incredible tablet – stunningly beautiful graphics, a large working area, a fast processor (though not quite as fast as the iPad Pro), great cameras and speakers and excellent overall fit and finish.

Incredibly light yet solid and sturdy, the Apple iPad Air works flawlessly with Procreate. I think it would be a powerful and invaluable tool for any artist.

Get it on AmazonApple iPad Mini 8.3 Inch Screen Size
NEW Apple iPad Mini (Wi-Fi, 256GB)Best cheapest and smallest iPad I recommend for drawing and Procreate

Apple A15 Processor for Best-in-Class Performance :: 8.3 inch Liquid Retina Display for Superior Color, Contrast, Brightness :: Light and Extremely Strong :: Premium Fit and Finish :: Up to 10 Hours Battery Life

Get it on AmazonWhenever anybody says that you can’t do the serious, high-resolution, detailed artwork on a smaller screen, I immediately think, “they haven’t tried it on an iPad!”

Of course, the question “will a smaller iPad work well with Procreate?” is valid and good to ask. However, the iPad Mini still has that phenomenal Apple Liquid Retina display, a stunningly bright and sharp screen with true and beautiful colors.

Yes, larger screens are easier to work on, and yes, the Mini has less RAM and a somewhat slower processor, and if you can afford a bigger iPad, you should seriously consider it. But the iPad Mini tablet does work great with Procreate, and there’s no reason you can’t be working with it on the highest levels.

Some people even prefer the smaller, lighter, and more portable package.

The smallest Apple iPad Mini, with 64 GB storage, is less than $500. Yet, for all its darling tininess and affordability, it’s a powerful and fully usable tool for the serious commercial or fine artist, art student, or beginner.

Get it on AmazonFAQs – Best iPad for Procreate
Which iPad is best for drawing in Procreate? I think the best iPad for drawing in Procreate is the newest iPad Pro 12.9″ because of its newest technology which makes the drawing and painting process so enjoyable!

What is the cheapest iPad for Procreate? I recommend iPad Mini 5th generation as the cheapest iPad for Procreate because compared to iPad 10.2″, it comes with the newest technology that makes using Procreate such a joy!

Is iPad Air or Pro better for Procreate? I find the iPad Pro 12.9″ better for Procreate than iPad Air 10.9″. Technology-wise they are both very advanced tablets, but the iPad Pro 12.9″ has a bigger and brighter screen. When it comes to choosing between the iPad Air 10.9″ and iPad Pro 11, I’d choose iPad Air because it’s a newer model than the 11″ iPad Pro.

Is Procreate worth it without an Apple Pencil? No, I don’t think so. Drawing and painting with Apple Pencil in Procreate is, as I’d like to call it, out of this world! Using Apple Pencil is so intuitive that I sometimes forget I am drawing digitally!

What is the Best Way to Learn Procreate?
Everybody talks about two things that make using Procreate so great

1. One, the incredibly simple, natural, and intuitive interface and ease of use, and
2. Two, the amazing amounts of tools, functions, controls, and advanced capabilities

This means, in a practical sense, that you can easily sit down and figure out how to make a beautiful piece of art with Procreate on your iPad, even without user guides or instructions.

Still, you can also spend loads of time and effort on your own trying to figure out the countless other, higher-level things Procreate will do. And chances are that time and effort will be at least a little frustrating, and you still won’t even scratch the surface.

A much better idea would be to learn from an expert, especially from somebody who is not only a good, clear, and effective teacher but has been using Procreate in the real world and can show you how to fully understand and unlock the true potential of Procreate as an advanced and multi-dimensional tool for commercial or fine artists.

Many teachers and classes are out there, and lots of those meet these two qualifications. Still, I am very happy to offer my own online Procreate courses on the highly regarded SkillShare learning platform, and I am quite proud of them.

I feel like I get Procreate on all levels and can effectively present its most important and useful features, tools, and benefits. And I hope my enthusiasm makes learning even more fun and productive – I love art, drawing, teaching, and – in case this wasn’t clear – I love Procreate.

Please check out my courses using the links below, and if you have any questions about them, don’t hesitate to ask!

I hope my article helped you to choose your iPad for Procreate, and you will have a lot of fun drawing and painting in this amazing digital drawing app.

Visit my blog – Art Side of Life – for other buyer’s guides, online courses, articles, and other resources.

Other articles in the Drawing Tablets series:

If you are looking for free and premium Procreate brushes, here is the complete list of 50+ Free and Premium Procreate Brushes

If you are looking for a printer for your iPad AirPrint, here are my recommendations for the Best Printer for iPad, iPhone and Mac

If you are looking for a mini projector for iPhone and iPad, check out my recommendations here Best Mini Projector for iPhone and iPad

Lis cet article en français 🇫🇷 Le meilleur iPad pour Procreate

Hi, I am Iva (rhymes with “viva”). I am an artist, illustrator, founder of Art Side of Life®, and Top Teacher on Skillshare. Since 2009 I’ve worked as an illustrator, character designer, art director, and branding specialist focusing on illustration, storytelling, concepts, and animation. I believe that we are all creative in infinite numbers of ways, so I’ve made it my mission to teach you everything I know and help either wake up or develop your creative genius. Learn more about me.