If you typed “best Procreate brushes” into a search bar with a tiny bit of desperation… hi. (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)

There are a million brush packs, and most of them are fine. But fine isn't perfect, and one issue I often face is when your pencil feels like one sketchbook, your ink feels like a different sketchbook, and your “paper texture” feels like… drywall! And then I end up sometimes fighting the tools instead of actually drawing.

Disclosure: I made RuahStash Essentials, so I'm biased. (づ｡◕‿‿◕｡)づ

What Makes a Brush Good? (for real drawing)

• Pressure that behaves: Light pressure stays light. Heavy pressure goes darker without suddenly turning into a marker.
• Tilt that shades! Tilt should feel like “side of pencil” shading, not just “same stroke, but sideways.”
• Texture that stays consistent. If your pencil grain and your paint grain feel like two different worlds, finishing gets harder.
• Clear jobs, no bloat. As in, I'd like to instantly know: sketch, ink, block in, paint, texture, blend. No mystery meat brushes.

A Few of My Drawings (so you can judge with your eyeballs)

Brush packs can say anything. The only thing that matters is: do you like what the artist makes with them?

My “Small Toolkit” Rule

I don't want 500, 5000 brushes. I much prefer a small set I can memorize. For most illustrations, I try to keep my “active” brushes around 8-12:

• 1-2 pencils
• 1 charcoal/shader for quick values
• 1 clean liner + 1 textured liner
• 2-3 paints/washes
• 1 paper texture + 1 speckle
• 1 blender (optional, but comforting)

If You Want the “Everything Matches” Feeling

That's basically why I made RuahStash Essentials: a cohesive Procreate set with 45 brushes, organized into six families so sketch → ink → paint → texture feels like one sketchbook! Useful links:

• Install help: step-by-step guide
• License summary: commercial use allowed (don't redistribute the files)
• Guarantee: 14-day satisfaction guarantee

If You're Choosing ANY Brush Set, Use This Checklist

1. Do I like the artist's drawings made with the set?
2. Can I go sketch → ink → paint → finish without switching packs?
3. Does the texture feel consistent across tools?
4. Are the brush roles obvious (pencil, liner, paint, texture)?
5. Is the license clear for client/commercial work?
6. Most importantly (for me at least!), does it make me want to draw right now?

I hope you find brushes that make you want to draw. (｡•́‿•̀｡)