Finally figured out why my character art looked so flat

I was working on a portrait last week and my friend Mia pointed out that I was using the same brush for everything, even the background. I realized I'd been using the default round brush in Procreate for like 2 years straight. I tried a textured brush for the hair and a soft one for the skin and it made a huge difference. Anyone else get stuck using the same tools out of habit?

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olivia_lopez986mo ago

Oh man that's so real lol. I got weirdly attached to this one smudge tool in Krita and used it for everything, even lineart. My drawings looked so muddy until I forced myself to try the basic ink brush.

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richard_young806mo ago

Remember that one default Photoshop brush everyone used?

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sean_barnes246mo ago

That's a great point about brushes making a difference. Just wanted to add that the brush itself is only part of it. A lot of new artists forget about layer modes. Putting a color dodge layer with a soft brush over skin tones can add that glow you're missing, way more than just switching brushes. It's the combo of the right tool and knowing how to use it that really gets you there.

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