Color plays a huge rule in bringing artwork to life, and it even has the power to change the overall mood of your piece.
That’s why finding a great color palette is so important. As a digital artist, having a palette that’s ready to use ultimately saves a lot of time.
So, why should you use a color palette? How do you find them and get them into Procreate?
In this article, we’ll answer these questions for you. We've also put together a list of 30+ free and premium color palettes for Procreate so that so you can get started on your next masterpiece today.
Let's jump in!
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Why Use a color palette?
Color palettes are useful not only for helping your piece communicate a certain theme, but also help to push it a step further. A great piece of artwork can fall short of the artist's vision or intentions when the color selection isn't great.
That’s why choosing great colors that work well together is vital. Thankfully, digital programs like Procreate make creating, downloading, and using color palettes fast and simple.
When you have a curated color palette, your final piece looks more cohesive and the storytelling behind it is stronger. It also takes the guesswork out of trying to coordinate colors on your own.
The best part? Anyone can use a color palette. From lettering, calligraphy, and graphic design to painting, any artist can benefit greatly from well-balanced color combinations.
Having a color palette ready to go is as easy as downloading it straight onto your iPad. Once color palettes are saved into Procreate, you have access to them across all of your documents, and you can organize them in any way that suits the way you work.
Where to find color palettes
Color palettes are a downloadable digital resource like a brush set, texture, or anything else you import into Procreate. The cool thing about this is that artists can create their own color palettes and then export and sell them on their own sites like Etsy.
There's also the option to use a Marketplace like Design Cuts, Creative Market or Envato Elements, where you can browse through large numbers of color palettes from a variety of creators.
When searching for a color palette online, it helps to have a theme in mind, like a Fall color palette. What is the subject matter of your project? What mood do you want your art to evoke?
Let the answers to these questions guide your search for the right color palette for your piece.
How to import & create color palettes in Procreate
In Procreate, there are a number of ways to create your own color palettes, from importing files to using images.
Within the program, you can import .swatch files and Adobe color palette files in .ASE and .ACO formats.
Here are a few ways that you can quickly create a new color palette right inside the app.
Importing swatch files
- Save your swatch file to your Files App.
- Open the Palette menu and press +.
- Select New from file and select your swatch file.
Creating from a new photo
- Open the Palette menu and press +.
- Select New from camera.
- Choose visual or indexed and capture your image.
Note: If you want more contrast in your color palette, choose Indexed mode.
Creating from a saved photo
- Open the Palette menu and press +.
- Select New from photos.
- Choose the image.
When you create your own color palette in these ways, the name of the palette will be generated by default. You can simply rename your palettes by tapping them once and typing in a new name.
Choosing the right photo to sample
To generate a color palette from a photo, it helps to know some basic color theory to choose the right subject. The color wheel is made of primary, secondary, and tertiary colors that are both warm and cool. Warm colors are reds, yellows, and oranges, and cool colors are blues, greens, and purples.
Colors that are complementary are across from each other on the color wheel, like red and green. You can use this color harmony to figure out if your palette will work. You can learn more about color theory here.
Consider these ideas next time you want to snap a picture of your own to generate a color palette for your next project.
Here are some additional pro tips for capturing the right picture for your color palette:
- The photo should have a good amount of contrast.
- There should be a cohesive or harmonious range of hues.
- It needs to be well lit, so the colors are vibrant and can be easily detected by Procreate.
With so many options for color palettes to choose from, it can be overwhelming at times.
Now that we know a little more about colors and how they work, let’s take a look at some amazing color palettes for Procreate.
Natural color palettes
The colors that appear in nature are part of what has inspired artists since early art history.
Everything from sprawling landscapes to the colors of the ocean can help bring life to nature-themed digital drawings and paintings.
Check out these palettes designed to take you from land to sea with their colors.
#alt#Image of the swatch palette Under the Sea with sea-themed blocks of colors.
Under the Sea by Winship & Rose
Price: $14.
This color palette features 30 colors that will add a bright pop to your next sea-inspired project. With a range of hues, you can easily incorporate these onto your canvas in a cohesive way. With your download, you receive a Procreate .swatch file and a Photoshop .ACO swatch file, and instructions.
Winship & Rose is a mother and daughter team of artists that supply a variety of digital resources and downloads for artists.
#alt#Image of the Sequoia color palette with circles of carker browns, tans, and greens.
Sequoia Procreate Palette by Design Resource Hub
Price: $14.
These combinations of colors include various shades of brown and green, making this palette great for trees and landscapes. It also features a range of lighter colors that will give your work nice contrast and balance.
The Design Resource Hub is a family design agency that creates resources for hobbyists and professionals alike. They believe in making products that make artists’ lives easier.
#alt#Image of a Mermaid Inspired color palette with purples, greens, and blues.
Mermaid Inspired Color Palette by Ebb & Flow Creative Co.
Price: Free.
Featuring a selection of greens, purples, and teals, you’ll get a nice variety in a smaller palette.
This is the first of a few free Procreate color palettes we'll see on our list. That's right. You don't always have to pay for color palettes!
Ebb & Flow is run by Emy, and was started as a way to share her vast tutorial library and resources with others. She keeps beginners in mind when creating her tools so that they can feel confident even as they're just starting out.
Color palettes for portraits
One essential that can take any level of portrait from good to great are carefully placed colors that make the skin look natural (if realism is the goal) and give the portrait life.
These palettes will help you do just that, as well as find the right colors for hair and eyes to complete your piece.
#alt#Image showing an iPad with a picture of hair on it laying on a multi-colored neutral background with the words “10 Hair Color Palettes for Procreate.”
10 Hair Color Palettes for Procreate by Delightful Design Studio
Price: Free.
Other than the skin, the rendering of hair and its colors can play a huge part in well-composed portraits.
This palette pack comes with 10 diverse color palettes to help you color hair for your portraits. That's over 200 colors, giving you a number of hair colors to use, from traditional brown and blonde to fun purples and pinks.
Since 2014, Delightful Design Studio has made over 10,000 templates for digital artists and creatives to use. They provide the best tools they can to help digital artists nuture and inspire creativity.
#alt#Image of an Ipad over a light wood background with a color palette on the screen showing circles of skin tone colors.
Skintones Procreate Color Palette by Cate Shaner
Price: From $14.
With some exceptions, not having the right tones for skin can leave portrait subjects looking dull and flat. This selection of 30 skin tones offers a nice variety of shades and tones that will allow your portraits to communicate beyond the screen.
Cate Shaner is a designer and lettering artist who believes in creating bright, clean, and modern resources that make digital creating easier. In addition to creating tools for Procreate, she also has a wide selection of tutorials on her blog and YouTube channel.
#alt#An image with a drawing of a green eye on the left and the Natural Eyes Bundle color palette on the right with ovals of color in shades of blue, green, and brown.
Natural Eyes Procreate Palette Bundle by VioletandAshDesigns
Price: $7.50.
This pack has 300 colors total, across 10 swatches. The palettes include everything your portraits will need to achieve beautiful and natural eye colors. As an added bonus, you'll also gain access to an .ACO file for Adobe Photoshop, giving you more use out of these color swatches.
Jess Berry of Violet and Ash Designs creates curated color palettes to liven up your work. She has plenty of color palettes to choose from to add to or inspire your next piece.
Bright color palettes
Bright colors can make you feel awake, energized, and engaged. That's because they're bold and saturated.
There are, of course, a variety of bright colors to choose from, so these palettes will give a great selection of colors across a number of themes.
#alt#Image of an iPad with multi-colored color palettes on the screen laying on a brightly colored background.
Synthwave Color Palette by Brushboy
Price: Free to download with an Envato Elements subscription.
This harmonious color palette will transport you to the 80s with its punchy colors. This set comes with three different color palettes and 90 colors total.
Use it to bring a bright pop of pinks, blues, and reds to your piece. It also comes with a commercial license, making it great to use with both professional and personal projects.
#alt#Image of an Apple Pencil and an iPad on a white background with the Cathcono Bright color palette on the screen showing circles of bright colors.
Procreate Color Palette - Bright by Cathconofolio
Price: From $14.
This fun selection of colors was inspired by the happy feeling of summer. It will help your work read as youthful and fun. The inclusion of warm and cool tones makes it well suited for a variety of uses.
Cather is the artist behind the illustration and design studio Cathconofolio. She creates fun assets for the Procreate app and tutorials to educate other artists.
#alt#Image of a rainbow-colored donkey piñata on a purple background with rainbow-colored confetti and the words “Fiesta Color Palette for Procreate.”
Fiesta Color Palette by Monolinea
Price: From $14.
These colors are coordinated and offer a rainbow selection of hues, plus browns and grays.
Each color has a light and dark variation, giving you a nice range of colors to choose from across two swatches and 50 colors.
Kemi of Monolinea has over 20 years of experience and uses that to create designs and resources that delight. Her colorful palettes and brushes make using Procreate easier.
#alt#Image of the Flatiful Color Palette in a rainbow-colored theme.
Flatiful Color Palette by Monolinea
Price: From $14.
These color palettes were designed to be eye-catching to make your project pop. Offering warm and cool tones, you can use these for design, illustration, and other projects.
Kemie of Monolinea has over 20 years of experience and uses that to create designs and resources that delight. Her colorful palettes and brushes make using Procreate easier.
Seasonal color palettes
Whatever your favorite season might be, you can always turn to these color palettes time and time again.
Depending on the palette, shades of orange can communicate either summer or fall. Curated palettes for the seasons will help your piece breakthrough and be on theme.
#alt#Image of fall leaves on the left and the Autumn Season color palette on the right with circles of fall colors.
Autumn Procreate Color Palette by Ducky Judy
Price: From $1.
This set comes with 20 colors to choose from in a range of hues. A great selection of colors to use for everything from fall leaves and greenery to trees.
Give this a try the next time you have a fall project.
Judy of Ducky Judy is a graphic designer from Thailand. Her creations span from color palettes to brushes leaving you with no shortage of ways to create.
#alt#An image of multiple color palettes in winter colors with a circle covering the center that says, “Color Trend Swatches for Winter.”
Color Trend Swatches for Winter by Studio 17
Price: From $14.
These color swatches were designed to make your winter projects cool and on trend.
Whether you’re trying to portray a frozen landscape or just add smaller surrounding elements, this massive selection of palettes includes 270 colors across nine palettes.
It also comes with downloadable PNG files for you to sample your colors in different programs outside of Procreate.
Studio 17 makes creative assets for designers. Use their swatches, brushes and more to speed up your next Procreate project.
#alt#An image of an iPad with attached Apple Pencil on a pink, wood background with a Christmas Color Palette on the screen with circles of colors in shades of green, red, and white.
Christmas Color Palette by Cate Shaner
Price: From $14.
This color palette is great for those who want to create holiday-themed work. The selection of colors feels festive with a modern twist because they're not overly saturated. Enjoy a selection or all 30 in your next project.
Cate Shaner is a designer and lettering artist who believes in creating bright, clean, and modern resources that make digital creating easier. In addition to creating tools for Procreate, she also has a wide selection of tutorials on her blog and YouTube channel.
Procreate brush and palette bundles
Procreate is an expansive tool with a variety of capabilities.
That’s why it's common to see a lot of creators make bundles featuring a collection of different tools including brushes, textures, and color palettes.
The items included are often designed to complement each other, allowing you to create fun and unique artwork with them.
#alt#An image on an iPad with a green and gold design and the words “Sparkly Metallic Effect Brushes for Procreate” on a sparkly green background with drawn mountains in the front and an Apple Pencil.
Sparkly Brushes for Procreate by Seamless Team
Price: $15.
Not only will these brushes add a nice shimmer and shine to your designs, but you also get 40 of them to use.
To support these brushes, you gain access to 20 colors in Procreate. The glitter, metallic, and shine of the brushes will work well with the colors included in this brush pack.
Seamless Team specializes in creating unique Procreate brushes. Use their brushes to add texture, custom graphics, and effects to your work.
#alt#An image of a drawing of a bird and flowers with the words “Effortless Gouache” at the top.
Gouache Brushes by Lisa Glanz
Price: From $21.
These brushes add a realistic gouache paint effect to your digital artwork without the mess. With these brushes, you'll get access to four different themes of color swatches.
The themes give you options to create with deeper, darker colors and cooler, brighter colors. As a bonus, you'll also get access to a beautiful, botanical art video tutorial that’s perfect for beginners.
Lisa Glanz is an illustrator who is passionate about creating and sharing resources for artists. She also has a number of courses designed around digital illustration.
#alt#An image of outer space with an iPad that says “Space Procreate brushes.”
Space Procreate Brushes by Freezerondigital
Price: $18.
This brush pack will send you to the stars with its space-themed brushes and stamps.
To help you perfectly capture the vastness of space, you get 150 colors between 5 palettes. With 62 different brushes, you'll be able to create realistic-looking nebulas and stars.
Yaroslav is the creator of Freezerondigital. They create backgrounds, overlays, and resources for Procreate and Photoshop.
#alt#An image that says, “Neon Procreate Kit” as a neon sign with neon signs of a pineapple on the left and martini glass on the right.
Neon Procreate Brush Kit by Mila Garret
Price: From $14.
This brush pack will have you creating instant neon sign effects in Procreate. It comes with 30 color swatches that were selected to make the collection of 16 neon brushes pop.
Want to learn how to create an even better neon effect?
This brush kit comes with realistic background files and a tutorial to make your final piece read like real neon.
Mila Garret is a type designer and creative. Her love of type and lettering is shown through her range of brushes and fonts.
#alt#An image of an Apple Pencil and iPad on a white background with a picture of tie dye on the screen and the words “Realistic Tie Dye Brushes.”
Realistic Tie Dye Brushes & Swatches by Nurmiftah
Price: $14.
These brushes were made using tie-dye fabric texture to give you a realistic effect. Each brush stamp has a unique shape, giving you 35 different patterns to use. To complement the tie-dye brushes, a swatch file is ready for you with 30 colors to help you complete the tie-dye effect.
Nur Miftah is an illustrator and lettering artist from Indonesia. They create a variety of Procreate tools and fonts for creators.
Pastel & neutral color palettes
Sometimes the best color approach needs to be muted and soft.
You can achieve this with pastel and neutral color palettes. They're great for creating work that needs a more delicate selection of colors.
#alt#An image of a pastel color palette with circles of pale colors on an iPad laying on a pink wood background.
Pastels Procreate Color Palette by Cate Shaner
Price: $14.
This color palette is designed to give you pale shades of multiple hues.
The 30 colors in this swatch file will give exactly what you need. Whether you want to go warmer or cooler, you can incorporate these colors in a number of combinations in your artwork.
Cate Shaner is a designer and lettering artist who believes in creating bright, clean, and modern resources that make digital creating easier. In addition to creating tools for Procreate, she also has a wide selection of tutorials on her blog and YouTube channel.
#alt#An image that says “Light Pastel Color Palette for Procreate” with circles of pastel colors below.
Light Pastel Color Palette by EmoJoez
Price: From $1.
This color palette is beautifully designed to be fun and playful. The colors are light, without being too muted, so you still get a nice vibrancy from them.
With a selection of hues and 30 swatches to choose from, you'll get a range of uses out of this palette.
Joez Chalermsuk of EmoJoez is an artist, designer, and animator from Thailand. He offers digital assets that are unique, with the largest category being his fun color palette selection.
#alt#A background of blue and purple swirls with an iPad showing three color palettes on the screen.
Procreate Palette - Light Pastels by Brushboy
Price: Free to download with an Envato Elements subscription.
This color palette includes three different swatches of pastels. The first group includes some nice natural browns and greens.
The second includes softer pale yellows and grays, and the third group of pastels is a nice selection of pinks, blues, and purples. This gives you 90 colors to mix and match as you like.
Brushboy has a number of digital resources available across popular apps from Procreate to Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. His palettes, stamps, and brushes are sure to expand your mind and inspire your creativity.
#alt#The swatch palette Dreamy Neutrals showing blocks of neutral colors in black, gray, white, tan, and pink.
Procreate Color Palette Swatches by Winship & Rose
Price: $14.
Need softer neutral tones for your next project? Use this selection of swatches to give a sophisticated look to your work. The delicate hues of pinks, browns, and grays, make this a great collection of 30 colors.
As an added bonus, you'll also get a Photoshop .ACO swatch with your download.
Winship & Rose is a mother and daughter team of artists that supply a variety of digital resources and downloads for artists. You can browse their collection of clip art, brushes, and more to add to Procreate.
Bundle color palettes
Like having a large selection of colors to use? Bundle packs are a great way to get a large number of Procreate color swatch files in a single download.
With each swatch file able to hold up to 30 colors, you get access to a lot of colors for less when you choose bundles.
#alt#An image that has the words “Procreate Color Palettes” on a black background on the left and squares of color gradients on the right.
Procreate Color Palette Swatches by Delightful Design Studio
Price: Free.
This bundle of color palettes is organized by theme. From still life to comics and art deco, you can get an instant sense of how to use each palette.
The number of projects these can be used for is endless, with over 200 colors total. Best part? They're all available for free to download.
Since 2014, Delightful Design Studio has made over 10,000 templates for digital artists and creatives to use. They provide the best tools they can to help digital artists nuture and inspire creativity.
#alt#A drawing of a blue and pink alligator on the left and circles of color with the words “How to Use a Color Palette” on the right.
Procreate Color Palettes by Lisa Bardot
Price: Free.
These color palettes are bold and fun. Covering a number of themes, you can grab any of these palettes and be ready to create. Not sure how to use a color palette? Check out Lisa's resource for using a color palette here.
Lisa Bardot of Bardot Brush on YouTube has been creating tutorials and brushes online for creatives using Procreate at all skill levels for many years.
#alt#An image on an iPad on a brown surface with a drawn picture of an arm holding up flowers in front of a mountain with the words “Palette Vault for Procreate” on the screen.
Palette Vault for Procreate by Visual Timmy
Price: Free.
The color palettes in this bundle are ready to use and allow you to use them under a commercial license. Each palette consists of harmonious hues that will go together seamlessly in your next project. You'll get access to 60 swatch files and to all future updates to the collection.
Visual Timmy is the creator of a number of Procreate brushes, textures, and resources. Through his community, he offers additional tutorials and resources to members.
#alt#An image with a variety of different color palettes with a dark gray circle in the middle that says, “Mega Bundle 2.”
Procreate Color Palette Bundle by Aure Design Co.
Price: $32.
This premium color palette bundle is huge. Boasting an impressive 32 color palettes and 960 colors, you'll have a perfect swatch collection. Perfect for projects ranging from illustration to modern calligraphy, you'll get plenty of use out of these palettes that apply a modern take to classic themes.
Aure Design Co. is run by brand designer and web designer Lauren with over 10 years of experience. She designs digital tools and resources for creatives.
#alt#An image that says, “Pack of 7 Color Palettes” with circles of color above and below, and images of multiple color palettes in varying colors on the right.
7 Unique Color Palettes by Studio B. Art Design
Price: $14.
Having themes and color groups makes choosing colors easier.
From the warm, old-school vibes of Retro Vintage to the coolness of the Beach Vibes palette, there's something for everyone to enjoy. This pack was designed to give artists a wide selection of palettes at an affordable price.
Studio B. Art Design strives to create quality resources ranging from color palettes to brush packs. They're great for digital artists and designers looking to level up their work.
#alt#An image of the words “Color Palettes for Procreate” on a light background with hills drawn in tans, pinks, browns, and grays below.
Procreate Color Palette Bundle by Point and Poem
Price: $14.
Bring exciting themes to life with this curated bundle of palettes. From softer neutral colors to bright and bold colors, you'll get a lot of different hues.
Each color was picked to work cohesively with the others in every project. You can even enjoy having a PDF guide and a collection of JPG files to sample colors in programs outside of Procreate.
Monika of Point and Poem provides a lot of add-ons for Procreate like color palettes, graphics, and more. You can even use her clip art graphic resources in commercial projects.
#alt#An image of bright rectangles of varying colors and the words “111 Color Palettes for Procreate.”
111 Procreate Color Palettes by Annia Art
Price: $12.
This bundle pack includes over 100 palettes for Procreate, ranging from cool and warm to bright and soft. Each palette has five colors, offering a tailor-made selection for your projects.
Annia Art creates digital products like brushes, palettes, and more, all for Procreate. From brushes for lettering to trendy color palettes, they create everything a digital artist could need.
Procreate Trendy Color Palettes by Studio 17
Price: $14.
The way you use color can speak to current color trends. With nine palettes and 270 colors, you can drop these fun color combinations into your work in Procreate.
Use this to expand your view of classic color combinations and how they can be used. With instant download, you'll be ready to use these in Procreate in no time.
Studio 17 makes creative assets for designers. Use their swatches, brushes, and more to speed up your next Procreate project.
#alt#An image of multiple color palettes in more neutral color schemes with a rectangle in the center that says, “Procreate Color Palette bundle vol. 1.”
50 Color Procreate Swatch Bundle by Patrycja Dolata
Price: $20.
The palettes in this bundle feel subtle and soft. They've been handpicked to use in a number of different pieces. You can use these to create gradients, use them with your favorite brushes, and more.
The 50 color palettes in this bundle have 30 colors each, giving you a massive selection of 1,500 colors.
Patrycja Dolata of Pede Designs creates premium brushes and palettes for Procreate artists. Her YouTube channel has tutorials on how to use textures, watercolor effects, and more in Procreate.
Wrapping up
Choosing colors can be a challenge for artists of all skill levels. That’s why color palettes are such useful tools, because they take a lot of the guesswork out of going through the color picker to put together a cohesive color story.
With Procreate, you can choose to create your own palettes, or access the vast amount of color palettes available from the community of artists using Procreate.
Choosing the right colors can help elevate your work and define a signature look that's consistent across your artwork. Creating digital art is also easier thanks to the Screen Protector by Paperlike. With the added resistance, drawing with your Apple Pencil will feel more natural.
Ready to start creating? Get yours today!
