Make Digital Cotton Candy on Procreate
Create a fluffy digital cotton candy illustration in Procreate by using soft brushes, layer colors, and blending tools to learn texture and shading.
Step-by-step guide to make digital cotton candy on Procreate
Step 1
Open the Procreate app on your iPad.
Step 2
Create a new square canvas about 2000 by 2000 pixels.
Step 3
Tap the Layers icon and add a new layer for your cotton candy base.
Step 4
Open the Brush Library and choose a soft round brush.
Step 5
Pick a pastel pink color from the color picker.
Step 6
Draw a loose fluffy cloud shape on the base layer with gentle strokes.
Step 7
Add a new layer above the base layer for shadows.
Step 8
Choose a slightly darker pink and paint soft shadow areas under the fluffy folds.
Step 9
Add another new layer above for highlights.
Step 10
Choose a lighter pink or white and paint soft highlights on the top edges.
Step 11
Select the Smudge tool with a soft brush and gently blend the colors to make the cotton candy look fluffy.
Step 12
Add a new layer below the cotton candy layers and draw a stick or cone with a brown color.
Step 13
Add a new layer and make tiny white dots with a small brush to create sugar sparkles.
Step 14
Export your finished image to your Photos or Files as a PNG or JPEG.
Step 15
Share your finished cotton candy illustration on DIY.org.
Final steps
You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!
Help!?
What can we use if we don't have the soft round brush or Procreate on an iPad?
If the Brush Library's soft round brush is missing, pick Airbrushing > Soft Brush or any round brush lowered to low opacity and flow, and if you don't have Procreate use a similar app like SketchBook or MediBang on a tablet and follow the same layer and smudge steps.
My cotton candy looks flat or muddy after smudging—what should I try?
If smudging makes colors muddy, undo, reduce the Smudge tool's strength, use a soft brush to blend only the fluffy edges, and make sure shadows and highlights are painted on their own layers as the instructions say.
How can I adapt the activity for different age groups?
For younger kids simplify by using one cotton candy layer, a large soft round brush, and skipping tiny sparkles, while older kids can add extra layers for textured fibers, finer highlight dots, and experiment with blend modes.
How can we extend or personalize the cotton candy illustration?
To personalize, add a background gradient on a new layer below, duplicate the cotton candy layer to create multiple pastel flavors, and add Animation Assist to make twinkling sparkles or a slow spin before exporting to PNG/JPEG for DIY.org.
Watch videos on how to make digital cotton candy on Procreate
Digital art for beginners 🍃 the basics! How to get started + step-by-step Procreate tutorial
3 Videos
Digital art for beginners 🍃 the basics! How to get started + step-by-step Procreate tutorial
BEGINNERS GUIDE TO DIGITAL ILLUSTRATION (Procreate)
Procreate for Kids Tutorial // How to Use Procreate for Kids!
Facts about digital illustration, texture, and shading for kids
✨ Real cotton candy is mostly air, which is why adding light highlights and soft edges makes a digital version read as ultra-fluffy.
🍭 Cotton candy was popularized at the 1904 World's Fair and was originally invented in the late 1800s by a dentist and a candy maker.
🌈 Layers and blend modes let you mix colors non-destructively, so you can try wild color combos without ruining earlier work.
🎨 Procreate was created by Savage Interactive and first launched for iPad artists in 2011, quickly becoming a favorite drawing app.
🖌️ Using soft, low-opacity brushes and multiple strokes is a digital trick that makes textures look fluffy and cloud-like.
How do I make a fluffy digital cotton candy illustration in Procreate?
What materials and Procreate tools do I need to make digital cotton candy?
What ages is this Procreate cotton candy activity suitable for?
What are the benefits of making digital cotton candy in Procreate?
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