Things to do · Arts and crafts
Learn to draw on a tablet
A friend has invited you to do this with them.
Drawing on a tablet gives you brushes, colours and layers you can change or undo, and a whole sketchbook in one device. Short courses teach the basics in four to six sessions, and Procreate, the app the courses below teach, is listed at £12.99 on the UK App Store.
Gentle£100 to £500 / $130 to $650A few weeksIndoorsAlone or with others
Someone who has done it
These are real people who did this, as reported by the outlets named. We opened each one before linking it. None of them is connected with this site.
What you need
Procreate is an iPad app made by Savage Interactive. The UK App Store lists it at £12.99 and says it needs iPadOS 16.3 or later; MCAD's course lists it at $12.99 in the US. Courses ask for an iPad that can run it, ideally with an Apple Pencil.
On a computer, Krita is free and open-source painting software for Windows, macOS and Linux. Its own FAQ says it "isn't much fun without a pressure sensitive tablet", the kind of pen-and-pad drawing tablet that plugs into a computer. It is not available for iPad.
Short courses teach the parts that are new on a screen. City Lit's Procreate course covers creating and managing files, digital brushes, colour palettes, texture, layers and layer masks, and editing images. The School of the Art Institute of Chicago's digital drawing course starts with traditional media before moving into Procreate.
Ways in compared
| Where | Format | Cost (as last listed) |
|---|---|---|
| City Lit, London | Procreate for illustration: four or five three-hour sessions in person; bring your own iPad | £239 to £259, or £191 to £207 senior and £155 to £168 concession |
| Minneapolis College of Art and Design | Introduction to Procreate; six two-hour sessions online on Zoom; previous drawing helpful but not required (summer 2026) | $279 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Continuing Studies | Digital Drawing and Illustration: weekly evening class, all levels including no drawing experience (spring 2026) | $675 |
| Procreate | Beginners Series; four-part step-by-step series on its website | No price shown |
The fees above are for tuition only. You also need the device; City Lit says it is unable to provide iPads, and MCAD's online course also asks for a camera and microphone for class meetings.
How to start
- Work out what you have. Procreate is an iPad app (a separate Procreate Pocket is for iPhone) and works best with an Apple Pencil or compatible stylus; on a Windows, Mac or Linux computer you can use a drawing tablet with free software such as Krita.
- Watch Procreate's four-part Beginners Series, which covers brushes, colour, layers, editing and simple animation.
- Book a short course to learn layers, brushes and colour palettes with a tutor, and bring your own device; City Lit, for one, cannot lend iPads.
Where to go
- City Lit, London: Procreate for illustration UK
- Minneapolis College of Art and Design: Introduction to Procreate (online) US
- Procreate: Beginners Series
We opened these links on 10 November 2026 and found them to be what we say. Dates, places and prices are on the official page, where they stay up to date.
Plan this
Pick a day, or a month, and we will set out how to get ready, step by step, with a date and a reason for each. Courses and classes have start dates and can fill up, so the plan begins with finding and booking one. Kit comes after the first session, once you know what you need.
Questions people ask
Do I need an Apple Pencil to use Procreate?
City Lit says you need an iPad with Procreate installed and, ideally, a stylus such as an Apple Pencil. MCAD asks for an Apple Pencil or compatible pencil.
How much does Procreate cost?
The UK App Store lists Procreate at £12.99, and MCAD's course page gives the US price as $12.99. Neither mentions a subscription.
Can I draw digitally without an iPad?
Yes. Krita is free painting software for Windows, macOS and Linux, and its makers recommend a pressure-sensitive tablet to use with it.
Do I need to be able to draw before learning digital art?
Not always. MCAD says previous drawing experience is helpful but not required, and SAIC's course is open to people with no drawing experience.
Where this comes from: City Lit, Procreate for illustration; Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Introduction to Procreate iPad Drawing Techniques (Online); School of the Art Institute of Chicago Continuing Studies, Digital Drawing and Illustration; Procreate, Beginners Series; Procreate, Procreate Handbook introduction; Apple App Store (UK), Procreate; Krita Manual, Krita FAQ. Opened 10 November 2026.
Read next
From the Latest Music Bar to the hospital lab: Angi Mariani's first in biomedical science
How a Brighton music-bar owner and TV presenter took a part-time science degree alongside a hospital lab job, what national figures say about who keeps learning, and how to find a course or a way into laboratory work.
“Education has no expiration”: Virginia Ordaz and her mother finished their degrees in the same class
How a retired fire dispatcher from Stockton, California, finished the degree she started in 1989, and how her mother finished hers more than 40 years after her last class. How to find out what your own old credits are worth, in the US and the UK.