Procreate's new $20 animation app has artists losing their entire minds

2025-04-27 12:26:57admin

The developer of beloved art app Procreate has announced Procreate Dreams, a new iPad animation app designed to be approachable regardless of users' experience. It's also very affordable at just $19.99, no subscription required. Artists are losing their entire minds.

If you've ever had even a passing conversation with someone who has even a passing interest in creating digital art, you've likely heard of the iPad app Procreate. The app is an industry stalwart, offering illustrators a powerful tool for creating and editing digital artwork for a one-off purchase price of $12.99.

In a world overrun with subscription services and expensive creative software that can set you back hundreds of dollars, Procreate is a godsend to many. Now with Procreate Dreams, developer Savage Interactive is aiming to bring similar affordability to animation.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

SEE ALSO: 'Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse' review: This is what animation was made for

Unveiled last week, Procreate Dreams is a 2D animation app for iPad that can be operated using touch controls as well as an Apple Pen. The company states that it wants to "lower the barrier of entry for a whole new generation of animators" by ensuring Dreams' user interface is intuitive. For example, its Performing tool will allow creators to record animations live as their video plays, dragging around objects, applying effects and filters, and warping images without having to set up keyframes.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

This doesn't mean you can't use keyframes, cel animation, and other such tools if you want to, though. Procreate Dreams aims to be powerful enough for experienced professional animators to adopt as well, simultaneously offering more advanced features such as Flipbook, a "homage to traditional frame-by-frame animation" that is similar to Procreate's Animation Assist feature. Dreams' tools will also be familiar to Procreate users, even including the same brushes.

Procreate Dreams seems like an incredible boon for artists, animators, and anyone who just loves cartoons. Countless creators are screaming, crying, and throwing up all over social media in reaction to the news, going absolutely feral for what could well be their dream app. This includes more than a few declaring their ardent desire to mouth kiss the app.