Symmetry in Procreate is a Drawing Guide feature that mirrors your brushstrokes across one or more axes, letting you draw perfectly balanced designs in real time. You turn it on through the Drawing Guide settings in the Actions menu, and it is available on iPad and iPhone only, not on Android.
Enable the symmetry guide on iPad
In Procreate on iPad, the symmetry feature is part of the Drawing Guides system. You must turn on Drawing Guides first, then open the symmetry editor to choose your mirroring style.
- Open the Actions menu (wrench icon).
- Tap Canvas.
- Toggle on Drawing Guides.
- Tap Edit Drawing Guide.
- Tap Symmetry on the bottom tabs.
Enable the symmetry guide on iPhone (Procreate Pocket)
Procreate Pocket on iPhone uses a slightly different menu path, but the symmetry feature works the same way. The official steps are:
- Go to Modify → Actions → Guides → Symmetry.
- To edit the grid, tap Guide Settings.
Choose your symmetry mode
Procreate gives you four symmetry modes, and each one mirrors your strokes in a different way. The vertical mode mirrors left and right, the horizontal mode mirrors top and bottom, the quadrant mode mirrors across both axes at once, and the radial mode mirrors around a central point for kaleidoscopic effects. Procreate Pocket offers the same four modes.
Adjust the symmetry guide
Once the symmetry editor is open, you can fine-tune how the guide looks and where its center sits. Move the blue reticle to reposition the center point of your symmetry. Use the Opacity and Thickness sliders at the bottom to change how visible and how wide the guide lines are. The hue slider at the top changes the guide color so it stands out against your canvas. The Options button exposes additional settings for the guide. You can adjust the number of reflection lines and the angle of rotation in the symmetry settings. You can enable or disable specific axes in the symmetry settings.
Turn on Drawing Assist to start mirroring
Enabling the symmetry guide alone is not enough; you also need to turn on Drawing Assist for the specific layer you want to mirror. With Drawing Assist active, your brushstrokes are mirrored in real time as you draw, which is the core of mirror drawing in Procreate. Without it, the guide displays but your strokes will not reflect.
Tips for symmetrical artwork
Procreate documents symmetry as a tool for creating reflected shapes, tiled designs, patterns, and kaleidoscopic patterns. You can use it to build mandalas, balanced character concepts, or repeating backgrounds with ease. Experiment with different brushes inside the symmetry guide, since line weight and texture behave differently when mirrored. The selection tool can select and move mirrored elements simultaneously for greater control. The transformation tool can scale, rotate, and mirror selected elements, which can be combined with symmetry features. If you need a stable base for your mirrored work, you can also use the drawing guides to add grid on Procreate, which helps with alignment. For more control over your workflow, learning Procreate tools, layers and file management will make it easier to separate mirrored elements onto their own layers. And if you want to start from a clean shape, the QuickShape feature is the reliable way to make perfect circle in Procreate before you apply symmetry to it. For finished pieces, mastering coloring, shading and rendering in Procreate will give your symmetrical designs depth once the mirrored linework is complete.
Frequently Asked Questions
What tools can I use for creating symmetrical designs in Procreate?
The Symmetry Drawing Guide, QuickShape feature, and Symmetry Painting option are all available for creating symmetrical designs.
Are there any advanced symmetry features in Procreate?
Yes, radial symmetry for circular designs and rotational symmetry for mandala-like artwork are available.
Can I use symmetry in Procreate on Android?
No. Procreate and Procreate Pocket are documented for iPad and iPhone only, and the official help pages do not list Android support for the symmetry feature.
Why are my strokes not mirroring even though the guide is on?
Drawing Assist must be enabled on the layer you are drawing on. The symmetry guide alone only displays the guide lines; Drawing Assist is what makes your strokes reflect in real time.
Can I change where the symmetry line sits on my canvas?
Yes. In the symmetry editor, move the blue reticle to reposition the center point of the mirrored axes to anywhere on the canvas.
Does symmetry work with every brush in Procreate?
The official documentation does not list brush restrictions for symmetry. You can experiment with different brushes, though results will vary based on line weight and brush texture.
