You’re staring at a digital canvas. It’s blank. It’s intimidating. You’ve got a hundred different brushes in your library, but none of them feel "right." Then you find it. The time stopped brush.
It’s a weird name for a digital tool, isn't it? If you spend any time in the Procreate community or scrolling through iPad art tutorials on TikTok, you’ve probably seen it mentioned a dozen times. It isn't just another generic pen preset. It has become a sort of cult classic for digital illustrators who want that specific, crunchy, textured look that feels more like a physical sketchbook and less like a sterile computer program.
Digital art can feel too perfect. Too clean. The time stopped brush fixes that by leaning into the grit.
What Actually Is the Time Stopped Brush?
Let's get the technical stuff out of the way first. Most people are looking for the specific version popularized by creators like Tiptop Brushes or variations found in the Jingsketch and Bardot Brush ecosystems. It is fundamentally a charcoal or dry-media simulation.
What makes it stand out is the pressure sensitivity and the "grain" source used in the brush engine. In Procreate, a brush is basically two images: a shape and a grain. When you use the time stopped brush, the grain is often high-contrast and erratic. It doesn't just lay down flat color. It catches on the "teeth" of the digital paper.
It feels tactile. Honestly, it’s one of those tools where the harder you press, the more it behaves like a real piece of vine charcoal. If you lightened your touch? You get this beautiful, wispy transparency that works perfectly for initial sketching or adding subtle atmospheric depth to a piece.
Why the name?
The name "time stopped" isn't an official industry standard like a "HB Pencil." It’s a branding choice that caught fire. It evokes a sense of nostalgia. It suggests a moment frozen in a sketchbook.
Art is often about capturing a feeling rather than a perfect 1:1 representation of reality. This brush helps with that. It’s messy. It’s imperfect. It’s everything modern digital "perfection" usually isn't.
The Secret to That Specific Texture
Ever wonder why some digital paintings look like they were done on a $50 piece of Arches watercolor paper while yours looks like a plastic screen? It’s not just the brush. It’s the interaction.
When using the time stopped brush, many artists pair it with a paper texture overlay. You’ve probably seen the "Paperlike" screen protectors or similar matte films. Those help with the physical feel, but the visual "magic" happens in the layers.
- Set your background to an off-white or light cream. Pure white is a killer for digital art. It’s too bright and looks "fake."
- Import a high-resolution scan of real paper. 3. Set that paper layer to 'Multiply' or 'Linear Burn' at a low opacity (maybe 15-20%).
- Draw underneath it with the time stopped brush. Suddenly, the charcoal-like texture of the brush interacts with the simulated fibers of the paper. It’s a game-changer. You aren't just drawing on pixels anymore. You're building layers of texture that trick the human eye into seeing something physical.
Common Mistakes When Using Textured Brushes
People get a new brush and think it’s a magic wand. It’s not.
One of the biggest issues is overusing the texture. If every single stroke in your painting is done with the time stopped brush, the image becomes "noisy." It’s hard for the viewer's eye to find a place to rest. You need contrast—not just in color, but in texture.
Mix it up. Use a smooth, hard-edged airbrush for your sharpest shadows or highlights, and save the time stopped brush for the mid-tones and transitions where you want that organic feel.
Another mistake? Ignoring the tilt. If you’re using an Apple Pencil, the time stopped brush is almost certainly designed to respond to the angle of your hand. If you tilt the pencil flat against the screen, it should "shade" a wide area, just like a real stick of charcoal. If you use the tip, it should be a sharp, gritty line.
If you aren't varying your hand position, you're only using 10% of what the brush can do.
Where to Find the Real Thing
You can’t just go to the App Store and "buy" the brush. It’s usually part of third-party sets.
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- Tiptop Brushes: They are legendary for their "Time" series. Their brushes are sampled from real-world materials.
- Gumroad and Etsy: These are the primary marketplaces. Look for "gritty charcoal" or "dry media" sets if you can't find the exact name.
- Free Alternatives: Check the Procreate Folio forums. There are thousands of artists sharing custom
.brushsetfiles for free.
Remember, a brush is just a tool. You could give the world's best brush to a toddler and they’d still make a mess. You give a basic pencil to a master, and they’ll make a masterpiece. But having a tool that feels good makes you want to practice more. And practice is the only thing that actually makes you better.
Making the Brush Your Own
Don't be afraid to dive into the Procreate brush settings. Tap the brush once to open the Brush Studio.
You might find the time stopped brush is a bit too "jittery" for you. Look at the Stabilization tab. Turning up the "Streamline" slightly will help your lines look smoother if your hands are a bit shaky.
Or maybe the texture is too big. Go to the Grain tab and adjust the "Scale." Making the grain smaller can make the brush feel more like a fine-point pen and less like a chunky crayon.
Experiment. Break things. You can always hit "Reset all settings" to go back to the original version.
Why This Style Still Matters in 2026
We are surrounded by AI-generated images that are often hyper-smooth and eerily perfect. There’s a backlash happening. People crave the "human touch."
The time stopped brush represents that touch. It represents the "oops" moments. The little gaps in the line where the "paper" shows through. It tells the viewer that a person sat down with an iPad and spent three hours obsessing over a sketch.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Project
If you want to master the "Time Stopped" aesthetic, don't just download it and hope for the best. Try this specific workflow:
- Limit your palette: Pick three colors. That’s it. High-texture brushes work best when the color isn't competing for attention.
- Focus on 'Negative Space': Use the brush to erase as much as you draw. Because it’s textured, using it as an eraser creates really cool, weathered edges.
- Vary your pressure: Spend ten minutes just making lines. Go from the lightest touch possible to pressing as hard as you can (without breaking your screen, obviously). See where the texture breaks and where it fills in.
- Layering is king: Don't try to get the perfect value in one stroke. Build it up. Three light passes with the time stopped brush look much better than one heavy, dark pass.
The "Time Stopped" look isn't a trend that's going away. It’s part of a larger movement toward digital art that feels grounded, earthy, and real. Grab your stylus, find a good paper texture, and stop worrying about being perfect. Just draw.