I've been doing digital art for years, and there are a handful of brush settings that completely changed my workflow once I actually understood them.

1. Streamline vs. Stabilization — Most people crank Streamline to 100% and wonder why their lines feel "robotic." Try dropping it to 40-60% and using Stabilization instead for natural-feeling strokes with less wobble.

2. Apple Pencil Pressure Curve — The default curve is too linear for most artists. Go to Actions > Prefs > Pressure and Edit and add a slight S-curve. Your thin-to-thick transitions will feel way more expressive.

3. Shape Source vs. Grain Source — Your brush tip shape and the texture grain are two separate things. Swapping just the grain source on a basic round brush can give you completely different textures without changing how the brush handles.

4. Opacity tied to pressure, not flow — If your colors look muddy when building up layers, switch from pressure-controlled flow to pressure-controlled opacity. Cleaner blends, more control.

5. Spacing at 1-2% for smooth lines — Most default brushes have spacing too high. Drop it to 1-2% for buttery smooth strokes, especially on larger canvases.

These small tweaks made a massive difference for me. If you want access to my custom brush packs with all these settings dialed in, plus weekly resource drops and a community of digital artists — The Art Vault has you covered.