One of the biggest differences between digital art and traditional art is how it uses layers. If you're used to working with paper and paints, the concept of layers can take some getting used to.
Think of layers in Procreate as sheets of tracing paper on top of each other, and you'll be able to understand them pretty quickly.
A layer is a transparent image that you can use to add new elements to your artwork without changing the existing components. A new canvas has one layer by default, but you can add more layers as needed.
In this article, we'll talk about what layers are, why they're so essential for digital artists, and how to use them when working on Procreate. Once you're done with this tutorial, you'll have a good grasp of the role layers play in creating your digital artwork!
Letās start by opening the Layers menu. Tap on the box icon beside the eraser icon. Letās look at the different parts of the Layers menu.
You can see a preview of the contents of the layer when you look at the thumbnail on the leftmost side of your layer.
The ā+ā at the upper right corner creates a new layer. Remember that thereās a limit to how many layers you can create and it depends on your deviceās capability and your canvas resolution.
You can select a layer by tapping on a layer. The selected layers are blue in color. You can only make changes to the layer thatās currently selected, so you need to be careful when working with this. People usually make the mistake of drawing on the wrong layer.
You can turn the layerās visibility on and off by checking or unchecking the box on the right side of the layer.
The āNā beside the layer visibility corresponds to Blend Mode. This gives you a lot of options to add different effects to your layers.
The lowest layer is named the Background Color. When you tap on the layer, instead of being selected, a classic color menu would open.
The color youāll choose for this would be the color of your workās background unless you turn the backgroundās visibility off.
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Now that weāve talked about the interface, letās talk about the different ways we can edit and customize a layerās settings to our liking.
Tap on a layer to reveal the different options available.
Choose rename if youād like to change the name of your layer. Itās a good practice to change the name of your layer so itās easier to recognize each one.
The Select option is used to select the non-transparent contents of the layer. A menu will then pop up wherein you can do more things to your layer such as invert and fill.
You can copy and paste a layer from one document to another. Simply tap on copy and paste on the other work you want to add it to.
This lets you fill the whole layer with your chosen color, even if your layer already has some content. Unlike using fill color by dragging and dropping the color, this option lets you fill the whole layer with a tap.
You can clear all the contents of the layer you're working on by tapping on āClearā
This is a type of mask that lets you draw only on the parts of the layer that is non-transparent. Itās like drawing inside a border made of your drawing.
A Mask lets you modify the contents of a layer without changing the actual contents of that layer. Compared to Alpha Lock, using Mask will let you make changes in your work without affecting the parent layer the mask is locked to.
The Clipping Mask is like the regular Mask, except you can move it freely and stack it on top of one another.
As the name suggests, this option lets you invert the colors in your layer.
When you have an outline layer, you can tap on 'Reference' so you can fill color on the outline layer without actually adding color to it. Your color and your outline can be on separate layers.
Merge your current layer with the layer below it by tapping on this option.
This option lets you group your current layer with the layer below it.
There are different gestures we can do to organize our layers on Procreate.
You can select multiple layers at once by swiping right on a layer.
Delete a layer by swiping left on a layer and choose āDeleteā. You can also delete multiple layers by selecting them and tapping on āDeleteā at the top of the Layers Menu.
Swipe left on a layer and tap on āDuplicateā to create another copy of that layer.
When a layer is locked, you cannot do any changes or delete the layer, unless you open the menu again and tap āUnlockā
Select one or more layers, tap and hold, and drag the layers to the position you want to move them to.
To group layers together, simply do it like you're rearranging your layers. Tap and hold on to a layer, but this time drag and drop it on top of the layer or layer group you want to group it with.
You can also simply select the layers and tap on āGroupā at the top of the Layers menu.
You can merge layers by pinching together the layers you want to merge.
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Layers are a great tool for creating a variety of effects in your work. You can use layers to create a mask, background, foreground, or texture by adding multiple colors to the same layer.
When you do this, it creates a different effect depending on what you are trying to achieve with your artwork.
There are lots of ways to use layers in Procreate, but the main thing I'm going to say about them is that learning how to use layers in Procreate is so essential that it's worth spending some time learning the basics.
You'll thank yourself later when you're able to make more complicated images without having any issues!
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To tie things up, check out this comprehensive video diving into layers!
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Courses and brushes by Freya Kotchakorn helped mored than 10.000 students excel in Procreate drawings.