Unlocking Procreate's Layer Painting: A Guide To Single-Layer Creativity

Layers are a fundamental concept in digital art, allowing artists to add new elements without altering existing components. In Procreate, layers can be understood as sheets of tracing paper stacked on top of each other. While a new canvas has one layer by default, artists can add, duplicate, merge, and rearrange layers as needed. This article will specifically focus on how to paint on a single layer in Procreate, unlocking the ability to create complex artwork without accidentally modifying other layers.

Understanding layers in Procreate

Understanding how layers work in Procreate is essential to creating intricate images seamlessly. Procreate offers a variety of ways to modify specific areas of content without affecting other parts of your work. This feature allows you to work quickly and experiment freely.

When working with layers in Procreate, you must first select a layer by tapping on it. The selected layer will be highlighted in blue. It is important to note that you can only make changes to the selected layer, so be cautious to avoid drawing on the wrong layer. A locked layer will prevent any changes or deletions unless you unlock it by reopening the menu and tapping 'Unlock'. You can turn a layer's visibility on and off by checking or unchecking the box on the right side of the layer. For instance, if you have the word 'Hello' on a layer's thumbnail but not on the canvas, it means the layer's visibility is turned off.

The lowest layer is named the 'Background Color'. When you tap on this layer, a colour menu will open, allowing you to choose the background colour for your work unless you turn off the background visibility. Each layer has a 'Blend Mode' option, denoted by an 'N' next to the layer visibility, which offers various effects for your layers. For example, you can invert the colours on a layer, such as turning yellow to blue. Additionally, you can fill colour on an outline layer without adding colour to it, keeping your colour and outline on separate layers.

Procreate also allows you to organise your layers through various gestures. You can merge two layers by tapping on the top layer and selecting the option to group it with the layer below. To select multiple layers, swipe right on a layer, and to delete a layer, swipe left and choose 'Delete'. You can also duplicate a layer by swiping left and tapping 'Duplicate'.

Using the Layers menu

To access the Layers menu in Procreate, tap on the box icon beside the eraser icon. Here are some of the things you can do using the Layers menu:

Selecting a Layer

Tap on a layer to select it. The selected layer will be highlighted in blue. Only the selected layer can be edited, so make sure you have the correct one selected before making any changes.

Layer Visibility

You can toggle the visibility of a layer on and off by checking or unchecking the box on the right side of the layer. This allows you to hide or show the contents of the layer without deleting it.

Renaming a Layer

Tap on the layer you want to rename, then tap "Rename" in the Layer Options menu. Custom names for your layers make it easier to recognize and organize your work.

Selecting Content within a Layer

Tap on the layer to bring up Layer Options, then tap "Select". This will select the non-transparent contents of the layer. A menu will pop up where you can perform various actions on the selected area, such as invert and fill.

Copying and Pasting Layers

Tap on the layer you want to copy, then tap "Copy" in the Layer Options menu. You can then paste the layer into another document or the same document in a different position.

Merging Layers

If you have reached your layer limit, you can merge multiple layers together. Simply tap and hold on to a layer, then drag and drop it on top of the other layers you want to merge. You can also tap "Group" at the top of the Layers menu to group layers together.

Modifying a layer

When working with layers in Procreate, it's important to understand that they act as transparent images that allow you to add new elements to your artwork without altering the existing components. You can modify layers in Procreate in various ways to achieve your desired effect.

Firstly, you can separate your colour and outline by having them on different layers. This allows you to fill colour on the outline layer without directly applying it to the outline itself. By tapping on 'Reference', you can achieve this separation of colour and outline.

Additionally, Procreate offers the ability to merge layers. To do this, simply tap on the option to merge your current layer with the one below it. This action will group the two layers together. If you want to create a copy of a layer, swipe left on the desired layer and tap on 'Duplicate'. This will generate an exact replica of that specific layer.

Organising your layers efficiently is crucial for managing complex artwork. You can select multiple layers simultaneously by swiping right on a layer. Deleting layers can be done in two ways: swipe left on a single layer and choose 'Delete', or select multiple layers and tap 'Delete' at the top of the Layers Menu. Remember that once a layer is locked, you cannot make any changes or delete it unless you unlock it again by opening the menu and tapping 'Unlock'.

By understanding and utilising these layer modification techniques in Procreate, you'll be able to create intricate digital artwork with ease and flexibility.

Alpha Lock and Masks

Alpha Lock lets you work without worrying about painting outside the lines. It allows you to lock the transparency of your layer, so you can only paint on parts of the layer that already have paint on them. You can also lock linework to recolor parts without damaging the original lines. To use Alpha Lock, open the layers menu, tap on 'Layer 1' and choose 'Alpha Lock'. A check will appear beside 'Alpha Lock', and your layer thumbnail will have a checkered background.

Alpha Lock differs from Clipping Masks, another feature in Procreate. Clipping Masks allow you to put a new canvas with paint on top of your previous painting. You can add more canvas, rearrange the canvases, edit the details and colours, and you can still remove them without damaging your main painting. On the other hand, Alpha Lock is more permanent. It is like adding paint to your main canvas, but your original canvas is protected from any paint and remains clean.

Masking a layer is a great way to experiment without causing any destruction. You can modify a Layer Mask to hide or show any part of its parent layer without erasing any content. You can also lock, transform and copy masks.

Grouping and merging layers

When creating digital art in Procreate, you can use layers to work on individual aspects of your piece without affecting the rest of the image. You can adjust the transparency of each layer, making it more or less visible in your artwork.

If you want to merge layers in Procreate, you can do so in several ways. Firstly, make sure that the layers you want to merge are positioned directly above and beneath each other in the Layers menu. Then, to merge individual layers, tap on the layer and choose 'Merge Down' to turn two adjacent layers into one. You can also merge multiple layers at once by pinching the layers together.

If you want to keep the original layers intact while still managing them as a single unit, you can group them instead of merging them. To group layers, select the layers you want to group by swiping right on each layer, then tap the "Group" button at the top of the Layers panel. This will create a new group containing the selected layers, which you can then expand or collapse to access individual layers within the group.

To ungroup layers, simply select the layer or layers you want to remove from the group and drag them outside of the group. You can also rearrange your layers and groups this way.

Frequently asked questions