How to Change Opacity in Procreate: A Step-by-Step Guide

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 19 June 2023 6 min read

As a digital artist, you probably know that Procreate is a powerful tool for bringing your illustrations to life. One essential skill to master in Procreate is changing the opacity of your layers, which allows you to create more depth and interesting effects in your artwork. In this blog, we'll walk you through how to change opacity on Procreate, as well as offer some tips and tricks for using opacity to enhance your art.

Understanding Opacity in Procreate

Before we dive into the step-by-step guide on how to change opacity on Procreate, let's first understand what opacity is and how it affects your artwork.

What is Opacity?

Opacity refers to the degree of transparency or opaqueness of an object or layer. In Procreate, you can adjust the opacity of a layer to make it more transparent or more solid. This feature allows you to control how much of the layers underneath are visible, which is useful for creating various effects, such as shadows, highlights, and blending colors.

How Opacity Affects Layers

In Procreate, layers are like sheets of digital paper stacked on top of each other. When you change the opacity of a layer, you're essentially altering the visibility of that "sheet" in relation to the layers below it. The more transparent a layer is, the more the layers underneath will show through. Here are a few ways opacity can impact your artwork:

Blending colors: By adjusting the opacity of a layer, you can create smooth transitions and mixtures of colors, giving your artwork a more natural and cohesive look.
Creating depth: Using varying opacity levels for different layers can help you add dimension to your artwork, making objects appear closer or farther away from the viewer.
Adding texture: By changing the opacity of textured brushes, you can add subtle details and texture to your drawings without overpowering the main elements.

Now that you have a better understanding of what opacity is and how it affects your artwork, let's move on to the step-by-step guide on how to change opacity on Procreate.

Step-by-Step Guide to Change Opacity

Changing the opacity of a layer in Procreate is a straightforward process. Follow these simple steps to adjust the opacity of any layer in your artwork:

Selecting the Layer

First, you need to select the layer you want to change the opacity of. To do this, open the Layers panel by tapping the icon that looks like two overlapping squares in the top-right corner of the screen. Then, tap on the layer you want to adjust. The layer will be highlighted, indicating that it's the active layer.

Adjusting the Opacity Slider

Now that you've selected the layer, you can adjust its opacity. To do this, locate the "Opacity" slider at the top of the Layers panel. Slide the marker left or right to decrease or increase the opacity, respectively. The percentage next to the slider represents the opacity level, with 100% being fully opaque and 0% being fully transparent.

Previewing Your Changes

As you adjust the opacity slider, you'll see the changes happening in real-time on your canvas. This allows you to preview how the opacity level impacts your artwork, making it easy to fine-tune the effect. Once you're satisfied with the opacity level, simply tap anywhere outside the Layers panel to close it and continue working on your masterpiece.

Now that you know how to change opacity on Procreate, let's explore some advanced techniques for using opacity to create unique effects in your artwork.

Using Brush Opacity to Create Effects

Brush opacity is another powerful tool in Procreate that allows you to create different effects and textures in your artwork. Let's explore how to choose the right brush and adjust brush opacity for maximum artistic impact.

Choosing the Right Brush

The first step in using brush opacity is selecting the right brush for the job. Procreate offers a vast library of brushes, each with its unique characteristics. To choose a brush, tap on the paintbrush icon in the top-right corner to open the Brushes panel. You can browse through different categories or use the search bar to find the perfect brush for your artwork. Remember, experimenting with different brushes can lead to surprising and delightful results, so don't be afraid to try something new!

Adjusting Brush Opacity

Once you've chosen your brush, it's time to adjust the brush opacity. In the top-left corner of the screen, you'll find two sliders. The top slider controls the brush size, while the bottom slider controls brush opacity. Slide the bottom slider left or right to decrease or increase the opacity of your brush strokes, respectively.

Adjusting brush opacity allows you to create subtle shading, soft textures, and gradual transitions between colors. For example, a low opacity brush can be used to build up layers of color, creating a sense of depth and richness in your artwork. Similarly, using a high opacity brush can create bold, striking lines and shapes that stand out on the canvas.

Now that you know how to change opacity on Procreate using brush opacity, let's move on to more advanced opacity control techniques, such as transparency locks.

Transparency Locks for Advanced Opacity Control

Transparency locks are an advanced feature in Procreate that allows you to take your opacity control skills to the next level. With transparency locks, you can apply changes to specific areas of a layer without affecting the transparent pixels. Let's dive into what transparency lock is and how to use it effectively.

What is Transparency Lock?

Transparency lock is a feature in Procreate that locks the transparent pixels of a layer, allowing you to modify only the opaque pixels. This is particularly useful for making changes to an existing layer without affecting the background or overlapping elements. By locking the transparent pixels, you can apply colors, shading, or textures without going outside the boundaries of your existing artwork.

How to Use Transparency Lock

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to use transparency lock in Procreate:

Tap on the Layers panel to open it.
Select the layer you want to apply the transparency lock to.
Swipe left on the layer thumbnail to reveal the layer options.
Tap on "Lock Transparency" to enable the transparency lock.
Now, any changes you make will be applied only to the opaque pixels in the selected layer.
When you're done making your adjustments, swipe left on the layer thumbnail again and tap "Unlock Transparency" to disable the lock.

Transparency locks can be a game-changer when it comes to advanced opacity control in Procreate. They give you the precision and flexibility to modify specific elements of your artwork without affecting other areas or layers.

With these tips and techniques on how to change opacity on Procreate, you're well-equipped to create stunning digital art with depth and dimension. Now, let's explore some additional Procreate tips for even better opacity control.

Additional Procreate Tips for Better Opacity Control

Now that you know how to change opacity on Procreate and use advanced features like transparency locks, let's explore a few more tips to help you gain even better control over your artwork's opacity. We'll discuss blending modes and layer masking, which can be valuable tools in your digital art toolbox.

Using Blending Modes

Blending modes are an essential feature in Procreate that allows you to control how layers interact with each other. By choosing the right blending mode, you can create various effects and enhance the opacity control in your artwork. Here's a quick guide on how to use blending modes:

Open the Layers panel and select the layer you want to apply a blending mode to.
Tap on the "N" icon next to the layer thumbnail to open the blending mode menu.
Choose a blending mode from the list, such as Multiply, Screen, or Overlay.
Adjust the layer's opacity to fine-tune the effect.

Experimenting with different blending modes can help you achieve unique effects and enhance your artwork's overall depth and dimension.

Layer Masking for Precise Opacity Control

Layer masking is another powerful technique that can help you refine your opacity control in Procreate. A layer mask allows you to hide or reveal parts of a layer non-destructively, giving you precise control over which areas of the layer are visible. Here's how to create and use layer masks:

Open the Layers panel and select the layer you want to apply a mask to.
Tap on the "Mask" button at the bottom of the panel to create a new layer mask.
With the layer mask selected, use brushes to paint in black or white. Painting in black will hide parts of the layer, while painting in white will reveal them.
To adjust the mask, tap on the mask thumbnail and choose "Invert" to invert the mask colors, or "Clear" to remove the mask entirely.

Layer masking is an excellent tool for achieving precise opacity control in Procreate, allowing you to make adjustments without permanently altering your original layer.

By mastering these techniques, you'll be well on your way to becoming a Procreate opacity control expert. Remember to experiment and explore different methods to find the perfect balance between opacity and transparency in your digital art creations. Happy painting!

If you enjoyed this blog post and want to learn more about enhancing your digital artwork, don't miss the workshop 'Refreshing your Colours in Procreate' by Faira. This workshop will teach you valuable techniques for refreshing and elevating the colors in your Procreate projects, taking your digital art to new heights.