Mastering Procreate: Tips for Clipping & Layer Masks

Written by Daisie Team

Published on 11 July 2023 7 min read

Digital artistry is experiencing a new dawn, thanks to intuitive tools like Procreate. This platform has grown immensely popular among both amateur and professional artists. Its layering capabilities, especially the use of clipping and layer masks—commonly known as a 'procreate mask,' are a game changer in digital art. This blog will guide you through understanding and mastering the powerful features of Procreate, focusing mainly on its clipping and layer mask functionalities.

1. Get to Know Procreate

Before you start creating your masterpiece, it's important to familiarize yourself with the Procreate interface. It's like your digital art studio—packed with a plethora of tools and features that make your art creation process seamless.

Explore the Interface

Procreate's interface is designed to be user-friendly and intuitive. It's important to familiarize yourself with the different parts of the interface:

Gallery View: This is where all your artwork lives. You can also create new canvases from here.
Toolbar: Located at the top of the screen, the Toolbar houses options like brush, eraser, layers, and more.
Slide Bar: This feature lets you adjust brush size and opacity.
Color Panel: Here's where you can choose your colors, develop your own palette, or use pre-made ones.

Using Tools and Brushes

The beauty of Procreate lies in its extensive set of tools and brushes. Here are some quick points on using them:

Select a tool from the Toolbar—like the brush or the smudge tool, then pick a brush from the Brush Library.
You can adjust the size and opacity of the brush using the Slide Bar.
Procreate also allows you to create your own brushes or import them from external sources.

Adjusting Canvas Settings

Procreate gives you the freedom to customize your canvas to suit your project. You can adjust dimensions, resolution, and even the color of the canvas. Remember, a larger canvas allows more layers but may affect the performance of the app depending on your device's capabilities. So, find a balance that works best for you. Mastering these adjustments will help you create a more effective procreate mask.

Now that you're more familiar with Procreate, you're ready to start creating layers, a fundamental skill for using the Procreate mask feature. But we'll save that for the next section.

2. Creating Layers

Layers are a digital artist's best friend. They allow you to work on different parts of your artwork independently, without affecting other elements. Think of them as transparent sheets stacked on top of each other. Each sheet can have its own design, which when combined, form the final image. In Procreate, layers are the foundation for creating a complex 'procreate mask.' So let's dive in!

How to Add a Layer

Adding a new layer in Procreate is as simple as tapping a button.

Open the Layers panel by tapping on the layers icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
Tap the '+' symbol to add a new layer. The new layer will appear above the currently selected layer.

Remember, the number of layers you can have depends on the size of your canvas and the power of your device.

Manage Layers

Managing your layers is key to keeping your artwork organized and easy to edit. Here are some quick tips:

Reorder Layers: Simply drag and drop the layer to its new position in the stack.
Toggle Visibility: Tap the checkbox to hide or show a layer.
Adjust Opacity: Use the opacity slider to make a layer more or less transparent.
Rename Layers: Double tap the layer's name to change it. This is handy when working with many layers and helps to keep track when creating a Procreate mask.

Merge and Group Layers

As your artwork grows, you may need to merge or group layers to keep things organized. Here's how:

To merge layers, pinch them together, or swipe left and choose 'Merge.'
To group layers, swipe right on the layers you want to group, then tap 'Group.'

Merging is useful when you're finished with a part of your artwork and want to reduce the number of layers. Grouping is great for organizing related layers without merging them. Remember, once layers are merged, they cannot be separated again.

With your layers created and organized, you're ready to explore the magic of clipping and masking in Procreate!

3. Understanding Clipping

Don't let the term 'clipping' intimidate you. It's just a fancy way of saying 'limiting where your paint goes.' Clipping helps when you want to color within specific areas without affecting other parts of your painting. It's like creating a stencil, where your paint only lands on the desired areas. In Procreate, it's a crucial step towards creating a complex 'procreate mask.'

What is Clipping?

Clipping is a feature that confines your brush strokes to the content of the layer directly below. When you clip a layer, anything you draw appears only within the shapes or lines of that lower layer. You can think of it as a way to 'clip' your artwork to a specific area.

How to Use Clipping

Using clipping in Procreate is an easy process. Let's go through it step by step:

Select the layer you want to clip to. This should be the layer containing the shapes or lines you want to color within.
Add a new layer above it. This will be your clipping layer, where you'll do your painting.
Tap on the new layer and select 'Clipping Mask' from the menu that appears.
Start painting! You'll see that your paint only appears within the content of the lower layer.

Remember, you can add as many clipping layers as you want to a single layer.

Benefits of Clipping

Why use clipping, you ask? Here are a few reasons:

Non-destructive Editing: Clipping allows you to make changes without altering the original layer.
Efficiency: It significantly speeds up the process of coloring within lines or shapes.
Flexibility: You can easily try different colors or effects without needing to erase or redo your work.
Control: It gives you precise control over where your paint lands, which is especially useful when creating a Procreate mask.

Armed with an understanding of clipping, you're one step closer to mastering Procreate. Next, let's explore layer masks and how they can bring your art to life!

4. Layer Masks

Layer masks are another powerful feature in Procreate and an important component of creating a 'procreate mask'. They allow you to hide or reveal parts of your artwork without permanently erasing them. Let's get to know them better.

What are Layer Masks?

Think of layer masks as a tool for controlling visibility. They work with the concept of 'black conceals, white reveals'. If you paint with black on a layer mask, it will hide parts of the layer. If you paint with white, it will reveal hidden parts. The beauty of layer masks is that you can always change your mind and reveal what you've hidden, unlike erasing.

Applying Layer Masks

Applying a layer mask in Procreate is a straightforward process. Follow these steps:

Open the layers panel and select the layer you want to add a mask to.
Tap on the layer to open the options menu and select 'Mask'.
A new layer mask will appear linked to your selected layer.
Start painting on the layer mask with black to hide areas, or white to reveal them. You can also use different shades of grey for varying levels of visibility.

Manipulating Layer Masks

Once you've applied a layer mask, you can manipulate it to tweak your artwork. Here's how:

Change visibility: Paint with black, white, or grey on the layer mask.
Move or Transform: With the layer mask selected, you can move or transform it separately from the layer it's linked to.
Disable or Delete: You can disable the layer mask to see what your layer looks like without it, or delete it if you don't need it anymore.

Layer masks provide flexibility and control, making them an essential tool for your Procreate toolkit. Ready to explore more Procreate features? Let's move on to some handy tips and tricks.

5. Procreate Tips and Tricks

Now that you've mastered layers, clipping, and the use of a Procreate mask, let's delve into some insider tips and tricks to enhance your Procreate experience.

Using Gestures

Procreate is designed with a touch interface in mind. Therefore, understanding and using gestures can significantly speed up your workflow. Here are a few you should know:

Two-finger tap: This is the undo gesture. Made a mistake? Just tap with two fingers.
Three-finger swipe: This gesture clears the layer. If you want to start over, this is the quickest way to do it.
Pinching: You can zoom in and out or rotate your canvas by pinching and twisting with two fingers.

Shortcuts to Know

Procreate also offers a variety of handy shortcuts to streamline your creative process. Here are a few:

Color drop: Drag the color circle from the top right into your canvas to fill an area with that color.
Copy and paste: With a selection active, swipe down with three fingers to open the copy and paste menu.
Quick menu: Tap and hold on the canvas to open the quick menu. You can customize this with your frequently used actions.

Optimizing Your Workflow

Last but not least, here are a few tips to optimize your workflow:

Make good use of layers and layer masks to keep your artwork flexible.
Customize the quick menu with your most used actions to save time.
Try different brushes and tools to discover new effects and styles.

And there you have it! Armed with these tips and tricks, you are now more equipped to navigate the vibrant world of Procreate. Remember, practice makes perfect, so don't be afraid to experiment and make the most out of this brilliant tool for creativity.

If you enjoyed our blog post on "Mastering Procreate: Tips for Clipping & Layer Masks" and want to apply these techniques to a fun project, check out the workshop "How to Draw A Fruit In ProCreate" by Vicky Catalan. This workshop will guide you through the process of creating a beautiful fruit illustration using Procreate while incorporating the clipping and layer mask techniques you've learned.