

There are other reasons why you’d want to use one or the other, so here’s a summary: Choose your method based on whether you want to color over your outline or not. The alpha lock coloring option will let you color over your outline. There’s a REALLY important difference between these two methods: Even though it’s a multistep process for each element you want to color, it’s pretty quick once you get the hang of it.Īlright, so we just talked about two strategies for coloring in the lines. Simply repeat this process for any elements that you need to color. When you’re done, click the Select tool again to deselect it.

Open the layers panel and click on the layer that has the elements you want to color in on it. If you don’t do this, it will seem like alpha lock isn’t working once you turn it on.ģ. Choose whichever color makes sense for your piece of art. Use ColorDrop to fill in your element with paint. With alpha lock, your changes are applied directly to your shape. There’s also a VERY important feature of alpha lock function that differentiates it from clipping masks. If no color is there, fill it with white, or the same color as your background. So, we still need to make sure that a base color has already been applied to our shapes. Similar to the clipping mask, the alpha lock feature only allows you to color over pre-existing brush strokes. Alpha lock will only allow you to color on pre-existing brush strokes, so it’s important to use ColorDrop to apply a colored base to your elements ahead of time. Procreate’s alpha lock feature makes it so that you can only color on the elements on that given layer. Color in the Lines with Procreate’s Alpha Lock
#Black and white image with color lines full
Let’s talk about it!Īnd if you’re looking for a deep dive into procreate masks, check out my full guide on procreate clipping masks and layer masks. That said, there is another, more permanent, way to color inside the lines. Everything is on a separate layer, which makes your life a LOT easier if you want to make any changes. Make sure this layer is right above the layer that contains the elements you want to color.Ĭlipping masks are great tools to use because they give you a lot of freedom. Open the layers panel and create a new layer. Choose whichever color makes sense for your piece of art.ģ.

#Black and white image with color lines how to
Here’s how to color in the lines with a clipping mask, step-by-step:Ģ. It just adds another step that you’ll have to keep in mind. You’re probably thinking that this negates the whole benefit of a clipping mask, but it doesn’t. You could recolor the outline, but nothing that isn’t already painted. This means that if your element is simply an outline that isn’t filled in, you will not be able to color inside of it. With clipping masks, you can ONLY color over pre-existing brush strokes. There’s an important caveat though, so Iet’s dig into that a little deeper. It’s quick, easy, and gets the job done without making permanent changes to your shapes and art. The clipping mask feature is my personal favorite way to color within the lines. This makes it easier to change the coloring you’ve applied to your shapes. Instead, your coloring stays on a new and separate layer. Procreate’s clipping masks allow you to color inside the lines of your shapes without permanently making changes to your shape. If all of the elements you want to color aren’t on the same layer, just switch between whichever layers you need.Ĭolor in the Lines with Procreate’s Clipping Masks Important note: the methods we’re going to discuss require coloring one layer at a time. So, keep reading to learn two ways to color within the lines with Procreate. It’s actually fairly simple to do with Procreate, though getting there isn’t always intuitive. If you want the ever-prestigious preschool award for being the best at coloring within the lines, keep reading. Another method is to use the automatic selection tool, clicking on the shape you wish to color. Turn on alpha lock or create a clipping mask, which will stop you from coloring outside of the lines of that shape. To color inside the lines with Procreate, use ColorDrop to fill your shape with white. Here’s how to color inside the lines with Procreate. Luckily, with technology, coloring inside the lines has never been easier. Maybe I was a weird kid, but I was into art and a perfectionist, so it makes sense. In preschool, I remember that one of the best compliments you could get was about successfully coloring inside the lines.
