Layers, masks and clipping

Keep lines, colour and shading on their own layers, and decide where each one shows.

Add a layerCopy Anchor Link

At the top of the Layers pane, click paint for brush strokes or vector for shapes and text. Drag a row to move the layer, and double click its name to rename it.

Shade inside flat colourCopy Anchor Link

1. Put the flat colour on one layer.
2. Add a paint layer above it and tick clip to layer below in layer settings.
3. Set the new layer's blend mode to multiply in the Layers pane's title row and paint the shadows. They stay inside the colour.

Recolour line artCopy Anchor Link

1. Select the lines layer and tick lock alpha in layer settings.
2. Paint over the lines with a big soft brush. Only the lines take the colour.
3. Untick lock alpha when you're done, or your next strokes on that layer won't show.

Hide part of a layerCopy Anchor Link

1. In layer settings, click add mask.
2. Paint where the layer should be hidden, and erase to bring it back. Hidden parts show red.
3. Click back to the layer to paint on the layer itself again.

See one layer aloneCopy Anchor Link

Alt click its eye in the Layers pane. Alt click it again to bring the others back.

Trace over a pictureCopy Anchor Link

Drop a PNG or JPEG on the window and tick reference in its layer settings. You keep seeing it while you draw, and exports leave it out.