How to use a reference layer in Procreate

A great way to preserve your layers and recolour easily!

What is a reference layer in Procreate?

The reference tool is a function you can switch on for a layer in Procreate.

When it is activated it acts as a guide for the layers underneath.

When the reference function is activated for a line drawing like the one below, you can use the fill tool on the layers underneath and they will fill within the lines above.

What is the benefit of using a reference layer?

If you create patterns or illustrations in Procreate using an outline, this can be super helpful as it means you can colour in the white spaces easily whilst preserving the outline and all the colours on different layers.

This makes it very quick to recolour your artwork to make multiple colour versions!

How does it work?

Start with a simple line drawing or repeating pattern.

For this example I created a pattern using the template method and the brush I used was the Procreate monoline brush, but this is equally helpful for non repeating illustrations in Procreate too!

In the layers panel tap the layer that your line drawing is on and tap reference. That layer will now be acting as a guide for the layers below.

Create a new layer below and use the colour fill tool to fill in the parts you want in this colour.

TIP: Remember if you are dragging the colour into the spaces, when you have done it once you can tap continue filling which will appear at the top and then simply tap on the areas you want to fill after that. When you have finished filling tap the blue tick.

You can see now that if we hide the outline layer (the reference layer) the colour on the layer below has filled in the spaces where the outline was!

I would suggest that each time you use a new colour start a new layer and continue until you have filled in all the spaces.

How to create colour variations

If you have created a pattern or illustration in this way it is extremely easy to make colour variations! You can change both the colour of the outline and all the fill colours in a matter of seconds.

To change a layer select the layer you'd like to change and tap alpha lock.

Now select the colour you'd like to change it to, tap the layer again and tap fill layer.

It's as simple as that!

You can now provide your one design in all sorts of fun colour variations for your portfolio or Spoonflower shop!

If you're interested in the method I use to create repeating patterns in Procreate, check out my Procreate Patterns Class!

I'd love to know how you get on with this, drop me a comment below if you have any thoughts or questions!