# Aquarell layers: separate sketch, colour and details Language: en Canonical: [Aquarell layers: separate sketch, colour and details]() 中文：[中文 HTML]() English: [English HTML]() Published: 2026-10-22T00:00:00+08:00 Modified: 2026-10-23T10:34:07+08:00 Author: Bison Build a three-layer workflow, understand layer order, the active layer and visibility, then use a simple plant illustration to check that edits stay independent. English translation of the [Chinese original](), translated on 2026-10-23. The article body uses automated translation; app descriptions, historical reading notes and video subtitles receive separate editorial checks. Original publication dates, attribution, code and version notes are retained. **The most direct benefit of layers is that separate edits need not interfere with one another.** In Aquarell, separating the sketch, base colors, and details reduces the chance of damaging one part while changing another. This tutorial establishes a three-layer workflow and tests its usefulness with a simple plant design. The aim is not to create as many layers as possible, but to give each a clear role. Three layers with defined purposes are usually easier to manage than ten layers with unknown contents. Save any work in progress before starting, and preferably use a new canvas for this exercise. ## 1. Draw a structural sketch first Create a 1200 × 1200 pixel canvas and use a moderately dark color to draw a curved stem and the outlines of three leaves. The lines only need to establish positions; veins and shadows can wait. Keep the subject within roughly the central two-thirds of the canvas, leaving space on all sides. Open “Layers” and confirm the current layer containing the sketch. If renaming is supported, name it “Sketch.” If the naming control is unclear in your version, identify it by its thumbnail and stacking position for now. Not renaming a layer is no reason to keep drawing on the wrong one. ## 2. Add a coloring layer and check its order Use “Add Layer” to create a new layer. Check whether it sits above or below the sketch and adjust the order as needed. To keep the sketch visible, put it above the color. If you intentionally want the color to cover the sketch, use the opposite order, but understand the result. Select the coloring layer and paint a small patch inside a leaf. Temporarily hide this layer to confirm that the patch disappears while the sketch remains, then show it again. This quick check is more direct than inspecting the thumbnail and can reveal whether you selected the wrong layer. Continue filling the three leaves with their base colors, leaving complex shading for later. It is fine if some color extends beyond the sketch for now. First establish that the content is genuinely separated, then return to refine the edges. Undoing a mistake promptly is easier than locating which layer it happened on after finishing. ## 3. Add details on a separate layer Add another layer for veins, local edges, and a few highlights. Place the detail layer above the color and use a finer brush. Draw only one main vein per leaf at first, compare its scale with the subject, and then decide whether to add branches. Do not create a new layer immediately just because each new element matters. Ask whether you will need to edit it separately later. Keeping similar veins from three leaves together makes them easy to fade uniformly; three major objects whose colors must change independently deserve further separation. Layers are an organizational method, not a measure of completion. ## 4. Adjust the sketch with overall layer opacity Select the sketch layer and gradually lower its opacity from 100% to around 30%–50%. Check whether it still describes the forms without overpowering the color. This range is only a starting point: a light sketch may need a higher value, and a dark sketch a lower one. Do not change brush opacity at the same time, or it will be difficult to tell which setting affected the result. Layer opacity changes existing content across a whole layer; brush opacity determines the strokes you paint next. They operate at different times and over different scopes. ## 5. Test the structure with one local edit Suppose the second leaf's base color is too dark. Select the coloring layer, change only that leaf's color, and check that the sketch and veins remain unchanged. If they are erased or recolored too, the content may still share one layer or the operation may have targeted the wrong area. Next select the detail layer and add a short vein to the third leaf. Hide the detail layer and confirm that the details on all three leaves disappear together. Hide the sketch layer and confirm that the color shapes still hold the image together. These two checks show whether the layer roles will help with later edits. ## Final checks and saving Show each of the three layers separately to learn what it contains. Restore visibility for all layers intended for export, review the overall composition, and export a test image. Hidden layers may affect the output; having painted something earlier does not guarantee it will appear in the finished image. Save the native artwork with its three-layer structure. A PNG or JPEG makes the finished image easy to share, but cannot replace the original's independent editing information. If you also export PSD, remember the distinction between its pixel layers and native editable objects. ## Check whether the layers actually make editing easier Give yourself a small task when finished: change the color of just one leaf while preserving the other lines, then fade all the veins separately. If both operations lead easily to the correct layer, the division of roles works. If you must keep trying multiple layers, reorganize their purposes; a higher layer count alone does not make the structure clearer. ## Questions and limitations ### Why does adding a layer make no visible difference? An empty layer has no visible content. Confirm that it is selected and visible, then make a small test stroke. If you still see nothing, check whether the color resembles the background, the brush is too faint, or another opaque layer covers it. ### The color covers the sketch. Have the layers stopped working? First check the stacking order and the opacity of content above the sketch. An opaque color shape covering lines below it is a normal compositing result. Move the sketch above it or adjust the coloring layer, then see whether the result matches your intention. ### Should I merge all the layers at the end? Sharing the finished image does not necessarily require manually merging layers first. If further edits are possible, a layered original is more convenient. Consider merging only for a clear delivery or file-management need, and retain a separate recoverable file first. Destructive cleanup is not a required step in finishing a drawing. ### Why do more layers make things harder to find? The roles may not be clear enough. First understand the contents as sketch, color, and detail, then separate them according to actual editing needs. Checking thumbnails and visibility regularly is more reliable than remembering layers solely by creation order. ## Sources and applicable version Information checked on October 22, 2026, for Aquarell 1.0.5 (iOS / iPadOS 15.0 or later). See [the official description]() and [Apple release lookup](); the interface may change with the version. ## Keep practising - [Refining an image with layer opacity]() - [Leaf illustration exercise]() - [Save an editable original]()