To check values in Procreate, add a new layer at the top of your stack, fill it with a mid-gray such as hex 525252, and set its blend mode to Color. Toggle that layer on and off to see your painting in grayscale without changing any artwork underneath. For a saved reference, duplicate the canvas, merge the copy, and drag Saturation to zero in the Adjustments menu. For exact numbers, the Value tab in the Color Panel shows the Brightness percentage of any swatch.

What "checking values" means

Value is how light or dark a color is, independent of its hue. A value check strips out hue so you can judge whether your composition reads on lightness and darkness alone. If your focal subject blends into its background in grayscale, no amount of color tuning will fix the readability problem.

This matters for motion work as much as illustration. A styleframe or concept painting that collapses into a gray mass will be harder to light, composite, and grade later. Getting the value structure right in Procreate gives you a cleaner starting point for everything downstream.

"Value" also has a second meaning in Procreate. The Value tab in the Color Panel is where you read and enter numeric HSB, RGB, and hex values. Both senses are useful, so this guide covers both.

Method 1: The gray Color-blend layer (fastest)

This approach is non-destructive and instantly reversible.

1. Open the Layers panel and create a new layer at the very top of the stack.
2. Choose a neutral gray. Any gray from near-white to near-black works because gray carries no hue, but a mid-gray like hex 525252 is a reliable default.
3. Fill the whole layer. Drag the color from the Active Color swatch onto the canvas, or use Selection and fill.
4. Tap the layer's "N" and change the blend mode to Color.
5. Toggle the layer's checkbox to flip between color and grayscale.

Color mode applies the hue and saturation of the top layer to the lightness of everything beneath it. Because your gray has zero saturation, everything underneath reads as a grayscale version of itself.

Make it a habit. Many illustrators keep this layer in a template file or add it to every new document. Rename it "VALUE CHECK" and lock it so you do not paint on it by accident. If you work with grouped layers, keep it outside any group so it affects the full composite.

The limitation

This method is a fast approximation, not a measurement. Saturated reds and yellows can look different in this view than they feel to the eye, because the blend mode does not weigh how bright high-chroma colors appear. Use it as a quick sanity check for composition and contrast, not as a final verdict on every hue. If a saturated accent seems to vanish or pop unexpectedly, trust your eye and test with a second method.

Method 2: Duplicate, merge, and desaturate (best for a saved reference)

If you want a standalone grayscale image you can export or keep beside the original, work on a copy.

1. In the Gallery, duplicate your artwork and open the duplicate.
2. Open the Layers panel and merge all layers into one.
3. Tap the Adjustments icon (the magic wand) and choose Hue, Saturation, Brightness.
4. Drag Saturation all the way to zero. You now have a grayscale copy.
5. Export it or screenshot it for reference.

The advantage is that you get an artifact. You can compare it against a previous check, send it to an art director, or drop it onto a reference board.

One artist's tip is worth borrowing: paste each successive check into a single reference canvas as a new layer. Over a project, you build a grayscale record of how the value structure evolved. It takes discipline, but it creates a useful archive.

Applying the adjustment to a layer instead

You can also apply Hue, Saturation, Brightness to a single layer. This is useful when you want to inspect one element, like a character on its own layer, rather than the full composite. Be aware that this changes the layer's pixels, so duplicate it first or undo after you look.

Method 3: Read numeric values in the Color Panel

When you need to compare specific colors rather than judge the whole image, use the Value tab.

1. Tap the Active Color swatch at the top right to open the Color Panel.
2. Tap Value at the bottom of the panel. Procreate remembers this choice next time.
3. Read the Brightness slider. It is expressed as a percentage from 0% (darkest) to 100% (lightest).

You can also work in RGB, with each channel running from 0 to 255, or enter a hex code. Setting all RGB sliders to the same number gives you a neutral gray, which is a quick way to build a value scale.

Using the numbers well

HSB Brightness is a handy shorthand, but it is not perceptual lightness. A fully bright yellow and a fully bright blue both read 100% Brightness, yet the yellow looks far lighter. Use Brightness readouts to compare similar hues or to build a consistent scale. Use a grayscale view to judge how colors of different hues compare.

A practical workflow is to build a short palette of values first, perhaps five to seven steps from dark to light. Then assign hues to those steps. Your value structure is locked in before color decisions begin.

Interpreting what you see

Once you have a grayscale view, ask a few direct questions.

• Does the focal point separate from the background? The main subject should differ in value from what surrounds it, or be separated by clear line work or edge contrast.
• Are there too many similar mid-tones? A piece that looks like one flat gray has a narrow value range. Push your darks darker or your lights lighter.
• Do neighboring shapes merge? Adjacent elements, like foliage clusters or overlapping characters, need distinct values or clear edges to stay legible.
• Does the hierarchy match your intent? The brightest and darkest areas with the sharpest contrast pull attention. Make sure they sit where you want the eye to land.

A common failure is a colorful image with a narrow value range. It feels vibrant on screen but flat in grayscale, and it can be hard to read at a small size or in print.

Combine with other checks

A value check works best alongside other quick perception tests.

• Flip the canvas horizontally. A mirrored view exposes balance and drawing issues your eye has stopped noticing.
• Zoom out. Shrinking the canvas to thumbnail size reveals whether the major shapes read.
• Check at intervals. Run a value check early with rough shapes, again after blocking in color, and once more before final polish. Early checks are cheaper to act on.

Taking value checks into a motion pipeline

If you paint styleframes or concept art in Procreate and move them into motion work, the same discipline carries over. The value structure you establish on a still is what you will later light, comp, and grade.

Once frames leave Procreate, you can run the same check in your compositing tool. In a tool such as After Effects, an adjustment layer at the top of the comp with a saturation-reducing effect gives you a toggleable grayscale view. Keep that layer disabled for render, and enable it when you want to judge contrast across shots or sequences.

This is also where Styleframe fits for artists who want to extend a still into motion while keeping control. A painting with strong, readable values gives you a more predictable starting point.

Once results are in your compositing tool, you can run the same grayscale adjustment layer to confirm the values held up.

The principle is the same at every stage: check values in the tool where the image lives, fix problems early, and verify again after each transformation.

Quick reference

Common mistakes to avoid

• Checking only at the end. By then, changing values means repainting.
• Trusting Brightness percentages across hues. Use a grayscale view for cross-hue comparisons.
• Painting on the check layer. Lock it and keep it at the top.
• Forgetting to hide it before export. A gray Color-blend layer left visible will give you a grayscale export.
• Relying on one method. The Color-blend layer is quick but approximate, so verify critical areas with a desaturated copy.

Final thoughts

Checking values in Procreate takes seconds once the setup is in place. Add a gray Color-blend layer to your template, toggle it often, and use the Value tab when you need exact numbers. Run a desaturated duplicate when you want a record. Whether the image ends up as a print, a styleframe, or the first frame of a shot, a strong value structure makes every later decision easier.

To check values in Procreate, add a new layer at the top of your stack, fill it with a mid-gray such as hex 525252, and set its blend mode to Color. Toggle that layer on and off to see your painting in grayscale without changing any artwork underneath. For a saved reference, duplicate the canvas, merge the copy, and drag Saturation to zero in the Adjustments menu. For exact numbers, the Value tab in the Color Panel shows the Brightness percentage of any swatch.

What "checking values" means

Value is how light or dark a color is, independent of its hue. A value check strips out hue so you can judge whether your composition reads on lightness and darkness alone. If your focal subject blends into its background in grayscale, no amount of color tuning will fix the readability problem.

This matters for motion work as much as illustration. A styleframe or concept painting that collapses into a gray mass will be harder to light, composite, and grade later. Getting the value structure right in Procreate gives you a cleaner starting point for everything downstream.

"Value" also has a second meaning in Procreate. The Value tab in the Color Panel is where you read and enter numeric HSB, RGB, and hex values. Both senses are useful, so this guide covers both.

Method 1: The gray Color-blend layer (fastest)

This approach is non-destructive and instantly reversible.

1. Open the Layers panel and create a new layer at the very top of the stack.
2. Choose a neutral gray. Any gray from near-white to near-black works because gray carries no hue, but a mid-gray like hex 525252 is a reliable default.
3. Fill the whole layer. Drag the color from the Active Color swatch onto the canvas, or use Selection and fill.
4. Tap the layer's "N" and change the blend mode to Color.
5. Toggle the layer's checkbox to flip between color and grayscale.

Color mode applies the hue and saturation of the top layer to the lightness of everything beneath it. Because your gray has zero saturation, everything underneath reads as a grayscale version of itself.

Make it a habit. Many illustrators keep this layer in a template file or add it to every new document. Rename it "VALUE CHECK" and lock it so you do not paint on it by accident. If you work with grouped layers, keep it outside any group so it affects the full composite.

The limitation

This method is a fast approximation, not a measurement. Saturated reds and yellows can look different in this view than they feel to the eye, because the blend mode does not weigh how bright high-chroma colors appear. Use it as a quick sanity check for composition and contrast, not as a final verdict on every hue. If a saturated accent seems to vanish or pop unexpectedly, trust your eye and test with a second method.

Method 2: Duplicate, merge, and desaturate (best for a saved reference)

If you want a standalone grayscale image you can export or keep beside the original, work on a copy.

1. In the Gallery, duplicate your artwork and open the duplicate.
2. Open the Layers panel and merge all layers into one.
3. Tap the Adjustments icon (the magic wand) and choose Hue, Saturation, Brightness.
4. Drag Saturation all the way to zero. You now have a grayscale copy.
5. Export it or screenshot it for reference.

The advantage is that you get an artifact. You can compare it against a previous check, send it to an art director, or drop it onto a reference board.

One artist's tip is worth borrowing: paste each successive check into a single reference canvas as a new layer. Over a project, you build a grayscale record of how the value structure evolved. It takes discipline, but it creates a useful archive.

Applying the adjustment to a layer instead

You can also apply Hue, Saturation, Brightness to a single layer. This is useful when you want to inspect one element, like a character on its own layer, rather than the full composite. Be aware that this changes the layer's pixels, so duplicate it first or undo after you look.

Method 3: Read numeric values in the Color Panel

When you need to compare specific colors rather than judge the whole image, use the Value tab.

1. Tap the Active Color swatch at the top right to open the Color Panel.
2. Tap Value at the bottom of the panel. Procreate remembers this choice next time.
3. Read the Brightness slider. It is expressed as a percentage from 0% (darkest) to 100% (lightest).

You can also work in RGB, with each channel running from 0 to 255, or enter a hex code. Setting all RGB sliders to the same number gives you a neutral gray, which is a quick way to build a value scale.

Using the numbers well

HSB Brightness is a handy shorthand, but it is not perceptual lightness. A fully bright yellow and a fully bright blue both read 100% Brightness, yet the yellow looks far lighter. Use Brightness readouts to compare similar hues or to build a consistent scale. Use a grayscale view to judge how colors of different hues compare.

A practical workflow is to build a short palette of values first, perhaps five to seven steps from dark to light. Then assign hues to those steps. Your value structure is locked in before color decisions begin.

Interpreting what you see

Once you have a grayscale view, ask a few direct questions.

• Does the focal point separate from the background? The main subject should differ in value from what surrounds it, or be separated by clear line work or edge contrast.
• Are there too many similar mid-tones? A piece that looks like one flat gray has a narrow value range. Push your darks darker or your lights lighter.
• Do neighboring shapes merge? Adjacent elements, like foliage clusters or overlapping characters, need distinct values or clear edges to stay legible.
• Does the hierarchy match your intent? The brightest and darkest areas with the sharpest contrast pull attention. Make sure they sit where you want the eye to land.

A common failure is a colorful image with a narrow value range. It feels vibrant on screen but flat in grayscale, and it can be hard to read at a small size or in print.

Combine with other checks

A value check works best alongside other quick perception tests.

• Flip the canvas horizontally. A mirrored view exposes balance and drawing issues your eye has stopped noticing.
• Zoom out. Shrinking the canvas to thumbnail size reveals whether the major shapes read.
• Check at intervals. Run a value check early with rough shapes, again after blocking in color, and once more before final polish. Early checks are cheaper to act on.

Taking value checks into a motion pipeline

If you paint styleframes or concept art in Procreate and move them into motion work, the same discipline carries over. The value structure you establish on a still is what you will later light, comp, and grade.

Once frames leave Procreate, you can run the same check in your compositing tool. In a tool such as After Effects, an adjustment layer at the top of the comp with a saturation-reducing effect gives you a toggleable grayscale view. Keep that layer disabled for render, and enable it when you want to judge contrast across shots or sequences.

This is also where Styleframe fits for artists who want to extend a still into motion while keeping control. A painting with strong, readable values gives you a more predictable starting point.

Once results are in your compositing tool, you can run the same grayscale adjustment layer to confirm the values held up.

The principle is the same at every stage: check values in the tool where the image lives, fix problems early, and verify again after each transformation.

Quick reference

Common mistakes to avoid

• Checking only at the end. By then, changing values means repainting.
• Trusting Brightness percentages across hues. Use a grayscale view for cross-hue comparisons.
• Painting on the check layer. Lock it and keep it at the top.
• Forgetting to hide it before export. A gray Color-blend layer left visible will give you a grayscale export.
• Relying on one method. The Color-blend layer is quick but approximate, so verify critical areas with a desaturated copy.

Final thoughts

Checking values in Procreate takes seconds once the setup is in place. Add a gray Color-blend layer to your template, toggle it often, and use the Value tab when you need exact numbers. Run a desaturated duplicate when you want a record. Whether the image ends up as a print, a styleframe, or the first frame of a shot, a strong value structure makes every later decision easier.