To color in a shape in Procreate, pick a color, drag it from the color circle in the top-right corner into the closed shape, and keep your Apple Pencil or finger down. Slide left or right to adjust the ColorDrop Threshold, then lift to commit the fill. For more control, use Selection with Color Fill turned on, or turn on Alpha Lock on a layer and paint over it to recolor only the pixels already there.

Procreate offers several fill methods, and each suits a different kind of shape. This guide covers them, explains how to fix the common problems (leaky fills, jagged edges, gaps in line art), and shows how to keep filled shapes clean if they end up in a motion pipeline.

Method 1: ColorDrop (the fastest way to fill a shape)

ColorDrop works like a paint bucket you drag into place.

1. Tap the color circle in the top-right corner and choose your color.
2. Drag from that circle straight into the shape you want to fill. Sweep rather than pausing on the circle, or you may swap to your previously used color.
3. Keep your pen down after the color lands. Slide left or right to change the Threshold. The percentage appears at the top of the screen.
4. Lift to commit.

The Threshold controls how far the fill spreads and how much it tolerates differences in the pixels it's filling. A low value stays tight to the shape. A high value pushes the fill further past soft or anti-aliased edges. If you see a thin light halo between your fill and your outline, raise the Threshold a little so the color tucks under the line edge.

Fill several shapes in a row with Continue Filling

After a ColorDrop, a "Continue Filling" option appears at the top of the screen. While it's active, tapping other areas fills them with the same color. This is useful for blocking in flat color across a whole illustration. Exit by tapping the checkmark or switching to another tool.

Method 2: Fill on a separate layer with a Reference layer

ColorDrop fills based on the pixels of the active layer. If your line art is on one layer and your color is on another, an empty color layer gives ColorDrop nothing to detect. The fix is to use a Reference layer.

1. Keep your line art on its own layer.
2. Tap the line art layer and choose Reference.
3. Create a new layer underneath and select it.
4. ColorDrop into each shape. The fill respects the lines on the reference layer but lands on your color layer.

This is the cleanest approach for anything you might revise. The linework stays untouched and color changes never damage it. It's also how you build separate layers you can toggle or recolor later.

If a fill spills across the whole canvas, there's a gap in the outline. Zoom in, close the gap with a small brush stroke on the line layer, and try again. Alternatively, raise the Threshold so the fill covers the shape without leaking through the gap, though this is less reliable.

Method 3: Selection with Color Fill

When the shape isn't bounded by clean lines, or you need a precise geometric form, use a selection.

1. Tap the Selection tool.
2. Pick a mode at the bottom: Automatic, Freehand, Rectangle, or Ellipse.
3. Tap Color Fill so it's highlighted.
4. Choose your color.
5. Make the selection. The fill is applied as soon as the selection closes.

Rectangle and Ellipse are good for geometric shapes with hard edges. Freehand lets you trace an organic outline. Automatic selects regions based on similar pixels. You can also use Feather to soften the edge of a selection, which is handy for glows or soft backgrounds.

Two things to remember: Color Fill stays on until you turn it off, so it can surprise you the next time you use Selection. And it only works on a single layer, not on a group.

Method 4: Alpha Lock for recoloring an existing shape

If a shape already exists on its own layer and you want to change its color, Alpha Lock is the cleanest option.

1. Swipe right on the layer with two fingers, or tap the layer and choose Alpha Lock. The thumbnail shows a checkerboard pattern.
2. Pick a new color.
3. Paint, or use a large soft brush, over the layer. Only pixels that already exist accept the paint, so your shape's silhouette and edges stay intact.

Alpha Lock is also the best route for gradients. Lock the layer, then paint or drag a gradient across it and it stays inside the shape. For a quick full recolor of the layer, you can also use Fill Layer: select a color, tap the layer, choose Fill Layer, and the whole layer takes that color. Combine it with Alpha Lock to recolor only the shape.

Method 5: Clipping masks for gradients, textures, and patterns

A clipping mask lets you put color, texture, or pattern on a layer above the shape, and it shows only where the shape below it has pixels.

1. Draw or fill your base shape on one layer in any solid color.
2. Add a new layer above it.
3. Tap the new layer and choose Clipping Mask.
4. Paint, drop in a gradient, or paste a pattern. It's confined to the shape underneath.

Because the shape and its fill live on separate layers, you can swap the top layer or change its blend mode without touching the silhouette. Setting the clipped layer to a blend mode like Multiply or Overlay is a quick way to add shading while keeping a flat base color.

Method 6: Recolor (if you prefer it)

Recolor is an older tool that remains available through QuickMenu. It's off by default. To turn it on, go to Actions → Prefs → Gesture Controls → QuickMenu, then assign Recolor to one of the radial options. After that, choose a color, tap an area, and adjust the Flood slider to control how aggressively it fills. For most work, ColorDrop does the same job with less setup.

Troubleshooting common fill problems

• The whole canvas fills. There's a gap in the outline, or you're filling on an empty layer without a Reference layer set. Close the gap or set the reference.
• A white or colored fringe around the edge. Raise the Threshold slightly, or fill on a layer beneath the line art so the lines overlap the fill.
• The color looks different from what you picked. Check the layer's blend mode and opacity. A layer set to anything other than Normal at 100% will shift how the color displays.
• Fills won't go onto a group. Color Fill only works on individual layers. Select a single layer inside the group.
• Jagged or stair-stepped edges. This usually comes from filling at a low Threshold against an anti-aliased line. Raise the Threshold a bit, or fill under the line art rather than on top of it.

Preparing filled shapes for a motion workflow

Procreate is a stills tool, but its output often feeds animation and compositing work: storyboards, hand-drawn elements, or style references. A few habits make filled shapes easier to use downstream:

• Keep fills on separate layers with clear names. That way you can animate each element independently in your animation or compositing software.
• Fill under the line art, not over it, so you don't bake in edge fringes that become obvious when you scale or comp the element.
• Export transparent PNGs for single elements by hiding the background layer before exporting.
• Work at a high resolution if the art will be scaled up. Set the canvas larger than you think you need.
• Use flat, consistent color blocks if you plan to use the art as a reference for style transfer or look development. Clean shapes read more clearly than noisy ones.

Quick reference: which fill method should you use?

In practice, most artists settle on one combination: line art on its own layer set as a Reference, flat fills on a layer below via ColorDrop, and a clipped layer above for shading. It's fast, it's forgiving, and it keeps every element separate in case you need to change color, export, or animate it later.

To color in a shape in Procreate, pick a color, drag it from the color circle in the top-right corner into the closed shape, and keep your Apple Pencil or finger down. Slide left or right to adjust the ColorDrop Threshold, then lift to commit the fill. For more control, use Selection with Color Fill turned on, or turn on Alpha Lock on a layer and paint over it to recolor only the pixels already there.

Procreate offers several fill methods, and each suits a different kind of shape. This guide covers them, explains how to fix the common problems (leaky fills, jagged edges, gaps in line art), and shows how to keep filled shapes clean if they end up in a motion pipeline.

Method 1: ColorDrop (the fastest way to fill a shape)

ColorDrop works like a paint bucket you drag into place.

1. Tap the color circle in the top-right corner and choose your color.
2. Drag from that circle straight into the shape you want to fill. Sweep rather than pausing on the circle, or you may swap to your previously used color.
3. Keep your pen down after the color lands. Slide left or right to change the Threshold. The percentage appears at the top of the screen.
4. Lift to commit.

The Threshold controls how far the fill spreads and how much it tolerates differences in the pixels it's filling. A low value stays tight to the shape. A high value pushes the fill further past soft or anti-aliased edges. If you see a thin light halo between your fill and your outline, raise the Threshold a little so the color tucks under the line edge.

Fill several shapes in a row with Continue Filling

After a ColorDrop, a "Continue Filling" option appears at the top of the screen. While it's active, tapping other areas fills them with the same color. This is useful for blocking in flat color across a whole illustration. Exit by tapping the checkmark or switching to another tool.

Method 2: Fill on a separate layer with a Reference layer

ColorDrop fills based on the pixels of the active layer. If your line art is on one layer and your color is on another, an empty color layer gives ColorDrop nothing to detect. The fix is to use a Reference layer.

1. Keep your line art on its own layer.
2. Tap the line art layer and choose Reference.
3. Create a new layer underneath and select it.
4. ColorDrop into each shape. The fill respects the lines on the reference layer but lands on your color layer.

This is the cleanest approach for anything you might revise. The linework stays untouched and color changes never damage it. It's also how you build separate layers you can toggle or recolor later.

If a fill spills across the whole canvas, there's a gap in the outline. Zoom in, close the gap with a small brush stroke on the line layer, and try again. Alternatively, raise the Threshold so the fill covers the shape without leaking through the gap, though this is less reliable.

Method 3: Selection with Color Fill

When the shape isn't bounded by clean lines, or you need a precise geometric form, use a selection.

1. Tap the Selection tool.
2. Pick a mode at the bottom: Automatic, Freehand, Rectangle, or Ellipse.
3. Tap Color Fill so it's highlighted.
4. Choose your color.
5. Make the selection. The fill is applied as soon as the selection closes.

Rectangle and Ellipse are good for geometric shapes with hard edges. Freehand lets you trace an organic outline. Automatic selects regions based on similar pixels. You can also use Feather to soften the edge of a selection, which is handy for glows or soft backgrounds.

Two things to remember: Color Fill stays on until you turn it off, so it can surprise you the next time you use Selection. And it only works on a single layer, not on a group.

Method 4: Alpha Lock for recoloring an existing shape

If a shape already exists on its own layer and you want to change its color, Alpha Lock is the cleanest option.

1. Swipe right on the layer with two fingers, or tap the layer and choose Alpha Lock. The thumbnail shows a checkerboard pattern.
2. Pick a new color.
3. Paint, or use a large soft brush, over the layer. Only pixels that already exist accept the paint, so your shape's silhouette and edges stay intact.

Alpha Lock is also the best route for gradients. Lock the layer, then paint or drag a gradient across it and it stays inside the shape. For a quick full recolor of the layer, you can also use Fill Layer: select a color, tap the layer, choose Fill Layer, and the whole layer takes that color. Combine it with Alpha Lock to recolor only the shape.

Method 5: Clipping masks for gradients, textures, and patterns

A clipping mask lets you put color, texture, or pattern on a layer above the shape, and it shows only where the shape below it has pixels.

1. Draw or fill your base shape on one layer in any solid color.
2. Add a new layer above it.
3. Tap the new layer and choose Clipping Mask.
4. Paint, drop in a gradient, or paste a pattern. It's confined to the shape underneath.

Because the shape and its fill live on separate layers, you can swap the top layer or change its blend mode without touching the silhouette. Setting the clipped layer to a blend mode like Multiply or Overlay is a quick way to add shading while keeping a flat base color.

Method 6: Recolor (if you prefer it)

Recolor is an older tool that remains available through QuickMenu. It's off by default. To turn it on, go to Actions → Prefs → Gesture Controls → QuickMenu, then assign Recolor to one of the radial options. After that, choose a color, tap an area, and adjust the Flood slider to control how aggressively it fills. For most work, ColorDrop does the same job with less setup.

Troubleshooting common fill problems

• The whole canvas fills. There's a gap in the outline, or you're filling on an empty layer without a Reference layer set. Close the gap or set the reference.
• A white or colored fringe around the edge. Raise the Threshold slightly, or fill on a layer beneath the line art so the lines overlap the fill.
• The color looks different from what you picked. Check the layer's blend mode and opacity. A layer set to anything other than Normal at 100% will shift how the color displays.
• Fills won't go onto a group. Color Fill only works on individual layers. Select a single layer inside the group.
• Jagged or stair-stepped edges. This usually comes from filling at a low Threshold against an anti-aliased line. Raise the Threshold a bit, or fill under the line art rather than on top of it.

Preparing filled shapes for a motion workflow

Procreate is a stills tool, but its output often feeds animation and compositing work: storyboards, hand-drawn elements, or style references. A few habits make filled shapes easier to use downstream:

• Keep fills on separate layers with clear names. That way you can animate each element independently in your animation or compositing software.
• Fill under the line art, not over it, so you don't bake in edge fringes that become obvious when you scale or comp the element.
• Export transparent PNGs for single elements by hiding the background layer before exporting.
• Work at a high resolution if the art will be scaled up. Set the canvas larger than you think you need.
• Use flat, consistent color blocks if you plan to use the art as a reference for style transfer or look development. Clean shapes read more clearly than noisy ones.

Quick reference: which fill method should you use?

In practice, most artists settle on one combination: line art on its own layer set as a Reference, flat fills on a layer below via ColorDrop, and a clipped layer above for shading. It's fast, it's forgiving, and it keeps every element separate in case you need to change color, export, or animate it later.