How to use Layer Masks in Procreate

Layer masks are a flexible, non-destructive way to adjust the visibility of a layer's contents. We have our character layer selected. Let's tap that layer, open the Layer Options, and select Mask. Layer masks are painted in grayscale, and the tonal values painted on the mask determines the attached layer's visibility. If we paint the mask with black, the attached layer will be completely hidden. And on the other end of that scale, painting with white reveals the attached layer. And by painting with different shades of grey, we get different percentages of opacity. It's worth a mention that because layer masks are painted in grayscale, if we have a layer mask selected, our colour selection will also be locked to grayscale. If we select a layer that has a mask, the mask will automatically be selected as a secondary layer. So if we perform an action like Transform or Liquify, then the mask will also be affected by those actions. We can swipe right on the mask to deselect it if we need to perform an action to the layer independently of the mask. Tapping on the mask within the Layers panel gives us a bunch of other options, and at the bottom of this list, we have Merge Down. This will merge the two and permanently apply the effects of the mask to the layer. We can do the same thing more quickly by simply pinching the mask and the layer together.