Medibang Paint is a recognizable drawing app that many artists use. Medibang has an important feature that almost all drawing applications have: the layer features.
With layers, you can create digital art in Medibang faster and more efficiently than by drawing on paper with a pencil.
In this article, I will explain how to use layers in Medibang.
Note that I am writing this article with the version of Medibang on my iPad Pro with Apple M1 chip.
This guide applies to all versions of Medibang Paint, including the Windows, MacOS, Android, iOS and iPad OS versions.
Table of Contents
What are Layers in Medibang?
Layers are like building blocks for your art in MediBang Paint. Imagine them as clear sheets stacked on top of each other, just like layers in a real painting.
Each sheet can hold a different part of your drawing, like the sketch, lines, colors, background, and special masks.
Why Should You Use Layers in Medibang?
Because this is how digital artists work. Layers are as important as the Ctrl Z or undo buttons for artists. Everyone uses layers.
Here are the benefits of using layers:
- With layers, you can draw and paint freely. Don’t worry about painting the background first! Layers let you work on any part of your drawing whenever you want.
- Need to change a color or improve your artwork detail? No problem! Just change it on its own layer without affecting the rest of your art.
- Keep your drawing tidy and simple by separating different parts like hair, clothes, and objects into their own layers. This makes it easier to find and change things.
- Did you make a mistake while you were drawing? No worries! Just erase it on its own layer without affecting anything else.
Remember to use layers only when needed. Don’t create a new layer for every little thing.
Every layer will consume your system RAM, so make sure you pass the recommended system requirement for Medibang before using too many layers.
Where is the Layer List in Medibang?
The Layer list is the place where you organize your layers in Medibang. You can find the Layer list on the right side of the app.
You will see a list of currently available layers in the Layer list. Additionally, it also provides various shortcut tools to modify the layers quickly.
Creating a New Layer Medibnag
To create a new layer, click the plus icon on the layer list.
After clicking it, a list of available layers will be shown:
- Color layer
- 8-bit layer
- 1-bit layer
- Mask layer
- Stencil layer
- Halftone layer
- Folder
- Select an image to add
- Add from photo: It will use your image from the gallery into a layer
- Scan to add: It will use your camera or webcam to take a picture and then transform it into a layer
- Add from clipboard: Transform the image or file from the clipboard (or what you have just copied before) into a layer
- Import from another app: Import from another app like Photoshop, Procreate, CSP, etc
Please select one of them. Select the color layer if you don’t know which one to choose. It’s the default layer in Medibang.
If you also used Krita, make sure to check Krita vs Medibang
Selecting a Layer
To select a layer, simply tap a layer from the list. It will switch the currently used layer to the tapped one.
You can only select one layer in Medibang
Rearrange the order of the layers
You can reorder layers by selecting the layer and then dragging it up and down.
Keep in mind the bottom layer is usually the background layer.
Important tips: Rearrange the order of your layers to the correct order. The higher the layer, the more finished it becomes.
Change the type of Layer
If you want to change the type of layer in Medibang, for example, from a color layer to an 8-bit layer, follow these steps:
- On the layer list, first, select the layer by tapping it
- Tap the gear icon
- On the layer settings, go to the color layer and tap the gear icon
- Select from the color layer, 8-bit layer and 1-bit layer options. What you can change depends on the type of the current layer
Delete a layer
To delete a layer in Medibang, tap the layer to select it first. Then click the trash icon at the top of the layer list. This will delete the layer permanently.
If you accidentally delete it, you can undo the delete by clicking the undo tool.
What You Can Do to Layers in Medibang
There are various ways to work with layers in Medibang. Knowing these actions allows you to create digital art more efficiently using the layers feature.
Here is a list of actions you can perform on layers in the app
Grouping Layer by using Folder
You can group multiple layers with a layer folder. To create a layer folder in Medibang, click the plus button on the layer list and choose the Folder option.
This will create a new layer folder in the list. Move another layer by dragging them into the layer folder below to group them.
Merge Layers
There are two ways to merge layers in Medibang.
The first way is by merging two layers into a single layer. To do so, select a top or higher layer, tap the triple dot icon and choose the Merge Down option.
The second way is by merging all available layers. To do so, select any layer, tap the triple dot icon in the top right corner and choose the Merge all layers option.
Duplicating a Layer
You can duplicate a layer by first tapping the layer to select it. Then tap the double image icon beside the trash icon, as shown in the above image, to duplicate it quickly.
If you are on Windows or Mac, you can select the layer, then press Ctrl + C (Windows) or Cmd ⌘ + C (Mac), followed by pressing Ctrl + V or Cmd ⌘ + V in the layer list to create a copy of the selected layer.
Rename a Layer
You can change the layer name in Medibang. It can be useful if you have too many layers and want to differentiate them easily.
First, tap a layer to select it. Tap the gear icon on the right corner of the layer and tap the Name section. Type the new name and click the back icon or “<” to save the changes.
Adjusting Layer Opacity
You can adjust the opacity of a layer in Medibang. I usually reduced the opacity to make creating line art from my sketch easier.
To do this, tap a layer to select it. At the top of the layer list, drag the opacity slider to the desired value. For example, I set it to 40%.
Hide a Layer
To temporarily hide a layer in Medibang, thereby making any brush strokes, masks, effects, shapes, and text on it invisible, follow these steps:
First, select the layer you wish to hide. Then click on the eye icon at the left of the layer. This will make the eye icon disappear, indicating that the layer is temporarily invisible.
To unhide a layer, simply click the missing eye icon once again.
This feature helps check the precision of your lineart and sketches by isolating them from other layers.
Flip the Layer
You can flip a layer from a horizontal and vertical point of view to the canvas.
First, select a layer. Then tap the triple dot icon and choose between the Flip and Flip Vertical options.
At first, I was confused. Where is the flip horizontal option in Medibang? After testing it, I found out that the regular flip will flip your layer horizontally.
Lock a Layer
Locking a layer prevents any modifications to it. This includes using the brush tool, renaming, moving, merging, applying a mask, or deleting the layer.
First, tap a layer to select it. Tap the lock button. After locking a layer, all shortcuts and tools will be grayed out and disabled on the locked layer.
To unlock it, simply click the lock icon once more.
