When your artwork is almost done, the Adjustments panel in Procreate is where the finishing touches happen. From blurs and color tweaks to stylized effects like Glitch and Bloom, these tools help you refine the mood, tone, and texture of your work without redrawing anything.
Where to Find Adjustments
Tap the magic wand icon at the top left of your screen to open the Adjustments menu. Each option can be applied to:
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The entire layer
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A selection
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Or with Pencil pressure using Apple Pencil
This gives you total control over where and how the effect is applied.
Core Adjustment Tools
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Gaussian Blur: Softens the image — great for depth or shadows. Slide your finger to adjust intensity.
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Motion Blur and Perspective Blur: Add movement or depth blur. Motion Blur follows a direction, while Perspective Blur simulates camera depth.
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Sharpen: Adds contrast to edges, making the image feel crisper.
Color Adjustment Tools
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Hue, Saturation, Brightness (HSB): Fine-tune color balance and intensity.
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Color Balance: Shift tones in shadows, midtones, and highlights — great for mood.
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Curves: Gives you precision control over contrast and exposure.
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Gradient Map: Replace light and dark areas with custom colors — great for stylized looks.
Stylized Effects
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Noise: Adds grain for a vintage or textured feel.
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Glitch: Creates RGB offset or scanline effects for a digital vibe.
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Bloom: Adds a glowing highlight to light areas — ideal for lighting effects or fantasy art.
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Halftone: Creates a dotted comic-book style.
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Chromatic Aberration: Simulates lens distortion with color fringing.
Using Pencil Filter
Many adjustments support Pencil Filter mode — this lets you brush the effect onto specific areas instead of applying it globally. It's useful for adding glow only to highlights, blur to the background, or selective color shifts.
Non-Destructive Editing Tips
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Duplicate your layer before applying strong adjustments.
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Try adjustments on a Clipping Mask to preserve your base layer.
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Use Layer Masks to erase or reduce the effect in certain areas.
Whether you're subtly boosting contrast or going full glitch-mode, the Adjustments panel is where your art really starts to shine. These tools make it easy to dial in a specific mood, correct color issues, or add effects that help your illustration stand out. In future posts, we’ll break down specific workflows — like creating glowing effects or simulating film grain — using these adjustments creatively.
