Color Study is a tool for artists to simplify images, study color and value, and accurately match colors through paint mixing. Load any photo and reduce it to clear shapes and essential color information.
Color Study generates a clear color map of your reference and provides guidance for mixing paints to match the colors you see, giving you a practical guide you can use at the easel or in study. Focus on the fundamentals that matter in drawing and painting.
Made for artists
Core tools:
• Accurate color picker with magnification and pixel averaging options
• Place and customize color markers directly on your reference
• Inspect value, saturation, and color codes (RGB, HSV, HSL, CMYK, LAB)
• Automatically extract key colors and accents in an image, and mark their locations
• Compare colors to assess value, relative temperature, saturation, and perceptual difference
• Customizable grid overlay for precise alignment
Advanced tools:
• Interactive value maps, shape simplification, temperature maps and notan controls
• Paint-mixing guidance designed for opaque paints, with real-time feedback from photographed mixes
• Export analysis views and color maps as images for reference or study
• Advanced grid controls for precision alignment and subdivision
• Generate simplified line drawings and contour maps to clarify structure, edges, and major shapes
Advanced tools available with subscription.
Train your artistic eye
Color Study is not a design tool or palette generator. It is a learning tool for painters, illustrators, and art students who want to analyze what they see and make better decisions in their artwork.
Study master paintings, analyze your own photos, and deepen your understanding of value structure, color harmony, and visual design.
Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Although I have always mixed my own colors, this app allows me to set the colors on my palette, choose a color on my reference photo to match, then it gives me the mix and percentage of each color to achieve a match. Love it, however, what would make this app really stand out would be the ability to choose the brand of paints that an artist is using, as hues tend to be a bit different between brands, and then be able to choose the exact colors on your palette. Otherwise, a wonderful resource for artists!
Developer Response
Thank you for the thoughtful review! I’m really glad picking the color from a reference and getting the mixing recipes have been helpful in your process. Being able to choose specific paint brands is a great suggestion as well — I appreciate you sharing that idea. Thanks for taking the time to leave such kind feedback!
This app is really incredible for artists
ADalt11
I’m a beginner artist who has been painting for a couple years, so I’m still learning to recognize values and hues from life and from photos. I try to use the app as a learning partner to check my instincts and improve my skills rather than make decisions for me, and it is absolutely fantastic for that.
Developer Response
Thank you for the review! I really like that method you describe, to use the app as a learning partner and cross-check, to continue to improve skills.
Puts many art tools together
Mrscrow
I use various tools to assist me in my art. Notanizer, color picker, value study, cropping, etc. I usually need to use more than one app to do this preliminary study before I begin to paint. Color Study: Simplify Painting puts everything together in one easy to use interface. I absolutely love it! Many thanks to the developers.
Developer Response
Thank you for such a thoughtful review. Bringing together the various artist tools into one workflow was exactly the goal — I’m really glad it’s helping your process.
Love this app!!
Ella Geneva
Everything is genuinely so easy to use and figure out. There are so many tools to choose from that have helped me out a lot as a new painter. I struggle to see value sometimes and where to block in certain colors so this has been a life saver. I don’t know how this app isn’t more popular!! I love it!!
Developer Response
Thanks so much! Great to hear it is helping to see the values and for the block-in, as that's exactly what I hoped the app would help with. It means a lot to hear it's been useful for your painting, and I appreciate you taking the time to share this!
• Paint mixing improvements
• Restoring sessions and saved colors for images
Version 2.0.2
The developer, BrushLabs LLC, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Used to Track You
The following data may be used to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies:
Identifiers
Data Not Linked to You
The following data may be collected but it is not linked to your identity:
Location
Identifiers
Usage Data
Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
Seller
BrushLabs LLC
Size
184.3 MB
Category
Graphics & Design
Compatibility
Requires iOS 13.0 or later.
iPhone Requires iOS 13.0 or later.
iPad Requires iPadOS 13.0 or later.
iPod touch Requires iOS 13.0 or later.
Mac Requires macOS 11.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later.
