Start here
Your first colour study.
One reference, a manageable palette, and a map you can take to the easel. No painting experience is required to explore the tool.
Watch the studio walkthrough
A silent recording of the actual studio, with captions. It demonstrates the tools, not a promised painting result.
1. Pick a reference you can use
Choose your own photo or one you have permission to paint from. A simple still life with clear light and shadow makes a useful first exercise. Select Choose a file in the studio. Processing stays in your browser; signing in does not back up your images.
2. Choose a manageable number of shades
Start with 5 shades in the free studio; Artist is planned for up to 24 and Studio up to 120. More shades preserve more detail but mean more mixtures. Use Re-analyse to change settings. In Layers, the match statistics compare the digital map with the reference; they do not predict physical paint accuracy.
3. Read the map
Choose Colour map for the whole simplified image, or select a shade to isolate its area. Fill, Outline and Dots show the same layer differently. Use Reference to compare with the original. Zoom with + and −, and use Fit to return.
4. Transfer the drawing
Use All layers → Outline and turn on Grid. Match the grid proportions on your paper or canvas. A grid is a drawing aid; it does not choose brushwork, composition or edges for you.
5. Mix a small test first
In My paints, select the tubes you own. Read the selected shade’s suggested recipe. These are approximations based on pigment data. Make a small swatch under your working light and adjust it before mixing a larger batch.
6. Correct and export
Use the correction brush to change a mask and Undo to reverse a mistake. Export the flat map as PNG, the palette as CSV/JSON, or a printable paint sheet. Save project file downloads a local project that can be reopened later. Keep a backup; an account is not cloud project storage.
Keyboard reference
[ and ] step through shades; hold O to peek at the original; X cycles layer styles; G toggles the grid; F fits the image; Ctrl/Cmd+Z undoes a correction.
For developers and curious learners
Image analysis runs in a Web Worker. The workflow groups colours in Lab space, builds masks, and estimates mixtures. CSV and JSON exports can be inspected in your own tools. Varnika currently has no public developer API, SDK or hosted processing service.
Accounts and subscriptions
When account services are configured, you can register, verify your email, sign in, reset your password and manage billing from Account. Paid plans remain proposed until launch; free analysis supports five shades, with other local tools available to preview. Checkout return URLs are not proof of payment.