Artist Studio Pro
User Guide

What Is Artist Studio Pro?

Artist Studio Pro is a web app that runs in your browser - no download required. It works on any device with a modern browser and gives you instant access to 1,700+ hand-mixed oil paint recipes. Your purchase also includes Windows and Mac desktop apps (run offline, no install needed) and a mobile app for Android and iPhone. All versions share the same recipe database.

What You Need

• A modern web browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox, or Brave)
• An internet connection to load Artist Studio Pro and validate your license
• Your Gumroad license key (from your purchase receipt email)

Accessing the Web App

Go to:

You'll see the activation screen where you enter your license key.

Finding Your License Key

When you purchased Artist Studio Pro on Gumroad, you received a confirmation email with your license key. It looks like this:

If you can't find the email, log in to your Gumroad account at gumroad.com → Library → Artist Studio Pro - your license key will be displayed.

Entering Your Key

Important Notes

• Your license key works on any device - just enter it at artiststudiopro.art/app.
• You can use it on multiple devices by entering the same key on each one.

Signing Out

Click Sign Out in the bottom-right corner of the toolbar. This clears your license from the browser.

Here's the fastest way to get started:

That's it. You're color-mixing. 🎨

Why This Matters

Artist Studio Pro contains 1,500+ hand-mixed recipes using combinations of 23 oil pigments. The My Palette feature filters those recipes so you only see mixes you can actually make with the tubes you own.

How to Select Your Colors

1. Look for the My Palette panel on the right side of the screen
2. Click on each pigment you own - it will become highlighted
3. Click again to deselect a pigment you don't have

Although Artist Studio Pro was built primarily using Rublev oil colors (with Cobalt Turquoise from Kama Pigments), you can use your own brand. The pigment names correspond to standard pigment types that most professional brands offer.

Uploading Your Own Image

Click the upload area in the main canvas section, or drag and drop an image file directly onto it. Supported formats: JPG, PNG, WEBP.

Image Size

For best performance, use images under 4000 pixels wide. Artist Studio Pro will handle larger images but they may load slower on mobile devices.

Changing Your Image

Simply upload a new image at any time. Your previous session palette and settings are preserved.

Zoom & Pan

Use the + and − buttons in the toolbar above the canvas to zoom in and out. The current zoom level is shown as a percentage between the buttons. Click Reset to return to the default view.

You can also:

• Scroll (mouse wheel) to zoom in and out
• Click and drag to pan around the image when zoomed in
• Click (without dragging) to pick a color

How Color Matching Works

When you click on your reference image:

Reading a Result Card

Understanding ΔE Scores

About White Pigments

Recipes show "Titanium or Lead White" because both whites work, but they behave differently:

• Lead White - changes value but preserves color character. More transparent tinting. Great for subtle tones and portrait flesh.
• Titanium White - stronger tinter, can shift the hue slightly and brighten more. Better when you need opacity and brightness.
• You can combine both in a single mix. Having both on your palette is ideal.

Value & Chroma Display

When you click a color on your reference image, the right panel shows two readings above the Image Adjustments sliders:

• Value (0–9) - the tonal lightness of the color on the Munsell scale. 0 is black, 9 is white. Use this to compare the tonal relationships in your painting before you mix.
• Chroma (0–12) - the saturation intensity of the color. 0 is a neutral grey, 12 is a highly saturated hue. High chroma colors are harder to match from a limited palette - this reading helps set realistic expectations.

Posterize

The Posterize tool simplifies your reference image into flat color zones, making it easier to see the big value shapes before you start mixing.

• Use the Greyscale button to toggle between color and greyscale independently
• Use the Posterize slider to adjust value levels from 2 to 8
• Greyscale works on its own — turn it on without posterize to study tonal values
• Click on a greyscale image to get grey mix recommendations using your palette
• Fewer posterize levels = simpler shapes, useful for blocking in
• More levels = more nuance, useful for refining

Sharpen

The Sharpen slider increases the apparent detail and crispness of your reference image. This is useful for blurry or low-resolution photos where you need to see edges more clearly.

• Use the Sharpen slider in the toolbar (0–5)
• Uses an unsharp mask algorithm — it finds edges and enhances the contrast around them
• Works independently of all other tools
• Like Image Adjustments, sharpening is purely visual — it does not affect color picking accuracy

Grid Overlay

The Grid tool overlays a proportional division grid on your reference image:

• Customizable number of columns
• The grid scales perfectly with your image
• Use it to transfer compositions accurately to your canvas

Image Adjustments

The Image Adjustments panel sits on the right side below your pigment browser. It gives you four sliders to fine-tune how your reference image looks on screen:

• Brightness (70% to 130%) - darken your reference to see shadow values more clearly, or lighten it to study highlights
• Chroma (0% to 200%) - boost color intensity to identify subtle hues, or reduce it to study muted tones
• Temperature (-30 to +30) - warm up or cool down your reference to simulate different lighting conditions or compare warm vs cool palettes
• Sepia (0% to 100%) - add a warm sepia tone to your reference, useful for studying old master paintings or previewing an underpainting effect

All sliders move in small steps for very gradual, precise control. Click the Reset button to snap all sliders back to their defaults instantly.

These adjustments are purely visual and do not affect the actual color data. When you click a color to get mix recommendations, Artist Studio Pro always reads the original pixel values.

As you click colors in your reference image, the Session Palette keeps a running list of every color you've sampled during the current session. This is useful for:

• Reviewing all the colors you've identified for a painting
• Comparing adjacent colors you've sampled
• Building a mental map of the painting's color relationships

The Session Palette can be cleared by deselecting your colors when you want to start a fresh session.

The Studio Log is a full painting journal built into the program. Click the Studio Log button to open it in a new tab.

Creating a Painting Record

Click + New Painting to start a new record. Each painting has multiple sections:

Artwork

Purpose / Destination

Tag what the painting is for - personal study, exhibition, commission, sale, gift.

Palette & Technique

Notes & To-Do

A freeform notes area plus a per-painting checklist for next session reminders, areas needing correction, and finishing tasks.

Session Log

Record each work session with a date and session notes. Sessions accumulate chronologically so you have a full history of the painting's progression.

Shows & Artist Calls

Track exhibitions and submissions - show name, type, status, location, entry deadline, and show dates.

Commission Details

Toggle "This is a Commission" to reveal client name, due date, price, payment status, and commission notes.

Sales & Inventory

Track sale status, asking/sale price, buyer name, deposits, and delivery notes.

Materials Tracking

Log every material with cost tracking - name, category, quantity, cost per unit, auto-calculated total cost, and supplier. Builds a full cost-per-painting breakdown.

Image

Upload a photo of the painting for reference.

Searching & Filtering

From the main Paintings list, search by title, painting ID, or series name, and filter by status.

Switch to the Daily Planner tab in the Studio Log for a day-by-day organizer.

Navigating Dates

Use the ← / → arrows to move between days, or click Today to jump to the current date.

Sections

Today's Top Goals

A checklist of your main intentions for the day. Add goals and check them off as you go.

Studio Schedule

Daily To-Do List

Studio tasks that don't belong to a specific painting - supply orders, framing, admin.

Studio Reflections

A freeform journal for recording what went well, breakthroughs, observations about color and technique, and plans for tomorrow.

A floating timer is available in the Studio Log to time your painting sessions.

The timer displays HH:MM:SS. Use Log Time at the end of a session to automatically add a timestamped entry to your painting record.

Every recipe in the database is built from this curated palette of historically-informed oil colors:

Whites

Yellows

Reds & Oranges

Blues

Greens

Earths

Blacks

Color Matching

• Sample mid-tones first. Shadows and highlights can be matched separately once you have the base color.
• Click in uniform areas. The eyedropper averages a 7×7 area - clicking on an edge between two colors may give an unexpected average.
• If a result seems off, click nearby. Digital photos contain noise and compression artifacts. A nearby spot in the same color zone often gives a better read.
• Cross-reference multiple samples. Click the same area 2–3 times in slightly different spots to see which recipes come up consistently.
• Use ΔE as a confidence guide. Under 5 = nearly exact. 5–15 = great starting point. Above 15 = adjust on the palette.

Palette Selection

• Select your full palette for maximum results. The more pigments you select, the more recipe combinations are available.
• For a focused study, select only 3–5 colors. This forces a limited palette exercise - great for learning color relationships.
• Deselect whites to see dark mixes. Some recipes don't use white at all.

Posterize & Grid

• Use Posterize at 3–4 levels to simplify a complex scene. It reveals the underlying value structure.
• Turn on Greyscale and click to get grey value mixes — perfect for underpainting or grisaille work.
• Match your grid to your canvas divisions for accurate transfers.

Studio Log

• Create a painting record the moment you start a new canvas - even just the title and size.
• Log sessions consistently. Over time this becomes an invaluable record of how long different types of work take.
• Use Materials Tracking for commissions. Log every tube and material, and you'll know the true cost per painting.

Daily Planner

• Write your top 3 goals each morning before painting. It focuses the session.
• Use Studio Reflections daily, even briefly. One or two sentences per day adds up to a rich creative journal.

If anything looks out of date or a screen behaves oddly, use the 🔄 Update App button in the top toolbar. It clears local cache and reloads a clean copy of the app.

How It Works

• Click 🔄 Update App in the header bar (green button)
• It clears its local cache and reloads with the latest recipe database
• Your palette selections and license key are preserved - only the recipe data is refreshed

When Should I Update?

• If the app looks stale after browser caching.
• If a page loads incorrectly or controls seem unresponsive.
• After a browser update if the app appears visually broken.

Artist Studio Pro has a dedicated Facebook group where users share their work, discuss color mixing strategies, and help each other use the app more effectively.

Why You Should Join

• Share your paintings and process. See how other artists are using Artist Studio Pro in real studio workflows.
• Share your paintings and mixes. See how other artists are using Artist Studio Pro in their studio practice.
• Ask questions and get help. The community and developers are active and happy to help with color matching, palette selection, and technical issues.
• Give practical feedback. Share what helps your workflow and what could be clearer in the interface.

How to Join

The Facebook group link is built right in - look for the Facebook icon (f) in the top toolbar. Click it and it will take you directly to the group page where you can request to join.

"Invalid license key" when activating

• Make sure you're copying the complete key including all dashes
• Check for extra spaces before or after the key
• Find your key at gumroad.com → Library → Artist Studio Pro
• Both Windows and Mac purchase keys work

Artist Studio Pro loads but the screen is blank

• Try a hard refresh: Ctrl+Shift+R (Windows/Linux) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
• Try a different browser (Chrome and Edge work best)
• Make sure JavaScript is enabled

Colors look different on screen vs. on my palette

No results appear when I click on my image

• Make sure you have pigments selected in My Palette
• The sampled color may be outside the database range - try clicking a nearby area
• Very dark or very light areas sometimes fall outside the mixed recipe range

My palette selections disappeared

Your palette selections are saved in your browser and persist across sessions. If they disappeared, you may have cleared your browser data or switched browsers. Simply reselect your colors - it only takes a few seconds.

Studio Log data seems to be missing

Studio Log data is stored in your browser's local storage. If you switched browsers, used a private/incognito window, or cleared your browser data, the entries won't be available. Always use the same browser for consistent access.

Artist Studio Pro is slow on my device

• Close other browser tabs to free up memory
• Use a smaller reference image (under 2000px wide)
• Chrome and Edge tend to perform best

Using it on a new device

Just go to artiststudiopro.art/app and enter your license key. Studio Log data from your previous device won't transfer - it's stored locally in each browser.

Your purchase includes a mobile app for Android and iPhone - a streamlined version designed for quick color lookups at the easel. Pick a color from a reference photo and get the pigment recipe instantly.

Installing on Android

1. Download the APK - included with your web app purchase
2. Allow installation - when prompted, tap Settings → Allow from this source (this is normal for apps installed directly from a file)
3. Tap the APK file to install
4. Open Artist Studio Pro from your app drawer

Using the Android App

The app has four tabs at the bottom of the screen:

🎨 Palette

• Browse pigments by category - Whites, Yellows, Reds/Oranges, Blues, Greens, Earths, Blacks
• Tap a pigment to add it to your personal palette ("My Colors")
• Tap again to remove it
• Select the pigments you actually own - the app uses your palette to recommend mixes

🖼️ Canvas

• Tap Load Photo to pick an image from your phone
• Tap anywhere on the image to pick a color
• Pinch to zoom, drag to pan
• After picking a color, tap Find Mix → to see recommendations

Grid Overlay: Tap Grid to toggle a proportional grid over your image. Use the − and + buttons to adjust the number of columns (2–40). Rows adjust automatically to keep cells square.

Posterize: Drag the Poster slider (0–8) to reduce the image to fewer tonal bands - useful for simplifying a complex reference into paintable value groups. Tap the Grey button to toggle greyscale mode — you can use greyscale independently or combined with posterize. Tap a greyscale image to get grey value mix recipes.

Sharpen: Drag the Sharpen slider (0–5) to increase edge sharpness on your reference. Useful for blurry photos where you need to see details more clearly. Does not affect color picking.

🧪 Mixes

• Shows the 6 closest mix recipes for your picked color
• Each mix lists the pigments needed and how close the match is (ΔE - lower is better)
• Tap any mix card to see a large color preview
• If none of your owned pigments match, the app shows the best mixes from all available pigments

📖 Studio

The Studio tab gives you access to the full Studio Log - your painting journal and daily planner.

• Paintings Journal - tap + New Painting to create an entry. Track title, size, medium, support, status, series, sessions, to-dos, materials, commissions, shows, and sales. Upload a photo of your painting.
• Session Timer - time your painting sessions and log them directly to a painting entry.
• Daily Planner - tap Daily Planner in the header. Set top goals, plan your studio schedule (4 time blocks), manage a to-do list, and write end-of-day reflections. Navigate between days with ← / → or tap Today.
• All data saves automatically to your device.

Installing on iPhone

iPhone users get the same mobile app - just save it to your Home Screen from Safari:

1. Open Safari and go to artiststudiopro.art/try/mobile.html
2. Tap the Share button ⬆ at the bottom of the screen
3. Scroll down and tap Add to Home Screen
4. Tap Add in the top right

That's it - you'll see an Artist Studio Pro icon on your Home Screen. It opens full-screen just like a native app, with the same features as the Android version.

Tips

• Select your pigments first - go to the Palette tab and tap all the pigments you own before using Canvas or Mixes
• Use good reference photos - well-lit photos with accurate color give better results
• Your palette is saved - your pigment selections persist between sessions
• Studio Log data is saved locally - paintings and planner entries are stored on your device
• No reinstall needed - your mobile app and saved data stay in place between sessions

Reporting Issues

When reporting a bug, please include:

• Your device model and OS version (Android: Settings → About Phone; iPhone: Settings → General → About)
• A screenshot if possible
• What you expected vs. what actually happened
• Steps to reproduce the issue

Known Limitations

• Requires an internet connection (the app loads content from our server)
• Photo loading from some cloud storage apps may not work - use photos saved locally on your phone
• The app is optimized for phones; tablet layout may have some visual quirks
• If a page appears stale, close and reopen the app, or refresh the page in your browser

Sienna is a built-in AI assistant available in the Windows desktop app and the web version. Click the S button in the bottom-right corner of the screen to open her chat panel.

Sienna can help with two things:

• Using the app - how any feature works, what the sliders do, how to read the mix results
• Oil painting questions - materials, technique, layering, varnishing, grounds, mediums, pigment storage

Example Questions

• How do I use the posterize slider?
• What does the Delta-E score mean?
• What is fat over lean and why does it matter?
• How long should I wait before varnishing?
• What oil should I use for pale colors?
• How do I keep my palette fresh between sessions?

Multilingual

Sienna responds in the same language you write in. Type your question in French, Spanish, Japanese, or any other language and she will reply in kind.

Translate the Interface

A globe button sits in the bottom-right corner of the screen (just to the left of Sienna). Click it to open a language selector and translate the entire interface - labels, sliders, panel text - using Google Translate.

Availability

Sienna appears in the Windows desktop app and web version on large screens only. She is not shown on mobile due to screen size.