# Color Study: Simplify Painting — Simplify color, value & shape

> Artist's tool for image simplification, color analysis, and paint mixing guidance. (iPhone/iPad app by BrushLabs LLC.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-study-simplify-painting/id6755313672 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [BrushLabs LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873618742)
- Category: Graphics & Design, Utilities
- Price: Free with in-app purchases
- Rating: 4.90/5 from 352 App Store ratings · 41 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 16.6 · 195 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2025-12-22
- Data updated: 2026-08-31
- Monetization: free with in-app purchases
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-study-simplify-painting/id6755313672/reviews.md

## What is Color Study?

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
• Organize your work into projects with images, paint palettes, and artwork details
• iCloud sync keeps your projects and palettes in sync across all your Apple devices

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/

## Key features

- Image simplification to shapes and colors
- Accurate color picker with pixel averaging
- Paint mixing guidance
- Value, saturation, and color code inspection
- Interactive analysis maps
- Customizable grid overlay

## Pricing and in-app purchases

Base price: Free.

**Subscriptions**

| Subscription | Price | Period |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Color Study Pro monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Color Study Pro yearly | $19.99 | per year |
| Color Study Pro Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Color Study Pro monthly | $4.99 | per month |

**One-time purchases**

| Purchase | Price | Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Color Study tip | $19.99 | one-time |
| Color Study tip | $1.99 | one-time |
| Color Study tip | $29.99 | one-time |


## Chart rankings

- #171 in Top Free · Graphics & Design (US App Store)
- #120 in Top Grossing · Graphics & Design (US App Store)

## Recent user reviews (10 of 41)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/color-study-simplify-painting/id6755313672/reviews.md

### 1/5 — It’s Unfortunate

*2026-08-15*

This has the potential to be really useful, however a new user can’t get past the first screen before everything you click on takes you to the purchase  screen extremely annoying. Let us try it and appreciate its usefulness. I don’t want to sign up for a free trial let me try even some basic things before we commit to buying it.

### 5/5 — Einfach krass

*2026-08-01*

Also ich kann garnicht in Worte fassen wie geil diese App ist. 

Ich programmiere selber kleine Apps und male Nebenberuflich mit Öl-Farbe. 

Ich dachte mir bei jedem Schritt einfach nur Wow genau das hat die App noch gebraucht. 

Einfach, intuitiv super erklärt eine Auswahl aus allen Farben. Eigene Paletten die man erstellen kann da ich hauptsächlich mit Zorn Palette male. 

Ich kann hier nur 5 Sterne vergeben und sagen, dass ich direkt das Jahres Abo abgeschlossen habe!!!

### 5/5 — Color Study

*2026-07-30*

Amazingly simple to use

### 5/5 — Excellent

*2026-07-22*

WAY better than expected.  Finally found an extremely useful multi-tool for identifying value & color & providing mixing ratios.  Every feature in this app is very useful.
Pro version soooo worth it, honestly has reignited my excitement in landscape painting with oils. All around great learning experience with every use.  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

### 5/5 — Fabulous simple to use app for artists - painters, sketchers and more

*2026-07-21*

Very intuitive. Makes it easy to “see the forest for the trees”. Still squinting? Use Color study instead. Designed by someone who knows what artists need and understands how to make it work. Block-in,  tonal study, notan and more. Understand what you’re looking at… finally!

### 5/5 — Excellent!

*2026-07-19*

Love this app. I’ve been looking for something like this for ages. I teach art online for beginner and intermediate artists. While I like to choose my own colours, this app speeds the process up for me which means I can get on and create and film my tutorials.

### 5/5 — Awesome

*2026-07-19*

What a wonderful tool to explore, this app has so many surprising elements and features, I love how I can make my own palette and mix it to my liking, it’s playful and engaging, and so affordable, I am very happy to found this app, thank you so much.

### 5/5 — Blown Away

*2026-07-17*

This is an incredible tool for the 2d artist!  It’s not only amazingly helpful, a time saver, but it is making me a much much better painter - hats off to the writers of this amazing app!  I hope you make a fortune - you deserve it in this one!

### 5/5 — Fabulous simple to use app for artists - painters, sketchers and more

*2026-07-12*

Very intuitive. Makes it easy to “see the forest for the trees”. Still squinting? Use Color study instead. Designed by someone who knows what artists need and understands how to make it work. Block-in,  tonal study, notan and more. Understand what you’re looking at… finally!

### 5/5 — A great help

*2026-07-12*

A well thought out app to help painters - it has all the features I was looking for.

## Frequently asked questions about Color Study

### What does Color Study do?

Color Study is a tool designed for artists to simplify images into essential shapes and colors. It aids in studying color and value, and provides guidance for mixing paints to match observed colors. The app helps users focus on fundamental aspects of drawing and painting by analyzing visual references.

### What are the key features of Color Study?

Key features include an accurate color picker with magnification and pixel averaging, the ability to place and customize color markers, and inspection of value, saturation, and various color codes. It also offers automatic extraction of key colors, color comparison tools, and a customizable grid overlay.

### Is Color Study free to use?

The app offers core tools for free. However, advanced features such as interactive value maps, shape simplification, temperature maps, notan controls, and advanced paint-mixing guidance are available through a subscription.

### Who is Color Study intended for?

This app is specifically made for artists, including painters, illustrators, and art students. It serves as a learning tool to help them analyze what they see, make better artistic decisions, and deepen their understanding of value structure, color harmony, and visual design.

### Can I use Color Study to mix paints?

Yes, the app provides paint-mixing guidance, particularly for opaque paints. It offers real-time feedback from photographed mixes, helping artists accurately match the colors they observe in their references. This feature is part of the advanced tools available via subscription.

## Version history (last 5 releases)

### 2.0.12 — 2026-08-12

• Gouache paint mixing and other additional paints
• Include grid in exports

### 2.0.11 — 2026-08-01

Bug fixes and general improvements.

### 2.0.10 — 2026-07-09

Bug fixes and general improvements.

### 2.0.9 — 2026-07-07

• Watercolor paint palettes — mix from real watercolor paints with recipes that lighten with water,
  not white paint.
  • Edit your image — crop, adjust, and filter — picked colors update automatically.
  • Share projects — share everything as a single file.

### 2.0.8 — 2026-06-17

General improvements and bug fixes.

## Apps similar to Color Study

| App | Rating | Price | Category |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [PalettePro – Oil Paint Mixing](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/palettepro-oil-paint-mixing/id6757408609) | 3.6 (10) | Free | Graphics & Design |
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| [Mural Maker by Da Vinci Eye](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mural-maker-by-da-vinci-eye/id1548564015) | 3.8 (357) | Free | Graphics & Design |
| [Value Study: art reference](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/value-study-art-reference/id1546616127) | 4.8 (3,228) | Free | Graphics & Design |
| [ChromaMagic](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/chromamagic/id6479220262) | 4.8 (51) | $19.99 | Graphics & Design |

## More apps by BrushLabs LLC

- [Clear Color](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clear-color/id6758564830)

All apps by BrushLabs LLC: https://appshunter.io/developer/1873618742

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-31.*