How to Use the Layer Brush in Blender Sculpting

The Layer Brush in Blender is a specialized sculpting tool designed to extrude or indent a surface to a fixed height across a continuous stroke. Unlike standard draw brushes that continuously build geometry on top of previous strokes, the Layer Brush establishes a strict limit to how far the mesh displaces. This guide covers how to locate the Layer Brush, configure its primary settings, utilize persistent base layers, and apply practical techniques for hard-surface detailing and organic sculpting.

Getting Started with the Layer Brush

To use the Layer Brush, switch your viewport mode to Sculpt Mode with a mesh selected. Select the Layer Brush from the toolbar on the left side of the 3D Viewport (or press Shift + Spacebar followed by L).

When you click and drag over your mesh, the brush pulls the geometry outward up to a pre-set limit. As long as you maintain the left-click, overlapping your stroke will not add additional height; the geometry flattens out precisely at the maximum displacement depth.

Key Brush Settings and Adjustments

Understanding the tool properties allows for precise control over your sculpt:

  • Height: Located in the tool settings header or the active tool panel, this determines the exact distance the geometry will be displaced. Higher values create thicker layers, while lower values create subtle surface changes.
  • Radius (F): Controls the size of the brush tip.
  • Strength (Shift + F): Controls how quickly the brush reaches its maximum designated height during a stroke.
  • Invert (Hold Ctrl): Inverts the operation to dig a flat-bottomed trench into the mesh at the specified depth rather than raising it.

Enabling Persistent Base

By default, releasing the mouse button and starting a new stroke will build a new layer on top of the previous one. If you want to paint across multiple separate strokes without stacking height, enable the Persistent option.

  1. Open the Tool Properties tab in the Sidebar (press N).
  2. Expand the Advanced drop-down menu under the Brush settings.
  3. Check the Persistent checkbox.
  4. Click Set Persistent Base to capture the current state of your mesh.

With Persistent enabled, all subsequent brush strokes will clamp to the same maximum height relative to the saved base mesh, regardless of how many times you lift and re-apply your stroke.

Practical Applications

  • Hard-Surface Panel Lines: Set a low Height value, hold Ctrl, and use a small brush radius with Stroke Stabilization (Shift + S) turned on to carve uniform panel lines or grooves into mechanical models.
  • Cloth and Armor Padding: Use the standard brush with a soft falloff to create uniform, padded sections on character clothing or armor plates.
  • Stepped Terrain: Apply the brush without smoothing to build layered, terraced steps for environment assets like stylized rocks or mountains.