Clip Studio Paint Tutorial: Line Tool

Locating the Line Tool

When working with Clip Studio Paint, you can find the Line Tool on the left-hand side of the screen, typically as the 4th icon from the bottom, represented by a small line icon. Once you select the Line Tool, navigate to the Sub Tools tab to access its various features.

Sub Tools

The Line Tool has several sub tools that can be used for different purposes. The Direct tool is a simple straight line, while the Frames, Rulers, Stream, and Speed lines tools are not discussed in this tutorial.

Using the Direct Line Tool

By default, the Direct Line Tool creates a straight line. You can customize the line's thickness using the slider or by selecting one of the brush sizes available at the top. To draw a line, hold the stylus down and drag it to the desired location. When you release the stylus, a perfectly straight line will be created.

Anti-Aliasing

Anti-aliasing is a feature that smooths out the edges of lines, making them less pixelated. To demonstrate this feature, we can draw two lines: one with maximum anti-aliasing and one with no anti-aliasing. The line with anti-aliasing has gray pixels between the black and white, giving it a smoother look. In contrast, the line with no anti-aliasing has a more pixelated look, with only black and white pixels.

Tapering Lines

The Line Tool has an option to taper lines, giving them a more natural look. To access this feature, click the "Starting and Ending" button and then the "+" button. This will give you two slide bars that allow you to control the tapering of the lines. You can control the amount of tapering on both ends of the line or just one end.

Restoring Default Settings

If you want to go back to the default settings of the Line Tool, click the circle with little triangles and select "Restore selected subtool to its default setting". This will reset all the settings to their default values.

Brush Tool

The Brush Tool has various options, including:

• Anti-aliasing
• Brush shapes (pre-made in Clip Studio Paint), such as:
  • Spray of dots
  • Jagged lines
  • Wavy lines
  • Hearts
• Tapering (can be adjusted to change brush size)
• Default settings can be reset by clicking the circle with triangles

Curve Tool

The Curve Tool is similar to the Brush Tool but works like a line tool. It can be used to create curves with adjustable:

• Tapering
• Anti-aliasing
• Brush shapes
• Curvature (can be adjusted to change the dramaticness of the curve)

To use the Curve Tool:

1. Select the brush size
2. Create the curve by clicking and dragging
3. Adjust the curvature by clicking and dragging again
4. The curve will taper automatically

Polyline Tool

The Polyline Tool allows you to create lines by selecting multiple points on the screen. Options include:

• Create a fill (no line)
• Create a line (no fill)
• Create a line and fill at the same time
• Selecting different colors for the line and fill
• Choosing different brush shapes
• Anti-aliasing
• Note: Tapering is not available with the Polyline Tool

Continuous Curve Tool

The Continuous Curve Tool is useful for creating smooth curves and lines. It takes more time to use, but produces high-quality results. It can be used to:

• Create smooth outlines
• Draw complex shapes
• Adjust the thickness of the line

To use the Continuous Curve Tool:

1. Select the thickness of the line
2. Click multiple points on the screen to create the curve
3. Can be used to create sharp turns by clicking the same spot twice
4. Can be used to create smooth curves by clicking multiple points

Other Line and Shape Tools in Clip Studio Paint

Line Tool

• Can create smooth, continuous lines with the same thickness all the way around
• To end a line, double-tap the same spot quickly (one-two real quick)
• Options:
  • Anti-aliasing
  • Brush type
  • Curve options:
    • Straight lines
    • Spline
    • Quadratic Bezier
• If you go back to the same spot you started, it will finish the line off for you

Lasso Fill Tool

• Fills a selected area with the chosen color
• Similar to the Lasso tool, but fills in one step
• Would make more sense to be in the Marquee tool section

Direct Angle and Rectangle Tool

• Can create a fill, line, or both
• Options:
  • Roundness of corners
  • Aspect ratio:
    • Specific ratio (perfect square)
    • Enter width and height (in pixels)
  • Adjust angle after creation
  • Anti-aliasing
  • Brush shapes (stars, etc.)

Ellipse Tool

• Can create circles and ellipses
• Options:
  • Aspect type (perfect circle)
  • Anti-aliasing
  • Brush shapes (stars, etc.)
• To complete the shape, tap the screen again

Line Tools in Clip Studio Paint

Ellipse Tool

• Can be used to create custom word balloons or other shapes
• Can be used as a fill or a line and fill
• Can adjust anti-aliasing and brush shapes
• Can be used to create hearts or other shapes with text

Polygon Tool

• Can create shapes with multiple sides (default is 6 sides, but can be increased)
• Can create squares, rectangles, or ellipses, but already have separate tools for those
• Best used for creating unique polygons
• Can adjust number of sides, fill or line and fill, and anti-aliasing
• Can set shape to have perfect ratio (all sides equal) or manually set width and height

Common Features

• Can adjust angle after fix
• Can remove pin to set final position
• Can reset tool to default by clicking on circle with little triangles
• Can use tool to create border frames for comic books or other projects

Other Tools in Clip Studio Paint

• Frames tool: can be used to create panels for comic books
• Rulers tool
• Streamlines tool
• Speed lines tool