Fixing Proportions and Poses in Clip Studio Paint

Introduction

When it comes to sketching characters, one of the most common issues many artists face is creating incorrect proportions and wonky faces. Fortunately, Clip Studio Paint offers a solution to this problem by providing a 3D model tool that can help artists achieve exact proportions and poses. This tutorial will focus on using the 3D tools in Clip Studio Paint to create anime/manga-style drawings.

Finding the 3D Tools

To get started, you'll need to locate the 3D tools in Clip Studio Paint. You can find them in the toolbar, which may be located on the right or left side of your screen. Click on the folder with a 3D model icon to access various 3D items. If you're using the iPad version, you'll find a 3D dropdown menu with various options. Look for the "Head" or "Body" type or "Pose" icons for human models.

Using the 3D Models

Let's start by adding a head model to the scene. You can choose from a basic male or female model. Once you've added the model, it will be centered on your screen. Take some time to familiarize yourself with the various icons and tools available.

Top Icons

The top icons in the 3D model tool include:

• Rotation Tool: rotates the head in 360 degrees, moving with the ground plane
• Translation Tool: moves the head in the scene, moving with the ground plane
• Scale Tool: changes the scale of the head, moving with the ground plane
• Note: these tools always change with the grid

Hollow Icons

The hollow icons include:

• Translation Tool: moves the head in space, separate from the ground plane
• Rotation Tool: rotates the head on the horizontal axis, not following the grid
• These tools do not move with the ground plane

Tips and Reminders

• You can change the Auto Select tool to default to a specific tool
• Experiment with different poses and models to find the right fit for your drawing

Preset Models and Basic Transformations

Preset models are useful for basic posing before customizing. You can:

• Center object, which moves the model to the center of the frame
• Place model on ground level, which places the model back on the grid plane
• Reset model scale, which sets the model back to its original scale
• Reset model rotation, which sets the model back to its original rotation
• Save 3D head model to material pallet, which allows you to save custom models for future use

Scaling and Rotation Tools

You can access scaling and rotation tools directly from the head model. These tools work similarly to the tools in the top bar, but are more accessible. The tools include:

• Scaling tools:
  • Scale along x-axis (red axis)
  • Scale along y-axis (green axis)
  • Scale along z-axis (blue axis)
• Rotation tools:
  • Rotate around x-axis (red axis)
  • Rotate around y-axis (green axis)
  • Rotate around z-axis (blue axis)
• Translation tools:
  • Move along x-axis (red axis)
  • Move along y-axis (green axis)
  • Move along z-axis (blue axis)

Understanding the Axes

It's essential to understand the axes when working with 3D models:

• The x-axis is the horizontal axis (red)
• The y-axis is the vertical axis (green)
• The z-axis is the depth axis (blue)
• Understanding the axes is crucial for working with 3D models

Customization Options

Most of the menus in the object tool are not necessary for basic 3D modeling. However, the transformation section provides numerical access to the model's position and rotation.

Head Model and Facial Features

When it comes to customizing the head model, you can:

• Adjust the offset of the mouth from the chin (not necessary unless you're doing a 3/4 view or experimenting with unusual features)
• Change the depth of the mouth (keep it at 0 for a normal anime character)
• Adjust the width of the mouth (anime characters typically have narrower mouths with fuller lips)
• Tilt the mouth (not necessary for a standard anime character)
• Adjust the nose:
  • Sharpen the nose tip
  • Give it a bit more height
  • Nose tip tilt is important for anime characters, but doesn't have to be extreme
  • Nose bridge doesn't have to be deep
• Adjust the eyes:
  • Lower the height
  • Don't need to rotate them out
  • Size: a bit wider and taller
  • Slant: not necessary
  • Depth: set to 0
• Adjust the brows: sharpen them up, but they look good as is

Outline, Shadows, and Light Source

You can also customize the outline, shadows, and light source of your model:

• Outline width: creates an outline around the character; can change opacity, color, and thickness
• Shadows: can cast a shadow on the ground based on the light source
• Light source:
  • Can change the direction and intensity of the light
  • Can move the light source sphere to change the direction and distance
  • Directional light intensity: controls the harshness of the light
  • Ambient light intensity: changes how much the light bounces off surrounding objects
  • Fog: not useful for this model
  • Panorama: not important for this model

Body Model and Posing

The body model has similar tools to the head model, with some additional features:

• Posing menu: allows for adjusting the pose of the body
• Hand pose menu: allows for adjusting the pose of individual hands
• Manga perspective menu: not covered in this tutorial
• Can register a pose as a material to reuse later
• Can register a full-body pose, or individual hand poses, as materials
• Can flip the model horizontally to change its direction
• Can revert the model to its default pose
• Can reset the model scale and rotation

Character Body Modifications

You can also modify the character's body to create a more unique look:

• We can change the size of each character's feature or the character's features distinctly
• We want to make the character's shoulders wider and increase the size of all the musculature
• We don't want to make the thighs too large compared to the body to maintain a V taper

Whole Body Modifications

You can also make whole body modifications to create a more dramatic look:

• Moving the slider to the top right gives a strongman type of build with wide shoulders and muscular body
• Moving the slider to the top left gives a very buff character with a lot of muscle mass
• Moving the slider to the bottom left gives a leaner character with less muscle mass