Clip Studio Paint Tutorial: A Comprehensive Guide to Getting Started
Interface and Setup
When you first open Clip Studio Paint, you'll be greeted by a default layout that can be arranged to suit your individual preferences. You can move windows by clicking and dragging, and remove them by dragging and clicking the 'x' button. Don't worry if you accidentally remove a window – you can always retrieve it from the menu. You can also customize your workspace layout and save it by registering a workspace and giving it a name. The saved workspace will also save your shortcut settings.
Customizing the Interface
To get the most out of Clip Studio Paint, it's essential to understand how to customize the interface. The navigator, tool properties, and subtools are commonly used on the left side of the interface, while color-related features are commonly used on the right side. The quick access panel can be customized with your personal shortcuts, and auto actions can be accessed from the quick access panel. You can also access tools and layer properties from the top menu, and layers and history from the bottom menu. If you're not using animation, you can remove the timeline to declutter your workspace.
New File Settings
When creating a new file, you'll need to set up your default settings. This includes file settings such as autosave and canvas recovery, as well as performance settings like undo steps and virtual memory path.
Preferences and Shortcuts
There are several important preferences to consider, including autosave and canvas recovery, as well as performance settings for undo steps and virtual memory path. You can also customize your shortcuts and access them from the shortcut settings and modifier key settings. Recommended shortcuts include the brush size palette, pop-up palette, eyedropper, and object shortcuts.
Panels and Their Functions
To get started with Clip Studio Paint, it's essential to understand the different panels and their functions. The navigator provides a thumbnail view of your drawing, with options for flipping, rotating, and moving the canvas. The tool properties panel allows you to adjust settings for your tools, including subtools and color selection. The quick access panel can be customized with your personal shortcuts, and auto actions allow you to record and access complex actions as shortcuts.
Creating Custom Shortcuts
Creating custom shortcuts is a great way to streamline your workflow in Clip Studio Paint. To create a quick access shortcut, start by creating a new set, then right-clicking the menu and selecting quick access settings. Select the desired action from the menu, such as creating a new raster layer, and add it to the quick access panel. To create an auto action, click the auto action button, give the action a name, and record the actions by clicking the red button. You can then access the auto action from the quick access panel.
Creating an Auto Action for Making a New Clipping Layer
One useful auto action to create is for making a new clipping layer. To do this, create a new layer and press the "Clip to Layer Below" button. Then, go to the Quick Access settings and add the auto action to the menu. You can change how the menu is viewed by going to "View" and selecting "Tile 4 Columns" or "List". This applies to most menus in Clip Studio, including the Color History, Brush Menu, and Layers.
Tools
Clip Studio Paint offers a wide range of tools to help you create your artwork. The Zoom Tool and Hand Tool can be accessed using the shortcuts Z and H, or by using the Spacebar and Ctrl + Spacebar. The Move Tool includes the Rotation Tool, which is normally bound to R. You can also use Ctrl + T for Transform to move, resize, and skew selected objects. The Operation Tool is primarily used for dealing with 3D layers, timelines, or vector lines.
The Selection Tools allow you to select a certain area and only interact within that area. You can fill the selection with the Bucket Tool, invert the selection with Ctrl + Shift + I, and auto select a range of colors with the Auto Select Tool.
The Drawing Tools include the Pencil, Pen, Airbrush, and Brush, each with its own subtool menus and options. The Eraser can be used to erase parts of your artwork, and the Eyedropper Tool can be used to pick any color straight from the canvas. The Blending Tool is great for making soft edges, and the Decoration Tool includes various decorative brushes. The Gradient Tool makes nice gradients, and the Bucket Tool can fill areas even with gaps in the line art using the "Close Gap" setting.
Layers
In Clip Studio Paint, layers can be thought of as a stack of paper, with the top layer being the top "paper" and the bottom layer being the bottom "paper". Normal layers are also known as raster layers, where individual pixels are colored. Vector layers save lines as data, allowing for editing of individual line points.
Vector Layers
Vector layers are great for line art, as lines can be edited and manipulated. They allow for erasing of lines up to intersection points, and the Correct Line Width Tool allows for thickening or narrowing of lines. Vector lines do not lose quality when edited or resized.
Clipping Layer Function
The Clipping Layer Function allows a layer to be clipped to the layer below, restricting drawing to the bounds of the underlying layer. This can be used in conjunction with the transparency lock feature.
Masks
Masks allow for hiding of certain parts of a layer without deleting the data. They can be used to temporarily hide parts of a layer, and can be restored by painting over the mask with a solid color.
Author's Process
To get started with creating your own artwork, start by creating a rough sketch of your character using the Lasso Selection Tool and Ctrl + T to transform and move parts around. Use the Airbrush to color in the background, and create a flat base color for the character using a gray that is slightly darker or lighter than the background. Continue to build up the character's colors and details, and don't be afraid to experiment and try new things.
Digital Art Tutorial
To take your artwork to the next level, try following this digital art tutorial. Start by creating a silhouette of your character, and set the sketch layer to multiply so that the colors from underneath show through. Create an adjustment layer (color balance layer) to add blues and magentas to the rough colored sketch, and use the Airbrush to softly fade out parts of the sketch that are too strong.
Polishing the Drawing
To polish your drawing, merge the entire character (lines and colors) into one layer, and start working on top of the merged layer. This method is more difficult, but more fun and flexible than the traditional workflow.
Final Adjustments
To finalize your drawing, create adjustment layers (tone curve, gradient map, etc.) to fine-tune the finished look of the drawing. Use the tone curve to increase or decrease specific parts of the drawing's values, and the gradient map to unify the colors. Flatten the entire drawing onto one layer to use the blur tool selectively, and use the mesh transformation tool to tweak parts of the drawing.
Additional Tools and Techniques
To take your artwork to the next level, try using additional tools and techniques such as the lighten layer to make certain parts of the drawing lighter, the grain filter to add texture to the drawing, and the mesh transformation tool to move and adjust parts of the drawing. Don't forget to use shortcut keys to access frequently used tools and functions.
Conclusion
That's it! With this comprehensive guide to Clip Studio Paint, you should be well on your way to creating your own amazing artwork. Remember to experiment, try new things, and have fun. Happy creating!