Quick Masks in Clip Studio Paint

Quick Masks are a powerful selection tool in Clip Studio Paint that allows artists to create a temporary layer to make selections. This feature is especially useful when working with complex drawings and intricate details.

Accessing Quick Masks To access Quick Masks, navigate to the Select menu and choose Quick Mask. This will create a special temporary layer on which you can use any of your normal drawing tools. The Quick Mask layer is displayed in red to make it easy to see, but you can change the color if needed. It also shows in front of all other layers, regardless of its position in the layer palette.

Key Characteristics of Quick Masks Here are some key characteristics to keep in mind when working with Quick Masks:

• You can only have one Quick Mask active at a time.
• If you click on Quick Mask again, the temporary layer disappears, and whatever you have drawn on that layer is converted into a selection.

Use Cases for Quick Masks Quick Masks are particularly useful in the following situations:

• Selecting parts of a complex drawing, such as overlapping details (e.g., primary feathers on a phoenix).
• Adding to an existing selection by going to the Select menu and turning Quick Mask back on.

Using Quick Mask and Selection Layers in Digital Painting

Quick Mask

To use Quick Mask, follow these steps:

1. Enable Quick Mask.
2. Color the desired area using a tool (e.g., Fill tool).
3. Turn Quick Mask back off to convert the selection to a regular selection.

Using Reference Layers with Quick Mask

To use Reference Layers with Quick Mask, follow these steps:

1. Turn a layer into a Reference Layer by clicking the lighthouse icon.
2. Use the Fill tool with the "Refer other layers" sub-tool to fill enclosed spaces in the Reference Layer.
3. Make sure to select the Quick Mask layer before using the Fill tool.

This method is useful for selecting individual elements, such as feathers, based on the line art layer.

Correcting Areas with the Pen Tool

To correct any areas that didn't get filled correctly, zoom in and use the Pen tool.

Converting a Selection to a Selection Layer

To save a selection for future use, go to Select > Convert to Selection Layer. This creates a new layer that stores the selection, allowing you to reuse it later. Note that the new selection layer may appear green, but this is just a visual representation of the selection layer in action.

Selection Layers in Digital Art

What is a Selection Layer?

A selection layer is similar to a Quick Mask layer but with some key differences:

• It is permanent, unlike the Quick Mask layer.
• You can use any of the drawing tools on this layer.
• When you're done, you can hide it to convert it to a selection.

Converting a Selection to a Layer

To convert a selection to a layer, left-click on the green icon. Alternatively, you can right-click on the layer and use the different features under "Selection from Layer" for more control.

Multiple Selection Layers

You can have multiple selection layers, as many as you want. To create another selection layer, go to the "Select" menu and choose "Convert to Selection Layer" again.

Organizing Selection Layers

To stay organized, you can create a separate folder just for your selection layers. You can minimize the folder when you don't need it. You can rename selection layers just like any other layer.

Tips and Tricks

• Use the Quick Mask and Selection Layer features to keep parts of your art organized and streamline the process of coloring.
• Tip: Quick Mask doesn't have a shortcut by default, so set one up by going to the "File" menu and choosing "Shortcut Settings".

Tips for Working with Quick Mask and Selection Tools in Photoshop

• Tip 1: Assign a Custom Shortcut to Quick Mask
  • Click "Edit" and then "Shortcut" to assign a custom shortcut to toggle Quick Mask on and off.
  • Choose a shortcut of your choice (e.g., Ctrl + M).
  • Hold the control key and click the "M" key, then hit enter to save the shortcut.
  • From now on, holding Ctrl + M will toggle Quick Mask on and off.
• Tip 2: Selecting a Specific Area with the Lasso Tool
  • Go to the Selection area tool and choose the Lasso sub-tool.
  • Click and drag a lasso around the area you wish to select (e.g., the outer feathers on the right-hand side).
  • Right-click on the selection layer and go to "Selection from Layer" and choose "Select Overlapping Area".
  • This will select only the specific area you lassoed.
• Tip 3: Converting a Quick Mask to a Selection
  • Left-click on the Quick Mask icon to convert it into a selection.
  • This does not remove the mask, as there is a lot of overlap between Quick Mask and Selection tools.

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