Clip Studio Paint: A Powerful and Affordable Animation Software

Clip Studio Paint is a powerful animation software that is surprisingly affordable, making it a great option for aspiring animators. The software is made by Celsius, the same company that creates Rate Ass Studio, a popular animation software used in the anime industry. What sets Clip Studio Paint apart is its built-in animation feature, which is rare for a software in its price range. Normally priced around $50, Clip Studio Paint goes on sale for $25 three to four times a year, making it an unbeatable value.

A Robust Animation Feature

The animation feature in Clip Studio Paint is robust and easy to use, allowing users to create animations quickly and easily. The software is ideal for sketching and drawing, and can be used to create complex animations with ease. The user interface is intuitive, making it easy for beginners to get started with animation. One of the advantages of Clip Studio Paint is that it eliminates the need for in-betweening, a time-consuming process in traditional animation. This means that users can focus on creating great animation without breaking the bank.

A Personal Experience with Animation

As a non-trained animator, I have experience with animation under the supervision of an animator at Doki Doki. I've even created the animation that plays when someone subscribes or follows my channel. However, I've always been fascinated by fast Twitter animations and stick animations that seem hand-drawn. I never understood the concept of vectors and tweening positions, making the animation seem even more impressive.

Understanding the Animation Folder System

Animation can get complicated, but it's manageable with the right approach. Clip Studio Paint uses a nested folder system, where a timeline is the biggest folder, and inside the timeline is an animation folder. Each cell in the animation folder can be a raster image or another folder, which can contain finished line art, painting, rough sketches, and other assets. This system allows for the creation of separate folders for different aspects of an animation, such as rough sketches, line art, and color. Each folder can contain multiple layers, such as skin color, t-shirt color, etc.

When creating a new animation cell, the entire folder structure is duplicated, including all layers. This allows for animation between folders, with each folder essentially acting as a single cell in the animation. The color and line art layers are on separate layers, but animate together seamlessly as if they were on the same layer. This system allows for easy management of complex animations and can be used to create visually appealing animations.

Creating a Chibi Character

I accidentally created a chibi character while experimenting with the animation folder system. The character's design was refined through experimentation with different layers and animation techniques. I was able to easily manipulate the character's arm, rotating it behind them and using squash and stretch techniques to create a natural-looking motion. The Disney technique of squash and stretch is used to create exaggerated and dynamic movements, and I was surprised by how easy it was to use in Clip Studio Paint.

Animation Techniques and Challenges

I'm still learning and may not be using the system to its full potential, but I'm excited to continue experimenting with different techniques. One of the challenges I face is dealing with 24 frames of animation and ensuring that the character's movements are natural and fluid. However, Clip Studio Paint makes it easy to create smooth and natural-looking animations, even for those with limited experience.

Artist's Thoughts and Commentary on Their Animation

I was surprised by how the animation turned out, stating it's "amazing" and "super sick". As an artist, I don't draw for fun, but rather for money, and aim to be good at it to make a living wage. However, I was already feeling done with the animation before I've even started, indicating a sense of burnout or frustration. After seeing the animation, I reflected that maybe I should have squashed and stretched the body instead of the head, but quickly retracted this statement and decided that the stretch was effective.

Technical Details and Promotions

I use Clip Studio Paint for my animation, and I'm not sponsored by the software (although it would be cool to have a sponsorship in the future!). I also use a Wacom Mobile Studio Pro tablet, and have a video review available for it. I promote my Discord server, Nihongo Gamer, where I have a list of topics for art prompts and aim to have a regular schedule of art streams.

Closing and Future Plans

I wrap up the stream and look forward to the next "New Hunger Game of stream" and/or video. I bid farewell to my audience, signing off with a casual "yo".