Pixel Art in Clip Studio Paint

Creating pixel art in Clip Studio Paint can be a daunting task, especially for those new to the software. However, with the right techniques and functions, you can achieve high-quality pixel art that rivals the classics. In this post, we'll explore the useful functions and techniques in Clip Studio Paint, specifically in the context of creating pixel art inspired by the PC-98 style.

Useful Functions in Clip Studio Paint

Clip Studio Paint offers a range of functions that can be incredibly useful for pixel artists. Two of the most important functions are the Select Color Gamut and Expand or Shrink Selection.

Select Color Gamut

The Select Color Gamut function allows you to select an entire color using multiple layer referencing or single layer referencing. This is particularly useful when swapping color palettes or isolating parts of a picture to draw on. You can access this function through the Selection menu or set it up as a hotkey. For pixel art, it's recommended to set the threshold to 4 for selecting aliased areas.

Expand or Shrink Selection

The Expand or Shrink Selection function is useful for creating aliased borders or outlines with single-pixel precision. You can access this function through the Selection menu or set it up as a hotkey.

Create New From Clipboard

The Create New From Clipboard function allows you to create a canvas size with the dimensions you want, which is critical for pixel art. This function is also useful for uploading reference images into the workspace. However, it's essential to use a high-quality image with no blur or image compression.

Additional Tips

Before diving into pixel art, it's essential to have the right setup. For Japanese font support, install the Japanese IME keyboard layout from Microsoft. This will allow you to select the font and change the character output to write with a Japanese font.

When it comes to reference images, there are several useful resources available, including PC-98 Bot (Twitter), MobyGames, and Spriter's Resource. These resources can provide high-quality reference images for inspiration and guidance.

Font Options in Pixel Art

In pixel art, font selection is crucial. The Microsoft or MS Gothic font is a sans-serif typeface commonly used in Japanese pixel art, characterized by minimal variations in line thickness. Other Japanese fonts include MS Mincho (a serif font) and variations of Gothic and Mincho fonts.

Tonal Correction and Posterization

When applying posterization or binarization effects to text layers through the Tonal Correction menu, the selections are grayed out and cannot be selected. To overcome this, create a Correction Layer by right-clicking the text layer, which applies the effect to everything underneath it.

The posterization layer allows adjusting the degree with a slider, affecting the anti-aliasing of the font. At the bottom end of the scale, the font is converted to only black with no anti-aliasing. The binary filter of the posterization layer creates thin, jagged letters, which is not visually appealing.

Binarization Correction

Creating a New Layer and applying the binarization correction provides better control over line thickness, making lines thicker or thinner. This method will be revisited later in the video.

Dithering Style Brushes

Dithering is a technique used to create gradient effects with a minimal color palette. Dithering brushes can be created in Clip Studio Paint to make gradients. The Reverse density radio button in the Sub-tool palette allows you to create the inverse pattern. When selected, it creates the inverse pattern, and when deselected, it cancels out the pattern. Pairing two 50% dithering patterns can create a different effect entirely.

Digital Art Techniques for Creating a PC-98 Style Font

Creating a PC-98 style font requires a range of digital art techniques. Here, we'll explore brush creation, creating a PC-98 style font, color adjustment, and dithering gradient.

Brush Creation

Brushes are created by uploading textures, not by constraining patterns. Textures can be studied from other artists, such as draconianrain. Dithering brushes can be created with more complexity, such as cross patterns. Brushes are available on the artist's website, Ko-fi, or the Clip Studio Assets store.

Creating a PC-98 Style Font

The goal is to create a font without kana segments blending into each other (e.g., dakuten or diacritic marks). To create a colored outline, isolate the text from the binarization Correction Layer or the outline will be black.

Steps to create a colored outline:

1. Select the background and invert the selection to isolate the font
2. Create a new layer and fill the selection
3. Alternatively, right-click on the layer and select Rasterize Layer

To create an outline:

1. Use the Create Border Effect function in the Clip Studio Paint Layer Property menu
2. Use a Correction Layer to alias the outline
3. Select the background and invert the selection to isolate the outline
4. Turn off the outline effect to leave the aliased outline

Alternative method:

1. Expand the selection and fill it with the desired color
2. Use hotkeys to shrink and expand the selection for easy toggling

Color Adjustment and Dithering Gradient

Adjust colors to match the reference image. Put all colors in a layer folder and adjust further.

Create a dithering gradient with a pattern of red dots increasing in density. Gradient transitions from pink to red and back to pink.

Dithering patterns creation

• Use dithering brushes to create patterns
• Ensure pen pressure is turned off to maintain equal pattern size across entire stroke
• Keep brush strokes horizontally aligned by creating a parallel linear ruler
• Organize ruler and dithering patterns in a folder to maintain alignment and accessibility

Gradient creation

• Create each new pattern on a new layer in case shifting is required
• Use the Select Color Gamut function to create a layer mask
• Drag the layer mask to the folder to apply it to all patterns
• Try creating patterns in a box the same size as the desired gradient for neater results

Text dithering

• Manually edit outlines for a more precise result
• Create a box the same size as the desired gradient
• Create the pattern within the box

By following these techniques and functions, you can create high-quality pixel art in Clip Studio Paint that captures the essence of the PC-98 style. Remember to experiment and adjust your techniques to achieve the desired results.