Clip Studio Paint on iPad Pro vs Procreate - A Review for Illustrators

As an illustrator, choosing the right digital art software can be a daunting task. With the rise of the iPad Pro and Apple Pencil, two popular options have emerged: Clip Studio Paint and Procreate. In this review, I'll compare and contrast my experience with Clip Studio Paint on the iPad Pro with Procreate, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses.

Introduction

I purchased a 2017 10.5-inch iPad Pro and Apple Pencil and spent two weeks using both apps to get a feel for their capabilities. As an illustrator, I was excited to explore the possibilities of digital art on the go.

Clip Studio Paint

Interface

The interface of Clip Studio Paint on the iPad Pro is similar to its full-fledged counterpart, with some alterations for iOS. As someone familiar with the Adobe suite, I was impressed with the all-in-one program for illustrations, digital paintings, animations, and manga style art.

Brushes

The brushes in Clip Studio Paint felt nice to use and were easily customizable. However, discovering different parts of the application took time, and customizing brushes and changing sizes was not as intuitive as in Procreate. I had to open different parts of the application to find settings for a particular brush.

Performance

The engine is powerful and nice to work with, but the app slows down with higher-sized brushes or higher-resolution canvases, especially with textured brushes. The stabilization feature, similar to Procreate's streamline, affects the smoothness of brushes.

Vector Capabilities

Clip Studio Paint has built-in vector capabilities, which is unique among illustration apps. The vector tools are easy to use and intuitive, and the eraser tool for vectors is particularly useful for cleaning up edges.

Community and Assets

Clip Studio Paint has a community where users can upload and download assets, including brushes, 3D models, gradients, and more. The assets include a large variety of items that can be added to the application.

Comparison with Procreate

In comparison, Procreate has more discoverable settings for brushes. Procreate's streamline feature is also more effective than Clip Studio Paint's stabilization.

Conclusion

Clip Studio Paint is a powerful all-in-one program with impressive vector capabilities. While it has some limitations, such as performance issues with high-resolution canvases, it is a valuable tool for illustrators.

Brushes

Clip Studio Paint allows for seamless browsing and downloading of brushes, with options to sort by popularity or newest. Brushes can be easily searched and previewed through thumbnails, with download counts and other information available. This process is more straightforward compared to searching through forums for specific brushes.

Layers

Layers in Clip Studio Paint are not overly difficult to work with and are similar to those in Photoshop. The vector layer is a unique feature that stands out, and masking is also available, similar to Procreate. Adjustment layers are a key feature, allowing for non-destructive editing of layers. This feature allows for easy experimentation and revision without losing the original layer.

Layer Management

Procreate's layer management is more gesture-based and smooth, allowing for easy merging, grouping, and blending of layers. Clip Studio Paint's layer management is more menu-based and can be clunky at times, but works well with a keyboard. Both applications allow for selection of items within a layer and have capabilities for advanced selection tools.

Selection Tools

Clip Studio Paint has more advanced selection tools, including the magic wand, selection sub-tools, and brushes for selecting and erasing. Selection tools can be set to grab from all layers, the referring layer, or the currently activated layer. Clip Studio Paint allows for more advanced transforming and clipping of selections.

Transforming and Mesh Transform

Clip Studio Paint allows for more advanced transforming and clipping of layers and selections. The mesh transform is a unique feature in Clip Studio Paint, allowing for detailed and advanced transformation of objects. Procreate is considering adding mesh transform in future updates.

Guides

Clip Studio Paint has more feature-rich guides, including custom rulers and multiple rulers for different perspectives. Guides can be added as layers, allowing for easy management and customization. Both applications have perspective guides and other advanced guide features.

Comparison of Procreate and Clip Studio Paint

Text Tools

Both applications have blending tools, but Clip Studio Paint has a few selected brushes inside the sub-selection tool for blending. Procreate enables blending with all its selection of brushes. Clip Studio Paint has limited blending options, but can be adjusted in settings. Creating custom brushes for blending requires more effort in Clip Studio Paint.

Gestures

Both applications have basic gestures (e.g. two fingers to undo, three fingers to redo, pinch and zoom, rotate). Clip Studio Paint incorporates all the basic gestures that Procreate includes. Gestures can be changed in the modifier section in Clip Studio Paint. Procreate's gestures are smoother and more intuitive, but Clip Studio Paint's gestures are limited by the iOS system.

User Interface

Procreate is easier to understand and discover features, while Clip Studio Paint has a steeper learning curve, similar to its PC or Mac counterparts. Clip Studio Paint allows for customization of workspace and layout, but creating a customized workspace can be daunting at first, but becomes easier with familiarity.

Customization

Clip Studio Paint allows for advanced customization of gestures and tool settings. Procreate has limited customization options, only allowing for changes to the quick menu. Clip Studio Paint allows for creation of different workstations for different projects, which is useful for illustrators who work on multiple projects simultaneously.

In conclusion, both Clip Studio Paint and Procreate are powerful tools for illustrators, each with their strengths and weaknesses. Clip Studio Paint's vector capabilities and advanced selection tools make it an attractive option, while Procreate's streamline feature and smoother gestures make it a great choice for those who value ease of use. Ultimately, the choice between the two will depend on the individual illustrator's needs and preferences.