Clip Studio Paint Brush Tutorial

Important Notes

This brush tutorial is specifically designed for Clip Studio Paint and will not work on other software such as Photoshop or Paint Tool S. Additionally, the brushes used in this tutorial are available for free on the artist's Patreon page.

About This Tutorial

This tutorial is not a comprehensive guide on how to use the brushes, but rather how the artist uses them for their art. The goal is to show how each brush should work and what they should be applied to.

The Basic Brush

The Basic Brush is a favorite of the artist and is used for sketching. What makes this brush special is that it lacks pen pressure and pen density, making it efficient for focusing on shape rather than making the sketch look good. The artist uses this brush to quickly convey the shape and idea of the art without spending too much time on making the sketch look perfect.

Applications of the Basic Brush

The artist uses this brush to draw simple shapes, such as cylinders, to get the overall shape of the character without spending too much time on it. The brush is very efficient and allows the artist to quickly get the shape of the character without worrying about making the sketch look complete. The artist shows an example of using this brush to sketch a character, which is then used as a base for line art.

Benefits of the Basic Brush

The brush helps the artist focus on shape rather than making the sketch look good. It is very efficient and saves time in the sketching process. It allows the artist to quickly get the shape of the character and move on to line art.

The Basic Brush is very efficient for conveying shape and form of a character, lacks pen density, allowing for a focus on shape and form rather than line density and width, is useful for sketching a rough draft of a pose or character, and allows for a quick and efficient creation process.

Line Art Brush

The Line Art Brush is the opposite of the Basic Brush, with line thickness varying based on pressure applied. It provides control over line thickness, creating more dynamic lines. The artist uses this brush to create varying line thickness for a more dynamic look, such as thicker outlines and thinner inner lines, and to add thickness and variety to lines for a more dynamic drawing. This brush is useful for creating a sense of depth and dimension in a drawing.

Rough Shading Brush

The Rough Shading Brush is used for creating rough, textured shading in a drawing. It has a rough, non-blending quality that can be useful for certain effects. The artist uses this brush to create textured, rough shading for hair or other details and to add rough, high-contrast shading to a drawing. This brush can be used to create a sense of volume and dimension in a drawing.

Digital Painting Techniques

Rough Shading and Closed Blur

Rough shading is a technique used to add texture and detail to an image. Closed blur is a smudging tool that can be used to blend colors and create a softer look. When used together, rough shading and closed blur can create a more cohesive and natural-looking image. The closed blur tool stretches and smears colors in a direction, unlike a regular blur tool which blurs statically. Rough shading and closed blur can be used to shade everything, from clothes to hair to shoes.

Hair Brush Technique

The same brushes used for rough shading and closed blur can be used for hair. No separate brush is needed for hair. The technique involves using the rough shading and closed blur tools to create texture and blend colors in the hair.

Conveying Movement and Action

To convey movement and action, simple shapes can be added to an image and then smudged outward using the closed blur tool. Examples of shapes that can be used include circles, triangles, and cones. This technique can be used to show that an object is being pulled or affected by another object.

Airbrush Tool

The airbrush tool is used to create gradients that give an image more form and depth. Gradients can be added to an image by creating a multiply layer and then using the airbrush tool to blend colors. This technique can be used to make an image look more 3D and dynamic.

Combining Techniques

By combining rough shading, closed blur, and airbrush techniques, an image can be given more texture, depth, and form. These techniques can be used together to create a more cohesive and natural-looking image.

Digital Painting Brushes

Multiply Layer Brush

The Multiply Layer Brush is useful for creating 3D effects by layering colors. It can be used to create depth and dimension in an image. For example, adding shading to a sphere to make it look more 3D.

Airbrush Tool

The Airbrush Tool is used to create gradient effects. It can be used to create smooth transitions between colors. For example, creating a bluish color gradient on leggings.

Blur Brush Tool

The Blur Brush Tool is used to create seamless transitions between rough shading and airbrush effects. It is useful for creating soft gradients and blurry effects. Examples include creating a spherical ball with a soft gradient in the middle and hard edges, and creating a shadow that becomes more blurry as it gets farther from the object.

Key Takeaways

• You don't need a brush for every single thing (e.g. clothes, hair)
• These six brushes can be used to create any piece of art
• The brushes can be used in various ways to achieve different effects
• Practice and experimentation are key to mastering the use of these brushes