Rulers in Clip Studio Paint
Clip Studio Paint offers a range of powerful ruler tools to help artists and designers create accurate and precise drawings. The ruler tools, represented by a triangle icon, provide eight different options to cater to various creative needs.
Linear Ruler
The Linear Ruler is used to measure and draw straight lines, making it essential for setting up figure drawings and ensuring proportional measurements. The measurements can be displayed in various units, including inches, pixels, centimeters, and millimeters. The scale can be adjusted to fit specific needs, allowing artists to work with precision and accuracy.
Curved Ruler
The Curved Ruler is used to create curved lines and shapes. To create a curve, artists can double-click on the Curved Ruler tool, click and hold on the canvas to create a curve, click again to define the curve, and double-click to finalize the curve. This tool can be used to create multiple curves, and curves can be mirrored by clicking off and pressing the "G" key.
Figure Ruler
The Figure Ruler is a circular ruler used to measure and draw circular shapes. (More information on the Figure Ruler will be provided in future updates.)
Working with Rulers in a Design Tool
Editing Shapes with the Ruler Tool
The ruler tool can be used to create shapes such as rectangles and polygons. Artists can edit the shape properties to change the roundness of the corners, copy the shape once they're done editing, and delete the original shape by clicking on the layer, selecting the ruler tool, and pressing the trash bucket icon.
Ruler Pin Tool
The Ruler Pin Tool is a freestyle VPN snap onto guide that allows artists to trace over shapes perfectly. This tool is useful in situations where precise tracing is required.
Special Ruler Tool
The Special Ruler Tool has three lines and offers parallel line and parallel curve options in its properties. Although its specific use cases are unclear, this tool provides additional functionality for artists who need precise control.
Guide Tool
The Guide Tool helps ensure everything is lined up perfectly while drawing. It uses rulers on the outskirts of the canvas to provide a reference point, making it essential for maintaining precision and accuracy in design work.
Using a Digital Drawing Tool with a Stylus
When drawing on a digital platform with a stylus using a pencil tool, artists can set guidelines on the x and y axis to help with drawing placement and proportion. This is achieved by using the "GPN" (Grid and Pivot Node) and "GPM" (Grid and Pivot Mode) tools. Artists can draw on the same layer as the guidelines, starting from a specific point and keeping the stylus down to follow the guidelines.
Using Guidelines to Draw Accurately
Artists can draw along the guidelines to create a rough outline or shape, using the guidelines as a reference point to help with accurate placement and proportion. Once the rough outline is drawn, the guidelines can be deleted to avoid mistakenly following them with the pencil tool. This process can be repeated to add more elements to the drawing, such as adding a picture or feature to a specific location.
Drawing Tools and Techniques
Correcting Drawing Proportions
To correct drawing proportions, artists can use the top of the ear as a reference point, ensuring it falls in line with the bottom of the nostril. This technique helps achieve correct proportions in drawings.
Perspective Ruler
The Perspective Ruler technique involves drawing a line across the page to establish a perspective ruler, identifying the vanishing point, and only drawing lines that correspond to the vanishing point, including vertical lines, horizontal lines, and lines that slope towards the vanishing point. This technique is helpful for one-point and three-point perspective drawings.
Symmetrical Ruler
The Symmetrical Ruler technique involves dividing the paper in half to create a symmetrical axis. This technique is useful for drawing eyes and creating mirrored, mandolin-style drawings, adding a unique effect to drawings and enhancing their overall appearance.