clip studio paint by example: Clip Studio Paint Tutorial: Drawing a Character Step-by-Step

clip studio paint by example: Learn how to draw a character using Clip Studio Paint in this comprehensive tutorial. From setting up the software to adding final touches, get started with digital art creation.

October 18, 2024 at 11:59

Welcome to the Clip Studio Paint Tutorial

Introduction

In this tutorial, we'll be drawing a character step-by-step using Clip Studio Paint. This tutorial will also serve as an introduction to Clip Studio Paint. The software is kindly sponsored by CSES, and a 3-month free trial is available. Clip Studio Paint is still one of the favorite softwares used by the creator.

Setting Up Clip Studio Paint

To get started, let's set up Clip Studio Paint. The default layout of Clip Studio Paint is straightforward. To create a new canvas, click on File > New. Choose Illustration as the project type. Set the width and height to approximately 3000 pixels, and set the resolution to 300 DPI. Name your file, for example, "YouTube Tutorial".

Understanding the Tools

Clip Studio Paint offers a wide range of tools that can be selected by clicking on them in the toolbar. Each tool has a shortcut (key combination) that can be assigned to buttons on a drawing tablet. The shortcut for each tool will be displayed throughout the tutorial.

Choosing a Brush or Pen

To begin drawing, we need a brush or pen. Let's choose a pencil for sketching. Find the pencil tool in the toolbar and select it. Change the brush size by adjusting the slider or selecting a brush tip size. Change the color using the color wheel. Undo and redo strokes using the shortcuts or buttons.

Other Essential Controls

There are several essential controls in Clip Studio Paint that you should be familiar with. The eraser tool removes brush strokes. You can zoom in and out using the + and - buttons, and fit the canvas to the screen using the symbol. Rotate the canvas using the arrows or hold R on the keyboard. The hand tool allows you to drag the canvas around, while the selection tool enables you to select a specific area of the canvas. The move layer tool moves the entire content of the current layer.

Layers

In digital art, layers are essential. They are organized in the corner of the screen. Create new layers by clicking on the Create a new layer button, and delete layers by clicking on the Delete layer button.

Starting the Drawing Tutorial

Now that we've set up Clip Studio Paint, let's start drawing. We'll begin by creating a sketch. Use guidelines to help with the sketch (available for download in the description). Import the sketch later in the tutorial. Don't worry if the sketch turns out badly - it's all part of the learning process.

Creating a New Layer and Sketch

Create a new layer and name it "Guidelines". Select the pencil tool and a red color. Draw a rough circle in the center of the canvas. Add a cross in the center of the circle. Check the setting to ensure straight lines Stabilization and Grid Creation. In the sub-tool settings of the pencil, increase stabilization to help with shaky lines. Create a green color and add two tangential lines parallel to the cross and borders of the circle. Add another line at the bottom of the circle. Create a blue color and add two lines that part areas between the green ones and the cross in the middle. Add one more blue line on the right-hand side of the circle, same distance as the other blue line to the green one. Repeat this process in the lower area of the circle to create a symmetrical grid.

Marking Guiding Points

Mark the corner of the eye, the nose bridge where the lines cross, the nose tip in the middle of the square, the end of the chin on the lowest blue line, approximately halfway between the two points, and the jawline on the circle.

Drawing the Face Outline

Draw a straight connection line between the nose tip and chin. Draw an oval for the ear. Draw the forehead, jawline, and connection to the ears. Draw the head and neck, with the neck not being too extreme in its placement.

Adding Face Details

Create a new layer and lower the opacity of the guideline layer to 20%. Add details to the face, including a triangular eye shape, nose bridge, curve for the nose, bow-like shape for the upper lip, friendly smile with a dimple, lower lip with a short straight line and another curved line, chin and jawline, and ear connection.

Adding Lashes and Eyelid

Add curved lashes. Add an oval iris with emphasis on sizing. Add a pupil in the middle of the iris. Add depth to the lower part of the eye. Add an eyelid in a simplified shape.

Adding Eyebrow, Ear, and Nostril

Add an eyebrow with a bow-like shape. Add a simple oval ear with another oval inside. Add a nostril.

Outlining the Head and Neck

Outline the head and neck, with the neck not being completely straight to the jaw. Add a triangular shape for the top of the head.

Hair and Accessories

Create a hairline that looks like a curved shape. Add hair that is half-tied back and falling down. Add a ponytail and some loose strands. Add earrings and a headband. Add a turtleneck sweater.

Mesh Transform and Liquefy Tool

Use the mesh transform tool to pull on the drawing and adjust the density of the transformation grid. Be cautious when using this tool, as it can mess with the quality of the illustration. Alternatively, use the liquefy tool in newer versions of Clip Studio Paint to enlarge or shrink parts of the illustration.

Creating a Digital Cartoon Character

Step 1: Sketching

Use a pencil to create a clean sketch of the character. Choose a dark red color and draw the sketch in a tidy way. Don't worry if it's still a bit messy, as it's part of the artistic style. Separate the sketch into different colors to make it easier to work with.

Step 2: Creating Color Layers

Create an extra layer for each base color (e.g., skin, headband, hair, sweater). Use a saturated color for the skin tone (e.g., orangey). Paint the outline of the skin area and use the fill tool to fill it in. Increase the tolerance of the fill tool to get rid of white borders. Repeat the process for each base color layer. Use the eye dropper tool to color pick colors that have already been used before.

Step 3: Adding Eyebrows and Eyes

Use the hair layer to paint the eyebrows. Create a new layer for the eyes. Use the eye dropper tool to color pick the skin color for the white of the eyes. Paint the iris with a light brown color. Add depth to the eyes by painting a small, blobby shape.

Step 4: Adding Shadows and Details

Select the skin layer and add a new layer on top of it. Clip the new layer to the skin layer to create a clipping mask. Draw shadows on the skin layer using a soft airbrush and a pale reddish color. Add red to the cheeks, nose, and ears using a soft airbrush. Create another layer on top of the skin layer and clip it to the skin layer. Use a multiply layer mode to draw shadows on the skin layer.

Step 5: Adding Hair Gradient and Shadows

Clip a new layer on top of the hair layer and call it hair gradient. Color pick the hair color and make it a touch lighter. Use a soft airbrush to gently lighten the lower part of the hair. Create a multiply layer on top of the hair layer and clip it to the hair layer. Use a very pale color in the Hue of the hair to add shadows to the hair.

Step 6: Final Touches

Use the smudge tool to blend the paint on the canvas (optional). Fix the liner by setting it to multiply mode. Use the multiply layer mode to darken the liner matching to the colors beneath.

Additional Touches

Hair and Headband

Add a gradient to the hair. Add a golden or yellow border to the headband using the Alpha lock technique (Lock Transparent Pixels in Clip Studio Paint). Draw directly in the headband layer, only where already painted before. Add shadows to the headband using a multiply layer and a light color. Add highlights to the hair using a new layer on top of the last hair layer, clipping and setting the layer mode to add, and using a pale reddish color. Vary the pressure on the pen to create a slight curve for the highlights. Lower the opacity to 10-20% when done.

Earrings

Add the earrings using a layer above the other colors. Use the same color as the headband. Add a light yellowish highlight to the earrings to make them look more realistic.

Lips

Alpha lock the lips. Color the upper lip slightly darker than the lower lip to create a realistic effect. Add a reddish highlight to the lips to make them look more glossy.

Eyes

Create a new layer for the eye details. Add a small dot near the pupil to create a bright shiny look. Emphasize the lash line with a darker color. Add loose hair strands to the eye area if desired.

Background

Change the background color by selecting the paper layer and changing its color. Add freckles to the cheeks if desired.

Final Touches

Merge all layers together, except the liner, details, and background layers. Save a duplicate as an original to keep the layer information. Make tone corrections to the merged layer if desired. Add a glow effect to the character by creating a new layer on top, setting the layer mode to add, and using a yellowish orangey color. Blend the character with the background using a new layer, the background color, and a soft airbrush. Save the final illustration as a JPEG or PNG file.