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- Herausgeber: Packt Publishing
- Kategorie: Fachliteratur
- Sprache: Englisch
Ever dreamed of creating your own manga art or comic books? Learn Clip Studio Paint, Fourth Edition, is your roadmap to becoming a digital artist! This beginner-friendly guide takes you on a step-by-step journey of digital illustration.
You'll get to grips with one of the essential features of digital illustration, layering, as you go through the process of penciling and inking your art. If you're interested in creating a webtoon graphic novel or web comic, you'll be happy to learn about comic-making essentials such as panels, sound effects, and speech bubbles.
In this edition, you'll learn artistic techniques alongside Clip Studio Paint features, including a new focus on how to bring your artwork to life with proportions and perspective. You'll learn how to draw characters with various brushes and brush customizations, as well as exploring coloring methods and rulers to make your stories pop.
This edition also dives into exciting new features like using 3D models to draw poses and the basics of creating animations. Packed with clear instructions and illustrated examples, this book is your one-stop shop for learning Clip Studio Paint. If you dream of creating your own manga art or comics, this guide equips you with the skills required to achieve your goals.
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Seitenzahl: 568
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024
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Learn Clip Studio Paint
Fourth Edition
A beginner’s guide to creating compelling art in manga, comics, and animation
Inko Ai Takita
Liz Staley
Learn Clip Studio Paint
Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2024 Packt Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews.
Every effort has been made in the preparation of this book to ensure the accuracy of the information presented. However, the information contained in this book is sold without warranty, either express or implied. Neither the authors, nor Packt Publishing or its dealers and distributors, will be held liable for any damages caused or alleged to have been caused directly or indirectly by this book.
Packt Publishing has endeavored to provide trademark information about all of the companies and products mentioned in this book by the appropriate use of capitals. However, Packt Publishing cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
Senior Publishing Product Manager: Larissa Pinto
Acquisition Editor – Peer Reviews: Jane Dsouza
Project Editor: Amisha Vathare
Content Development Editor: Matthew Davies
Copy Editor: Safis Editing
Technical Editor: Kushal Sharma
Proofreader: Safis Editing
Indexer: Manju Arasan
Presentation Designers: Pranit Padwal & Rajesh Shirsath
Developer Relations Marketing Executive: Sohini Ghosh
First published: April 2014
Second Edition: December 2018
Third Edition: July 2021
Fourth Edition: July 2024
Production reference: 1240724
Published by Packt Publishing Ltd.
Grosvenor House
11 St Paul’s Square
Birmingham
B3 1RB, UK.
ISBN 978-1-83588-658-8
www.packt.com
This book is dedicated to all comic and manga lovers.
– Inko Ai Takita
Contributors
About the author
Inko Ai Takita is a distinguished manga artist from Kyoto, Japan, who currently resides in the UK after honing her craft at Kyoto Zokei University of Art & Design and Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design. Since joining the illustrator agency illo in 2023, she has collaborated on artwork posters for Alpha Tauri and created advert animation art for Intel.
In the past, Inko has created illustrations for notable media campaigns, such as Sony Entertainment Japan’s campaign for the Netflix drama series The Crown. She has also published manga collaborating with Scottish comic writer Séan Michael Wilson, including the critically acclaimed titles Manga Yokai Stories (Tuttle), Lady Murasaki’s Tale of Genji: The Manga Edition (Tuttle), and the award-winning Portrait of Violence (New International). Furthermore, her illustrative contributions to the online theatre Flight Paths earned recognition at the Superfest Disability Film Festival in 2021. She has also submitted character designs for the Kamigawa set of Magic: The Gathering (Wizards of the Coast) and worked on 2D game art for Promise Mascot Agency (Kaizen Gameworks).
Outside of creating artwork, Inko has delivered manga workshops with the esteemed British Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. She has also collaborated with British artist David Blandy on manga posters for the London Underground’s Embankment station. Her online tutorial “How to Draw Chibi Manga Characters” (The Guardian, Children’s books) inspires young manga lovers.
I wish to thank to my dearest family, Miyako, Kazuo, Kumi, and Fumio, as well as my friends, relatives, and boyfriend, and the Packt staff for their magnificent support.
Liz Staley is a visual artist and blogger who loves horses, animation, comics, and true crime. She began her digital art journey using Adobe Photoshop and then learned how to use Clip Studio Paint. She currently writes a weekly blog for Graphixly with art and Clip Studio Paint tips. Although she still loves the medium of comics and animation, her personal art now mostly consists of animal portraits that combine education with conservation. Liz loves horses, dogs, horror movies, anime, and learning the Japanese language.
About the reviewer
Steven Dai is a 2D artist working on projects in comics, concept art, storyboarding, and illustration. He is academically trained in fine arts from the Complutense University of Madrid, from which he later specialized in comics and concept art. He is also trained in comic art and narratives from Escola Joso in Barcelona and Academia C10.
In the past, Steven has worked for clients on projects related to comics and manga, music cover illustrations, book covers, posters, and advertising. You can find a folio of his work on Behance, as well as on his own website, stevendai.org.
Me gustaría dar las gracias a mi familia y amigos por apoyarme en mi aventura en el mundo de las artes. Y al equipo de Packt por darme de oportunidad de aportar mi visión en este libro.
Join us on Discord!
Read this book alongside other users. Ask questions, provide solutions to other readers, and much more.
Scan the QR code or visit the link to join the community.
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Contents
Preface
Who this book is for
What this book covers
To get the most out of this book
Get in touch
Image Gallery of Manga and Illustrations Created by Clip Studio Paint
Illustration gallery
Pencil tools
Inking tools
Brush tools
Shape tools
Decoration tools
Textures
Text and balloon tools
3D figures
Layer blending modes
Shading Assist
Color jitter
Liquify tools
Summary
Installing Clip Studio Paint Pro and Interface Basics
System specs, installation, and your serial number
System requirements
Windows system requirements
macOS requirements
Installing the program
Downloading the trial version
Purchasing Clip Studio Paint
Installing on a Windows computer
Installing on a Mac computer
Starting the program for the first time
Changing a license
Downloading additional materials
About graphics tablets
What is a graphics tablet?
What type of tablet should I buy?
How large of a tablet should I buy?
What tablet brand should I buy?
Taking a look at the default interface
Moving, collapsing, and closing palettes
Moving a palette
Closing a palette
Collapsing and expanding palettes
The tool palette and command bar
The tool palette
Customizing the tool palette
Reordering tools
Renaming tools
Deleting tools
The primary command bar
Summary
Penciling: Layer and Layer Property Palettes
Technical requirements
What is penciling?
What is a layer?
Introducing the Layer palette
The Layer Property palette
Border effect
Extract line
Tone
Layer color
Expression color
Organizing layers
Summary
Introducing Clip Studio Paint Brushes
Technical requirements
Navigating the brushes
The brush engine
Accessing the brush options
Brush Size
Ink
Color Jitter
Anti-aliasing
Dual brush
Watercolor edge
Correction
Starting and ending
Anti-overflow
Playing with brush settings
Exporting and loading brushes
Exporting a tool
Importing a tool
Summary
Pages and Panels to Shape Manga
Making and saving workspaces
Saving a workspace
Switching between workspaces
Managing and deleting workspaces
New files and templates
The New file window – explained
Creating a basic square canvas
Creating a custom-sized page and saving a preset
Adding templates to a new file
Making comic panels
What are frame border layers?
Creating, editing, and using template panels
Using the Rectangle frame tool
Using the Polyline frame tool
Using the Quadratic Bezier option
Using the Cubic Bezier option
Using the Frame border pen
One layer and many panels, or one layer for each panel?
Dividing and editing panels
Dividing existing frames
Using framing template materials
Summary
Erasers, Selections, and the Sub View Palette
Technical requirements
Eraser tools and transparent color
The eraser tools
Hard eraser
Soft eraser
Rough eraser
Vector eraser
Multiple Layers eraser
Snap eraser
Kneaded eraser
Using transparent color
Lassos and other selection tools
The Rectangle and Ellipse selection area tools
The Selection Launcher
The Lasso and Polyline selection area tools
Using the Tool property palette to scale or rotate a selection
Selection pen
Shrink selection
Erase selection
The Sub View palette
Loading images into the Sub View palette
Zooming, rotating, and picking a color from the Sub View images
Using Layer Color to prepare a sketch for inks
Summary
Using Text and Balloon Tools
Technical requirements
The basic theory of speech bubbles
The basics of the Text tool
Exploring advanced text settings
Editing properties settings
Operation settings
Font settings
Line space/alignment settings
Text settings
Edit settings
Circular text
Transformation settings
Compatibility
Creating custom text tools
Making and editing speech balloons
The Ellipse balloon tool
The Balloon tail tool
The Curve balloon tool
The Balloon pen tool
Implementing connected speech balloons
Using speech balloon materials
Summary
Getting Started with Inking Tools
Principles of inking
Creating a great pencil sketch
Beginning inking
Exploring inking tools
Alternative inking tools
Marker tools
Pen tools
Customizing pressure sensitivity settings
Inking on vector layers
Tips for inking comic panels
Summary
Material Palette and Inking Special Effects
Technical requirements
Exploring the Material palette
Saving artwork to the Material palette
Creating a textured inking brush
Making a broken glass shard brush
Creating a foliage brush
Texturing with a cross-hatching brush
Summary
Exploring Vector Layers
Technical requirements
Vectors in Clip Studio Paint
Creating a vector layer
Creating a vector layer via the File menu
Creating a vector layer via the Layer palette
Drawing on vector layers
Editing vectors
Using the Pinch vector line tool
Using the Control point tool
Using the Simplify vector line tool
Using the Correct line width tool
Using the Redraw vector line tool
Using the Redraw vector line width tool
Using the Connect vector line tool
Using the Vector eraser tool
Summary
Creating Your Own Sound Effects
Technical requirements
Adding sound effects in speech balloons
Grouping layers of sound effects and speech balloons
Using fonts for sound effects
Adding outlines, gradients, and patterns to text
Adding an outline
Adding gradients to text with Lock Transparent Pixels
Using clipping layers to add patterns to text
Using the Mesh Transformation tool to warp text
Making titles
Summary
Making Layer Masks and Screentones
Technical requirements
What is a layer mask?
Using a layer mask
Creating quick masks using selection tools
Adding screentones
Lines and percentages in screentone names
Creating simple tones using selections
Simple tone options
Creating screentones using Layer Property
Using the clipping layer function
Summary
All About Rulers
Technical requirements
Introducing rulers and their types in Clip Studio Paint
Using rulers
Ruler snapping options
Linear ruler
Curve ruler
Using Quadratic Bezier
Using Cubic Bezier
Figure ruler
Ruler pen
Using the symmetrical ruler
Radial and parallel line rulers
Radial line ruler
Parallel line ruler
Understanding perspective rulers
One-point perspective
Two-point perspective
Three-point perspective
Using figure and line tools with perspective rulers
Making rulers inactive
Turning rulers off and on with the control handle
Using grids and guides
Showing and hiding the grid
Adjusting grid settings
Making guides
Summary
Using 3D Figures and Objects
Technical requirements
Introducing the 3D Material palette
Loading a 3D object onto the canvas
Moving objects in 3D space
Moving an object on the x, y, and z axes
Moving an object using a manipulator sphere
Moving parts of a model
Posing hands
Moving the 3D camera
Adding perspective
Using preset poses on figure models
Customizing character and figure models
Customizing figure models
Saving 3D information to the Material palette
Saving pose information
Saving 3D drawing figure information
Importing 3D models into Clip Studio Paint
Summary
Color Palette
Technical requirements
Creating aesthetics with color palettes
Understanding color pickers
The Color Wheel palette
The Color Slider palette
The Color Set palette
Exploring the Color History, Intermediate Color, and Approximate Color, and Color Mixing palettes
The Color History palette
The Intermediate Color palette
The Approximate Color palette
The Color Mixing palette
Creating color palettes from the Sub View palette
Importing palettes from Adobe Photoshop
Summary
Using Clip Studio Paint to Color Your Manga
Technical requirements
Using reference layers
Creating flats using the fill and pen tools
Creating colored line art
Exploring layer blending modes
The Multiply mode
The Soft light mode
The Screen mode
Shading with Shading Assist
Using Color Match options and filters
The Color Match options
Filters
Adding a paper texture
The Liquify tool adjustment
Summary
Auto Actions and Your Workflow
Technical requirements
Exploring the Auto Action palette
Using auto actions
Creating a custom auto action
Downloading auto action assets
Auto action shortcuts
Creating a keyboard shortcut
Creating a command bar shortcut
Summary
Exploring Clip Studio Assets and Animations
Technical requirements
Downloading from Assets
Locating your downloads in Clip Studio Paint
Creating animations in Clip Studio Paint
Creating an animation using one image
Creating an animation using one image with the Camera Movement feature
Exporting animations
Image sequences
Animated GIFs
Animated stickers (APNG)
Movie files
Summary
Exporting, Printing, and Uploading Your Manga
Technical requirements
Printing at home
Exporting for print
Adjusting image quality and file size
Resizing an image while exporting
Exporting for a web display
Exporting webtoons (EX only)
Exporting batches of pages (EX only)
Exporting to Clip Studio SHARE
Summary
Other Books You May Enjoy
Index
Landmarks
Cover
Index
Preface
Clip Studio Paint was previously called Manga Studio, and is today used by more than 15 million artists around the world to create manga artwork. It is one of the most loved software among illustrators, manga artists, and comic writers due to its special features for drawing manga and comics. With just this software, a computer, and a graphics tablet, you can create black and white comics, fully colored comics, illustrations, and short animations.
This book is for Clip Studio Paint users at all levels, but I want you to be able to easily follow along as a beginner. To that end, I have tried to give tons of guidance and visual examples, and even a few beginner tips for drawing manga. I hope that, by the end of this book, you’ll be comfortable with Clip Studio Paint and be well on your way to being a manga art master!
Who this book is for
If you have just started working on your art digitally or are trying to shift your creation process from analog to digital, this book is for you, as well as for people who want to brush up their knowledge and skills on using Clip Studio Paint.
What this book covers
Chapter 1, Image Gallery of Manga and Illustrations Created by Clip Studio Paint, showcases a few examples of Clip Studio Paint artwork, to get you thinking about what styles and tools will be interesting to you.
Chapter 2, Installing Clip Studio Paint Pro and Interface Basics, walks you through the work of installing Clip Studio Paint and picking the right graphics tablet. It then guides you through the software preferences, the default interface, and how to make workspaces.
Chapter 3, Penciling: Layer and Layer Property Palettes, gets you started on the first stage in making digital art, penciling. Along the way, you will be introduced to the important concept of layers, layer menu options, and the Layer palette icons.
Chapter 4, Introducing Clip Studio Paint Brushes, gets you started with a few different brushes and what sort of marks they make. You’ll also learn how to edit your brushes by customizing the brush engine and configuring the tool properties. Finally, you’ll learn how to save and restore brush configurations.
Chapter 5, Pages and Panels to Shape Manga, revisits the concept of layers and applies it to an integral part of writing comics: how to make comic pages and panels.
Chapter 6, Erasers, Selections, and the Sub View Palette, teaches you about the various erasers and selection tools and how to use the Sub View palette. You’ll learn how to use these erasers and selection tools for artistic effect as well as to correct mistakes.
Chapter 7, Using Text and Balloon Tools, aids comic writers by teaching you how to add text and speech bubbles to your comics.
Chapter 8, Getting Started with Inking Tools, goes over the next stage in making digital art after penciling: inking. You’ll learn a few artistic techniques, as well as encountering a few inking pens, brushes, and markers that come included in Clip Studio Paint.
Chapter 9, Material Palette and Inking Special Effects, shows you how to create special effect brushes, textured brushes, and brushes with patterns such as foliage, as well as how to use the Material palette.
Chapter 10, ExploringVector Layers, steps into geometric art by exploring how to create vector images, edit vector lines, and use the Material palette to add a design created by a vector.
Chapter 11, Creating Your Own Sound Effects, covers creating specialized text, adding strokes and gradient to text, and how to use Mesh Transformation to morph text into punchy sound effects and manga titles.
Chapter 12, Making Layer Masks and Screentones, covers the use and creation of layer masks, how to apply screentones to black and white manga by using selections and layer masks, and how to use the clipping layer function.
Chapter 13, All About Rulers, covers the myriad ruler tools in Clip Studio Paint. We will cover basic rulers, as well as symmetry rulers, focus and parallel line rulers, and perspective rulers.
Chapter 14, Using 3D Figures and Objects, teaches you how to use the 3D materials in Clip Studio Paint. Placing characters, posing them, customizing poses, importing poses from photos, and importing poses from Posemaniacs are all topics covered in this chapter.
Chapter 15, Color Palette, covers color selection and mixing palettes such as the Color Wheel, Color Set, Intermediate Color, Approximate Color, Color History, and Color Mixing. Creating a color palette from the Sub View palette is also covered.
Chapter 16, Using Clip Studio Paint to Color Your Manga, discusses the use of reference layers, how to create a flat color layer, the use of layer blending modes, and changing the line art color. It also covers how to use Shading Assist, Color Match, some great filters, and the Liquify tool to edit your art.
Chapter 17, Auto Actions and Your Workflow, covers auto actions and how to use them to make recurring parts of your setup process easier.
Chapter 18, Exploring the Clip Studio Assets and Animation, covers how to download new assets and materials using the Clip Studio Assets. You’ll also take your first steps into creating simple animations in Clip Studio Paint, looking at how to create animation timelines and cels.
Chapter 19, Exporting, Printing, and Uploading Your Manga, covers how to use the print preview and print settings to create a physical copy of your manga. It also looks at exporting your work in various formats: for printing, display on the web, Webtoon exports, and Clip Studio SHARE.
To get the most out of this book
Having a graphics tablet or a tablet computer with a stylus and pressure sensitivity is highly recommended for using this software. Drawing with a stylus is much more natural than drawing with a mouse or trackpad. For more information on graphics tablets, see Chapter 2, Installing Clip Studio Paint Pro and Interface Basics.
Chapter 2 will also explain system requirements in much more detail. In short, the requirements are as follows:
Software covered in the book
OS requirements
Clip Studio Paint version 3.0.0
Windows 10 or 11, or macOS 12, 13, or 14
Disclaimer
There might be some differences in the option naming, placement, and availability depending on what version of Clip Studio Paint you are currently using. If needed, earlier versions of Clip Studio Paint can run on older OSes.
Download the color images
We also provide a PDF file that has color images of the screenshots/diagrams used in this book. You can download it here: https://packt.link/gbp/9781835886588.
Conventions used
There are a few text conventions used throughout this book.
Code in text: Indicates filenames, URLs, user input, and Twitter handles. Here is an example: “Export the Manga page 1.jpg image file to an internet-friendly file.”
Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For example, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in the text like this. Here is an example: “Select G-Pen from the Pen sub tool palette.”
Tips
Appear like this.
Important notes
Appear like this.
Get in touch
Feedback from our readers is always welcome.
General feedback: If you have questions about any aspect of this book, email us at [email protected] and mention the book title in the subject of your message.
Errata: Although we have taken every care to ensure the accuracy of our content, mistakes do happen. If you have found a mistake in this book, we would be grateful if you would report this to us. Please visit www.packtpub.com/support/errata and fill in the form.
Piracy: If you come across any illegal copies of our works in any form on the internet, we would be grateful if you would provide us with the location address or website name. Please contact us at [email protected] with a link to the material.
If you are interested in becoming an author: If there is a topic that you have expertise in and you are interested in either writing or contributing to a book, please visit authors.packtpub.com.
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Image Gallery of Manga and Illustrations Created by Clip Studio Paint
Hello everyone! A warm welcome to the fun world of Clip Studio Paint. Whether you want to start your creative journey or simply brush up on your skills, you’ve come to the right place. You will find great freedom in controlling digital tools for your manga creations by going through this book. Some chapters might even inspire you to try different types of art and effects that you never before imagined you could utilize! Whenever you feel stuck or unsure, you can always come back to this book to check how to use certain tools. It’s going to be a fun ride, building your ability to express your manga story. So, let’s start our adventure.
To begin with, this chapter is dedicated to showing you visual examples of Clip Studio Paint creations. Just a glance at this chapter’s pages tells us exactly what features and capabilities Clip Studio Paint has. You can also see this as an early window into what creative ideas you can start to develop over the course of this book.
Don’t worry – these tools and techniques will be explained step by step as we progress. In this chapter, you will find pointers to the parts of the book that introduce each tool, so you can jump to the places where the precise techniques you would like to learn are set out in detail. Of course, feel free to skip topics you are already familiar with.
This chapter will cover the following main topics:
Illustration galleryWhat tools are usedIllustration gallery
In the following sections, we will preview each Clip Studio Paint tool you’ll learn how to use in this book. If there’s a style in particular that calls to you, consider jumping straight to that chapter to learn the techniques.
Figure 1.1: A pencil tools sample image
Pencil tools
Figure 1.1 shows examples of pencils that are available in this set of tools. You can use pencils for sketching and expressing warm, crafty art. Yes, you can use pencil tools to complete an entire full-colour manga illustration! Details of how to use pencils can be found in Chapter 3, Penciling: Layer and Layer Property Palettes.
Figure 1.2: An Inking tools sample image
Inking tools
Figure 1.2 shows examples of pens that are available in this set of tools. These are the most popular tools for manga. They produce clean and crisp manga drawings that make it easy to see what’s going on in the scene and are still clear even when printed on colored or bad-quality paper. Details of how to use the pens can be found in Chapter 8, Getting Started with Inking Tools.
Figure 1.3: A brush tools sample image
Brush tools
Figure 1.3shows examples of brushes that are available in this set of tools. Yes, just like physical brushes, we can mix and blend colors with the brush tools in the latest version of Clip Studio Paint! Oil, water, and calligraphic…there are so many good brushes there. Details of how to use brushes can be found in Chapter 4, Introducing Clip Studio Paint Brushes.
Figure 1.4: A shape tools sample image
Shape tools
Figure 1.4 shows an example of a shape tool drawing. These tools free you from wobbly, shaky lines. Instead, you can create accurate, precise objects, buildings, and décor shapes with shape tools! Learn more in Chapter 11, ExploringVector Layers.
Figure 1.5: A decoration tools sample image
Decoration tools
Figure 1.5shows examples of decorations available in this set of tools. They are great for expressing feelings, the tone of scenes, and patterns of clothing! Details of how to use decoration tools can be found in Chapter 4, Introducing Clip Studio Paint Brushes.
Figure 1.6: Textures sample
Textures
Figure 1.6 shows a sample image with and without a texture. If you want to add a paper/scratched/decayed texture to your art, you can always add extra effects by creating or downloading texture images.
You can simply add an extra layer with the texture image and change the layer blending mode. You can learn more in Chapter 16, Using Clip Studio Paint to Color Your Manga.
Figure 1.7: Text and balloon tools sample
Text and balloon tools
Figure 1.7 shows examples of text and balloon tools. Manga creation involves several stages, including panel sketching, inking, coloring (if it’s color manga), adding tones and effects, and adding text. So, you can add dialogue to tell your story. You can learn how to add text and speech balloons in Chapter 7, Using Text and Balloon Tools.
Figure 1.8: 3D figures sample
3D figures
Figure 1.8 shows an example of using 3D figures as a pose reference. You can refer to or trace over 3D models to draw characters. It comes in handy especially when you want to draw accurate posture or objects/bodies from unusual angles. Learn more about using 3D models in Chapter 14, Using 3D Figures and Objects.
Figure 1.9: Layer blending mode sample
Layer blending modes
Figure 1.9 shows an example of a drawing with and without layer blending modes. After completing the basic coloring of your drawing, you might want to add shade, lighting, or light reflection, or even change the overall impression. It is possible to do this using layer blending mode. You can see the entirety of the effects available in Chapter 16, Using Clip Studio Paint to Color Your Manga.
Figure 1.10: Shading Assist sample
Shading Assist
Figure 1.10shows an example of a drawing with and without Shading Assist. After completing the basic coloring of your drawing, you might want to give it an effective shade. You can choose what type of shading to add, such as Simple shade or Evening shade. The sample image shows Evening shade. You can see the entirety of the effects available in Chapter 16, Using Clip Studio Paint to Color Your Manga.
Figure 1.11: Color mixing sample
Color jitter
Figure 1.11 shows an example of a drawing using color jitter. The latest version of Clip Studio Paint has made very vibrant and realistic color mixing possible. Just turn Change brush tip on for your brush, and you can enjoy how the colors are mixed as you draw. Find out more in Chapter 4, Introducing Clip Studio Paint Brushes.
Figure 1.12: Liquify tools sample
Liquify tools
Figure 1.12 shows an example of a drawing before and after it is retouched with Liquify tools. Notice how the character’s face expands a little, like a fish-eye effect. As you can see, you can change the shape and size of a specific part of an image by tracing it with a pen. It’s so handy when you want to make a minor adjustment to a shape. More details can be found in Chapter 16, Using Clip Studio Paint to Color Your Manga.
Summary
Now that you have seen some actual art created by using Clip Studio Paint, I hope you have a better idea of what tools and functions the program offers. It is fine if you don’t know the exact details of how this is achieved at this point, because you don’t have to be an expert to use them all, but it is always good to know the tools and functions that are available.
You will have also noticed that some analog effects, such as scratching or bleeding, can be made digitally. This will give you the opportunity to illustrate mishaps, smudges, or accidental merges of color, which might add interesting effects to your creations!
If you have some images already scanned onto your device, you can add these effects as an extra bit of detail. It would be great if you could find an effect or two that appeals to you. After reading this chapter, installing the program, and obtaining a graphic tablet, you can ignore the order of the rest of the chapters and jump to a specific chapter that details the techniques you want to learn about.
But, most of all, enjoy Clip Studio Paint!
Join us on Discord!
Read this book alongside other users. Ask questions, provide solutions to other readers, and much more.
Scan the QR code or visit the link to join the community.
https://packt.link/clipstudiopaint
2
Installing Clip Studio Paint Pro and Interface Basics
In this chapter, we’re going to dive right into the thick of it and start getting to know Clip Studio Paint. First, we’ll look at the recommended system specifications for running Clip Studio Paint and how to install the program. We’ll also talk about graphics tablets, their importance, and how to obtain one.
Once we have installed Clip Studio Paint, we’ll get to know the interface. First, we’ll go over the parts of the default interface. Then, we’ll learn how to customize and change the interface to suit our needs, as well as how to select tools, and learn about the various palettes that comprise the Clip Studio Paint interface and their properties.
By the end of this chapter, you will be able to install Clip Studio Paint and identify the different parts of its interface. Although installation and navigation may sound a bit dull, it’s important to know. Once we understand the different navigation sections, the door is opened to a whole world of artistic creation. It’s like taking the first tour of a new home!
In this chapter, we will learn about the following topics:
System specs, installation, and your activation numberAbout graphics tabletsThe default user interfaceMoving, collapsing, and stacking palettesUsing the tool paletteUsing the command barSystem specs, installation, and your serial number
Before installing Clip Studio Paint, we need to ensure that our computer hardware is capable of running the program. Graphics software can be taxing on system resources, so it is important to ensure that your computer is up to the task!
Clip Studio Paint is made for both Windows PCs as well as Mac operating systems; you pay by one-time purchase for a perpetual license. As well as Macs and PCs, it is also available on iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, and Chromebook in monthly and annual usage plans. You can use the free trial version for all hardware mentioned. Once we have ensured that we can run the program on our computer, we can then download and install the software and run it for the first time.
System requirements
To run Clip Studio Paint effectively, our computer must meet certain system requirements. These requirements are slightly different for PCs than for Macs, so please check the system requirements carefully against the computer that you will be installing the software on to ensure that Clip Studio Paint will run properly.
Both PC and Mac computers have the following requirements for use of the program:
Storage space: At least 3 GB of storage space available on the hard drive.Monitor: XGA (1,024 x 768) or higher, and high color (16-bit, 65,536 colors) or higher required.Internet access: An internet connection will be necessary for license authentication.Windows system requirements
The following are the requirements to run Clip Studio Paint version 2 on Windows:
Operating system:Microsoft Windows English operating systemWindows 10 (64-bit)Windows 11 (64-bit)Main computer/CPU:Intel processors compatible with SSE2 or an AMD CPU.GPUs compatible with OpenGL 2.1.2 GB of memory or more is required; 8 GB or more is recommended.Important note
Memory space and CPU capability are required for top software performance regarding the image size, number of layers, and so on. Generally, the larger the image size and the number of layers, the more memory and the faster the CPU required.
macOS requirements
If you are using a macOS computer, you will need to meet the following system requirements to run Clip Studio Paint version 3:
Operating system:macOS English operating systems 12, 13, and 14.Main computer/CPU:Apple M series chips or Intel processor.GPUs compatible with OpenGL 2.1.2 GB of memory or more is required; 8 GB or more is recommended.We’ll go into tablets in more detail in the About graphics tablets section. If your computer system meets or exceeds the requirements listed, then it’s time to install the program!
Installing the program
To purchase and download the Clip Studio Paint program, you will need an internet connection. The program is available through the Clip Studio website. To access the English version of the website, you will need to visit the URL http://www.clipstudio.net/en in your internet browser.
Clip Studio does have a free trial of the program, which is very handy if you want to try the program to make sure your computer system can run it, or if you want to explore the program and ensure that it will meet your needs before buying it. At the time of writing, the Clip Studio Paint free trial lasts for up to 3 months on most devices, and 6 months on Galaxy. You can try both the Clip Studio Paint Pro and Clip Studio Paint EX versions of the program. Also, when using the trial version of the software, you will need to register for a free Clip Studio account.
We will discuss the Clip Studio account further in Chapter 18, Exploring the Clip Studio Assets and Animation.
Important note
Clip Studio Paint Pro or Clip Studio Paint EX? Which version should you choose? There are very few differences between the Pro and EX versions of the software. The Pro version is the standard version, and EX is the full-featured version. Clip Studio Paint Pro is less expensive than the EX version. The biggest difference between the two versions of the program is that the EX version allows you to create multi-page files (files with multiple pages in them that can be viewed and edited all at once) and that the EX version has no limit regarding the number of animation frames in a file, while the Pro version limits animation frames to a total of 24. If you will be creating long animations, chapters of a comic or manga, or other works where viewing multiple pages is needed, it is highly recommended to get the EX version of Clip Studio Paint.
Downloading the trial version
Once we’re on the Clip Studio website, we’ll need to download the trial version or buy the software. To download the trial version, complete the following steps:
On the ClipStudio.net/en website, click on the green button labeled Free Trial.Choose the version of the software compatible with your operating system (Windows or macOS) and click on the corresponding Download Trial button.Click Sign up to get your first 3 months free for Windows and mac OSif you haven’t signed up yet, or log in with your Clip Studio account if you already have one.On the next window, click Get 30 days free! to register your Clip Studio account and get 30 days free. Click 3 month free trial to get 3 months free when you apply for a monthly plan.The program installation file will be saved to your computer.Purchasing Clip Studio Paint
Clip Studio offers two different types of purchase: One-time purchase and Annual/Monthly plans. One-time purchase means, as the name says, you only pay once to use Clip Studio, and Annual/Monthly plans mean you can choose to either pay once a year or monthly to use Clip Studio. Let’s have a look at the following chart to get to know the difference and see which is the best option for you!
One-time purchase
Annual/Monthly plans
Supported device
Windows and MacOS
Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, and Chromebook
Issues activation code and serial number
Yes
No
Number of devices
1 unit
1–4 units
Updated items
Stability update
Stability and feature updates
Payment methods
Credit cards and PayPal
Varies depending on the store you order from
Clip Studio account
Registration required
Created upon purchase
Purchase/contract information
It will show in your Clip Studio account after it’s authenticated.
It will show in your Clip Studio account once signed up.
Important note
There are some exceptions and conditions on top of the information in the above chart. For example, One-time purchase software can be updated with new features by subscribing to the Update Pass. Additionally, Apple Pay and Google Pay allow you to buy One-time Purchase software from smartphones. It’s always best to check the details again on your purchase!
If you are ready to purchase Clip Studio Paint, follow these steps:
On the ClipStudio.net/en website, click on the button in the upper-right-hand corner labeled Buy.The price list for the Perpetual license Pro and EX Annual/Monthly plans and the 12-month license (a single payment) will appear. Select your currency from the drop-down menu next to the price, and then click on the Buy Now button beneath the version of the software that you wish to purchase.On the next screen, fill in your valid email address to receive your activation code.Select the payment method on the next screen and fill in your payment information.Complete the necessary fields and click on the button marked Pay.When registering a purchased version, we will enter the activation code (and serial number for one-time purchase) for the software while launching the application for the first time. Your activation code and serial number will be sent to the email address that you registered with when purchasing the program. The email will be sent from [email protected], with the title [CLIP STUDIO PAINT] Here is your Clip Studio Paint activation code.
The following image is a screenshot of the email contents:
Figure 2.1: Screenshot of the email contents for an activation code
With your activation code ready, let’s install the Clip Studio launcher!
Follow these steps to install your Clip Studio launcher:
Go to the web browser https://ec.clip-studio.com/en-us/activation-codes/ and enter your activation code in the box, as shown in the following screenshot:
Figure 2.2: Screenshot of the register page
Click Apply on the next page, as shown in the following screenshot:
Figure 2.3: Screenshot of the type of purchase
Click Confirm on the next page, as shown in the following screenshot:
Figure 2.4: Screenshot of the confirmation page
The following screen will appear, and the activation code verification will be completed.
Figure 2.5: Screenshot of the completion of activation
Click the link on here in Please download the app here, as pointed out by the arrow in the following screenshot:
Figure 2.6 – Screenshot of the link
It will take you to the download page. The installer for your operating system will be automatically downloaded. If you exited and reopened the page in step 5, click the operating system of your computer and download the installer for Clip Studio Paint Ver. 3.0.0.
Great! Now that you have your Clip Studio installer on your device, let’s install the application!
Installing on a Windows computer
Complete the following steps to install Clip Studio Paint on your Windows computer:
Locate the install file named CSP_XXw_setup.exe that has been saved to your computer, and double-click it to launch the setup program.The welcome screen will be displayed. Click on Next to continue.Read the license agreement. Click on the circle next to I accept the terms of the license agreement to accept the terms. Click Next to continue.The Choose Destination Location window will be displayed. The setup will default to a folder in Program Files for installation. If you wish to change the location of this folder, click on the button labeled Change to the right of the currently selected folder name, and choose the location of the desired folder. Once the desired folder is selected, click Next.On the next screen, choose the desired language for installation. Note that when using a purchased version, the language that correlates with the serial number must be used. If using the trial version, select the language you wish to install. Then, click Next.Click Install to complete the installation.When the installation completion screen appears, click on the Finish button to exit the setup.Installing on a Mac computer
Complete the following steps to install Clip Studio Paint on your Mac computer:
Locate the file named CSP_XXm_app.pkg that has been saved to your computer, and double-click it to launch the Installation window.Once the setup program launches, click on Continue.Read the license agreement, and then click on Continue.To continue, you must click on Agree on the next screen to accept the terms of the license agreement.On the Installation Type screen, click Install to continue.Select the desired language for installation. Note that when using a purchased version, the language that correlates with the serial number must be used. If you’re using the trial version, select the language you wish to install. Then, click OK.Once the installation completes, you will see a screen stating that the installation was successful. Click on Close to exit the setup program.Important note
If you see a warning message when you try opening the file, you need to go to System Preferences, then Security & Privacy, and click the key icon to be able to make changes. In the General section, check App Store and identified developers and try opening the file again.
Figure 2.7: Screenshot of the Clip Studio icon
Once Clip Studio is open, click Draw on the upper-left of the screen, as pointed out by an arrow in the following screenshot:
Figure 2.8: Screenshot of the Draw icon
Select I already have a license / I have signed up for a free offer from the Getting Started with CLIP STUDIO PAINT dialog. When the login screen appears, enter your email address and password to log in.Figure 2.9: Screenshot of the Getting Started with CLIP STUDIO PAINT dialog
The license will be automatically authenticated and Clip Studio Paint will start up. If a license list opens, select the one for Ver. 3.0 and click Activate.It is very important to keep this code in a safe place where you can locate it! Your Clip Studio Paint activation code allows you to register the software on up to four computers, so long as the following conditions are met.
You must also have your serial number if you purchase a new PC and need to install Clip Studio Paint on it again. Save the email from your registration in a safe folder in your email client. I also keep important serial numbers in a text file in a cloud backup, such as Dropbox or Google Drive, in case something happens to my emails. You may also want to make another backup of your serial number on a removable drive, such as a USB drive, to be extra certain that it is safe and can be recovered if there is an emergency.
Important note
If you see a warning message when you try opening the file, you need to go to System Preferences, then Security & Privacy, and click the key icon to be able to make changes. In the General section, check App Store and identified developers and try opening the file again.
Starting the program for the first time
Now that we have the program installed, we’re ready to launch it for the first time. On the initial launch, you will have the opportunity to download additional materials, such as new brushes, patterns, and 3D models. Enter and verify your serial number, or register to use the trial version. This is the last step before we can open the Clip Studio Paint program and begin exploring the interface, so let’s get started.
Changing a license
There are a few cases where the license may need to be changed:
When changing from the trial version to the purchased versionUpgrading the software from the Pro version to the EX versionTo change a license, follow these steps:
Launch the Clip Studio Paint software.From the Help menu, select the Register/Change License… option (or the Clip Studio Paint menu in macOS).Enter your registered email address and password, and then click Log in.Click Enter to enter the new serial number or activation code and click Activate.Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the license registration and click Launch.Downloading additional materials
The additional materials you can download inclue many extra tools, patterns, or models that go beyond basic tools. If they were not downloaded during the initial registration of the program, they can be downloaded later by using the following steps:
Launch the Clip Studio application by double-clicking the icon.Once Clip Studio is open, click on the settings menu (the gear icon) in the top-right-hand corner.Click Download additional materials now from the menu.When the download confirmation message is displayed, click Yes to begin the download. Depending on the size of the materials, this download may take several minutes.Once we install the program, we need to have a tool to draw on the program! Let’s start finding out what we use to create art in Clip Studio Paint.
About graphics tablets
When working with art software such as Clip Studio Paint, having a graphics tablet makes life a lot easier. So, what is a graphics tablet, and where can you obtain one?
What is a graphics tablet?
A graphics tablet is a computer peripheral that comes with a stylus. It allows you to hold a stylus and draw the way that you would with a pencil or pen on paper. The following diagram on the right illustrates a basic tablet and stylus:
Figure 2.10: A graphics tablet
There are many different types and brands of graphics tablets, all ranging in price from under $100 to over $2,500, so it is easy to find a tablet that is within your budget. I cannot express enough how much easier working in Clip Studio Paint is when you have a tablet!
There are many different factors to consider when shopping for a graphics tablet. Let’s break some of those options down so that you can make a good choice when purchasing your tablet.
What type of tablet should I buy?
There are two primary types of tablets: traditional tablets and monitor tablets. Traditional tablets are slates that plug into or connect wirelessly to your computer. You then use the stylus to draw on the tablet while looking at the separate monitor, just like using a mouse on a computer.
A monitor tablet is a tablet with a monitor screen built into it. You then use the stylus directly on the screen so that you can see your hand and what you’re drawing at the same time. This method feels more like using traditional paper and pencil and requires less of an adjustment period for new tablet users, as there is less of a disconnect between what your hand does and what your eyes see. A traditional tablet is fantastic for painting, but for detailed drawings that require accuracy, such as inking, a monitor tablet plays a great role.
However, this comes at a price. Monitor tablets are becoming more affordable every year, but they are still much more expensive than traditional tablets. If you are purchasing a tablet for a young artist or are someone just getting into digital art, I always recommend getting a traditional tablet. They are far more affordable and usually easy to find second-hand, but still in good working order. For more established artists who do a lot of art and know for certain that they like working digitally, investing in a larger tablet or a tablet monitor will usually speed up your workflow and make life easier, so it makes sense to invest in a higher-end tablet.
How large of a tablet should I buy?
Tablets come in all sizes, from no bigger than a traditional mouse pad to the size of a tabletop. The size of the tablet that you buy is very much dependent on how you draw. Sit down and draw on a piece of regular paper, and try to pay attention to how large or small you draw. You’ll need to figure that out before you can decide on the size of the tablet you want to buy!
Another thing to consider when looking at different sizes of tablets is the space you have to store them. If you are using a tablet with your laptop and will be traveling with it often, or if you have only a small amount of space on your desk, you will want to purchase a smaller tablet that is more easily transported. However, if you have a larger area or will only be using the tablet at a desk, a larger tablet could be the right fit for you. I find that people who draw small can be comfortable with a small tablet size. Personally, I draw rather large and tend to take up the whole sheet of paper when I draw, so I like a larger tablet when I work because it gives me more room to work with.
What tablet brand should I buy?
There is a wide selection of tablets available, all with their own pros and cons. Some of the most well-known of these tablet brands are Wacom, XPPen, and Huion. Each brand has a wide range of different-sized and priced tablets, most of which you can find on their websites or by searching for them on sites such as Amazon.
I often get asked what brand of tablet I would recommend, and for me, there is one clear winner: Wacom. From my personal experience, Wacom tablets are of the highest quality and last the longest.
It’s always good to know which models are great for your budget. The following is a list of Wacom, Huion, and XPPen recommendation models, organized by price range:
50–199 USD range: Wacom Intuos Medium, HUION HS610, and XPPen Artist 12 Pro 11.6”200–300 USD: Wacom Intuos 5 Touch Medium, HUION Kamvas Pro 16, and XP Pen Artist 15.6+400 USD: Wacom Cintiq 13 HD, HUION Kamvas Pro 16 2.5k, and XP Pen Artist 22R ProYou can often find them used on eBay and Amazon as well, so with a bit of searching, you should be able to find a tablet for any budget.
Important note
The Clip Studio Paint iPad version is as good as the computer version. But please remember that purchasing Clip Studio Paint on a computer doesn’t mean you can use the iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, and Android versions for free. You need to pay the monthly fee for these versions, regardless of whether you already have Clip Studio Paint on your computer. To learn more about the Clip Studio Paint price range, go to ClipStudio.net/en.
Now that we have Clip Studio Paint installed and chosen our graphics tablet, it’s time to start getting to know this amazing art software.
Taking a look at the default interface
Once you launch Clip Studio Paint, you will be greeted by the default interface. New users often get to the default interface and panic. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but I promise it’s not so scary! With a little bit of exploration, we can break down the default interface and understand what each section is. In the next section, we’ll even learn how to customize the interface to suit our own needs. But for now, let’s take a look at the default user interface.
The following screenshot shows what you may see when starting up your program for the first time:
Figure 2.11: Screenshot of the default interface
The numbers in the preceding screenshot correlate to the following.
The menu bar is where you will find many of your options, such as creating and saving files, program preferences, viewing preferences, and more.Figure 2.12: Screenshot of the menu bar
The tool palette holds all of the various tools that we’ll use to create our comics and illustrations. At the top of the tool palette are tools such as Zoom, Move, Move layer, Selection, Auto select, and Eyedropper. In the middle are the drawing tools, such as Eraser, Pen, Pencil, Brush, Airbrush, Decoration, and Blend. In the bottom third of the tool palette are tools such as Fill, Gradient, Figure, Frame border, Ruler, Operation, Text, and Correct line. The final part of the tool palette displays our current foreground and background color selections, as well as a transparent color selection. We’ll discuss all of these tools as we continue through this book, so don’t worry if you don’t know what all of them do just yet.Figure 2.13: Screenshot of the tool palette
The Quick Access and Material palettes, shown on the left, have a lot going on, but they are an extremely useful part of the Clip Studio Paint software. The Quick Access palette gives us access to more frequently used actions, much like the command bar. The Quick Access palette can also be customized, but unlike the command bar, it has two sets inside of it. This allows more flexibility, as Set 1 could be used for functions such as save and undo, while Set 2 could be set up with the most widely used tools or other commands to make tasks like coloring easier. We’ll explore the Quick Access palette in more depth in Chapter 5, Pages and Panels to Shape Manga. This part of the software also contains the Material palette, shown right. Materials can be everything from comic frame templates, word balloons, and photographs to special brush designs and 3D models. There’s a huge variety of items contained in the Material palette. We’ll learn more about 3D models in Chapter 14, Using 3D Figures and Objects, and more about the Material palette in Chapter 9, Inking Special Effects and the Material Palette.Figure 2.14: Screenshot of the Quick Access and Material palettes
The Sub Tool palette contains options for each of the tools in the tool palette, and it changes depending on which tool we currently have selected. At the top of this palette are the different categories of tools in the Pencil category. In the central area of the palette are the different types of pencil tools. The tools displayed in your Sub Tools may be different than what is shown in the following screenshot on the right:Figure 2.15: Screenshot of the Sub Tool palette
The Tool property palette displays options for the currently selected tool , as you can see in the screenshot on the right. Each tool can be customized to meet our individual needs, which we will discuss in more detail later in this chapter.Figure 2.16: Screenshot of the Tool property palette
The Brush size palette allows us to quickly change the size of our brush by selecting one of the preset brush sizes from the icons shown in the palette:Figure 2.17: Screenshot of the Brush size palette
The Color palette offers us several options to choose and mix colors, all of which we’ll explore later on in Chapter 15, Color Palettes.Figure 2.18: Screenshot of the Color Palette
The command bar is a powerhouse in Clip Studio Paint, even though it doesn’t look like much. This little piece of the interface gives us quick access to frequently used functions, such as creating a new file, saving, undoing, and even exporting files. The best thing is that it’s completely customizable, too!We’ll learn how to customize the command bar in Chapter 3, Pages and Panels to Shape Manga.
Figure 2.19: Screenshot of the command bar
When there is a drawing or file currently open in Clip Studio Paint, it will be displayed in the Canvas display in the center of the program.The Timeline palette is for displaying an animation timeline. We will learn more about creating animations in Chapter 18, Exploring Clip Studio Assets and Animation.Figure 2.20: Screenshot of the Timeline palette
The Sub View palette shows the currently active file, along with a red rectangle that outlines the currently viewed section of the canvas. This is useful when working zoomed in on a page.
Figure 2.21: Screenshot of the Sub View palette
Beneath the Navigator
