Preface
Digital art has come a long way in recent years, and Clip Studio Paint (CSP) has emerged as one of the most versatile and powerful tools available to illustrators, comic artists, and character designers. With its vast array of brushes, intuitive interface, and growing library of features-including advanced 3D tools and customizable automation-CSP has become a cornerstone of digital workflows around the world.
This book was created to help you take full advantage of what CSP has to offer. Whether you're already familiar with the software or just beginning to explore its capabilities, this guide is designed to walk you through the tools, functions, and strategies that can make your process faster, smoother, and more enjoyable. You'll learn not just what each tool does, but how and why to use it in your creative workflow.
This book will help you to utilize the technical possibilities of CSP while maintaining the personal style you want to express through your art.
Important note
Clip Studio Paint and Clip Studio are the trademark or registered trademark of Celsys.
Who this book is for
This guide is for intermediate to advanced digital artists, illustrators, character designers, environment and prop designers, and comic artists familiar with CSP. You'll be able to build on your foundation in digital media and CSP to fully personalize your experience with the software.
What this book covers
Chapter 1, Customizing Your Workspace for Efficiency, will teach you how to tailor CSP's interface to your needs so that you can work faster and stay focused on your art.
Chapter 2, Streamlining Your Workflow with Shortcuts and Actions, is where you will discover how to automate repetitive tasks and speed up your process using keyboard shortcuts and auto-actions.
Chapter 3, Setting Up Materials for Consistency and Speed, will show you how to save time and maintain consistency across projects by creating custom templates and tool presets.
Chapter 4, Organizing Your Projects Effectively, will help you to master file and layer organization techniques to keep complex illustrations clear, manageable, and easy to update.
Chapter 5, Unlocking the Full Potential of Brush Settings, will dive into brush customization to gain more control over your lines, textures, and painting techniques.
Chapter 6, Enhancing Your Lines with Vector Layers, will explore the power of vector layers to create clean, editable linework that's easy to adjust without compromising on quality.
Chapter 7, Utilizing Rulers and Guides for Precision, will show you how to use CSP's ruler and guide tools to create accurate shapes, patterns, and perspectives with ease.
Chapter 8, Maximizing Efficiency and Organization with Layers, will help you master the Layer and Layer Property palettes to streamline your workflow using features such as reference layers, masks, and layer color for better control and clarity.
Chapter 9, Mastering Layer Blending Modes for Stunning Colors, will show you how to unlock the creative potential of blending modes to add depth, lighting, and dynamic effects to your artwork.
Chapter 10, Perfecting Your Selections, will help you get precise with your edits and color placement by mastering selection tools and advanced selection techniques.
Chapter 11, Applying Color Quickly with Pro Techniques, will enable you to discover efficient methods to apply colors using smart tools and layer techniques that speed up your coloring process.
Chapter 12, Enhancing Your Art with Post-Processing Adjustments, will teach you how to elevate your final image using tonal corrections, Liquify, and other finishing touches to refine composition and impact.
Chapter 13, Manipulating 3D Objects on the Canvas, is where you will get hands-on with 3D objects as you learn how to move, scale, and rotate them for accurate perspective and quick scene building.
Chapter 14, Altering and Posing 3D Figures, will explore how to pose, customize, and adjust 3D figures to match your vision, whether for reference or final artwork.
Chapter 15, Illuminating Your Artwork with 3D Lighting and Shading Assist, uses 3D lighting tools and the Shading Assist feature to simulate realistic light and shadow directly on your characters and scenes.
Chapter 16, Creating 3D Backgrounds, will show you how to build environments using 3D primitives, objects, and panoramic materials to add depth and immersion to your illustrations.
To get the most out of this book
You will need a version of CSP installed on your computer-version 4.0 or above, if possible. All painting examples have been tested using CSP 4.0 on Windows. However, they should work with future version releases too.
Software/hardware covered in the book
Operating system requirements
Clip Studio Paint 4.0 or above
Windows, macOS, iPadOS, iOS, Android, or ChromeOS
You can see all the system requirements by going to https://www.clipstudio.net/en/dl/system/.
You will need the EX version to extract lines from images and 3D models (Chapter 8, Maximizing Efficiency and Organization with Layers) and use the All sides view palette (Chapter 13, Manipulating 3D Objects on the Canvas). All other features covered in this book are available in the PRO version.
Conventions used
There are a number of text conventions used throughout this book.
Bold: Indicates a new term, an important word, or words that you see onscreen. For instance, words in menus or dialog boxes appear in bold. Here is an example: "Inside the Sub Tool Detail palette, navigate to Ink and set Blending mode to Erase."
Tips or 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 customercare@packtpub.com and mention the book title in the subject of your message.
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