Introduction

Hello everyone! When we think about hairstyles what the first thing that comes in your mind?

something that so growing long when time passing by? or something that gives life to the character that we love?

 

Today I gonna share you some of my tips that learn from the past, how to make your character more natural and look bashful at first sight. and I will show you some tips and trick that can help your work faster than before with Clip Studio Paint!

 

What are we waiting for? Let's Begin!

Brush Preparation

For my brushes, I made some adjustments from the initial tool settings. I used the three brushes below.

 

・ Pen

This is the brush that I use for Sketching or do some Line Art without changing the settings

It was good a brush. (even though I don't know how to call or read their name LOL)

Click the link below to Download

 

・ Flat Brush

I adjust some of the settings of the [Brush] tool > [Thick Paint] > [Oil paint flat brush] subtool. This is the brush I use to paint stuff.

1. You can adjust what tool options are displayed in the [Tool Property] palette with the [Sub Tool Detail] palette.

 

2. I use change [Opacity] around 50% At the color stage, I’ll paint while changing the opacity between 40% to 60%.

 

3. I also turn off the default [Mix ground color] setting., and add the Opacity setting to the [Tool Property] palette.

 

・ Airbrush Soft

This is the [Airbrush] tool > [Airbrush] > [Soft] sub tool without any changing

I use this brush for adding shadow and painting some effect like [Color Dodge]

That's all the brushes that I use guys! I only use a few brushes, because it more easy to paint more than using a lot of brush in my artwork and that a lot quicker to switch between them.

Overall Structure

■ I think when it comes to hair stuff we will think about overall head and face shape too right?

everything starting from the head. and a good head structure can help you make your hair look more and more natural and realistic.

 

starting with a good head structure also help your located where is your hair root come from and also how your hair falling toward the ground.

 

 

 

▲The blue area is the area that hair growing from

 

▼ That red area where it affects how your character's hairstyle is good or not.

 

And you can see the red dot that is inside the red area, it can be anywhere inside that red area

but three of them that show in the picture are the most common one in the real world.

 

and can be the area that all are coming from, like the root of hair or something like that, so hairstyle of your character start from here in the red area and a tiny red dot

 

and remember when you already decide where is your red dot is, your hair will always start at this point.

▼ the direction it depends on the hairstyle as well, you can see example below here.

the different the hairstyle the different the red dot and root of hair position

 

▼ and you see all of the guide line start from that red dot position

 

 

Basic Shape

■ Starting with Red guide line that falling from x mark on the of the head.

The Red line is there just to guide what direction the hair will go to

▲ Always start with the basic instead of start will a detail line.

 

I draw basic shape first to see what hair will go? did my hair follow the head not just floating in the air?

 

The basic form let you understand about what the next step gonna be. and you will do better if you understand them clearly.

 

■ A sphere is a good example to let you see how hair interacting with the head.

 

you can see the guide line completely follows the curve of the head from the top of the head until the hard fall toward the ground.

 

▲ after I draw the guide line from the x mark it let me know where the hair will failing to, so I can continue to draw the basic form of hair

 

you can see after I finished a basic form of the hair is looking more natural because I have a really good head structure so when coming to the drawing hair it will be easier to follow that structure

Tips & Tricks

▼ You can see all the hairs are a curve following the shape of the head, so be careful try to draw hair that follows the form the head

▼ Don't let the hair get too close or too far for the head. But it depends on the hairstyle as well

 

▼ you can see the blue color that shows the distance between the hair and the head, that give you to understand how far the hair from the curve of the head.

Hair Moment

I just want to give a natural look to the hair. hair always affected by surrounding body moment, gravity, wind

 

and I gonna let you guys know how wind affects the hair!

 

 

▼

the red arrow = moment of hair, the direction of hair will go.

the blue arrow = the direction of the wind

▼ Start with guide line again, so you guys can see I try to draw the guide line that goes along with the direction of the wind.

■ so I gonna use a basic form to let you see how hair interacts with the hair

 

you can see the difference between the right side and left side.

when the wind blows to the right side of the head, the hair has nowhere to go so it need be on the cheek or around the right side of face somewhere.

 

so when it comes to the left the hair so floating in the air floating along with the direction of the wind.

 

But all of this is just 1 scenario It always depends on what is your character hairstyle and what the direction that wind comes from.

 

and remember always start with a basic form.

after adding the basic form to the piece,

 

you can see and some basic hair moment it help your character look more alive and natural than before.

▼ I starting to add more detail to the hair like small hair and make a hair tip sharper

■ Don't draw hair in the straight line, Hair never be are a straight line

 

■S line is perfectly fit for the hair, it gives the natural and interesting look more than the straight one.

 

■ Always add some Volume to the tip of the hair. like a big one and small one, draw the shape that looks more interest. Don't draw hair tip that has the same design same shape, that will make your hair have a boring looking.

Line art and Layer mask

I tend to draw the line very loose, so when it comes to painting stage the line will not stand out too much.

and I don't need to draw a perfect line because I'm gonna overpaint it anyway.

 

I just finished the line art, the Skin layer below the hair still showing so I need to hide it away with using [Layer mask]

 

Before I continue with the rest of the base painting, I create a [Layer mask] so I can hide any of the draft lines that are in the way.

I select the “Skin Layer” layer and click the “Create layer mask” icon on the [Layer] palette. and [Layer mask] will appear on the right of the base layer

 

▼ Make sure you select a layer mask. if you already select a layer mask, the black square will appear around the thumbnail layer.

 

if you use an eraser tool while selecting the layer mask, you can hide parts of the draft lines. However, because it’s just a mask, the lines aren’t erased from the actual layer.

 

The only thing I use [Layer mask] instead of use [Eraser] to erase the line. Because when you use layer mask you just hide that line away instead of erasing it. and part of the lines is still there ready to fix anytime.

 

▼ I trying to light the line from being too dark with using very low opacity [Eraser] .

 

Done !!! I just finished the line art, so we gonna move on to the next process.

 

Base Color and Layer mask

 

▼ Before we go to the painting stage we have a little bit small change here, I lower the opacity of the line art layer folder from 100% to 80%. this can help you to see color that stays behind the line art.

■First, we gonna need selection area before fill the base color

 

Now, you need to go to [Selection] > [Quick Mask] > [Quick Mask] layer gonna appear and everything you draw or paint on this color will be RED color.

 

I Recommend you to use [Pen] > [G-Pen] for draw selection and [Erase] > [Hard] for erase the selection. because it has a very shape and accurate shape,

so you can draw your selection without worry.

▲ Now you need to use your brush to draw a selection around the area that you want to fill.

Warning Try to close the gap between inside the line and outside the line because when it comes to the fill stage it will just fill the whole canvas instead of inside the line

 

If you already check that your line is close together perfectly, then, we are ready to fill it!

Use [Fill] to fill inside of the line

 

After you finished filling, then you need to repeat the same step like the start

 

Go to [Selection] > [Quick Mask] to Confirm your selection area. Red area and [Quick Mask] layer will disappear and will show as the right picture

 

And whatever you do draw or fill everything will stay on the line.

 

▼ After I fill a selection, then I Separate my base color layers to 3 layers.

1.Hair

2.Eyes

3.Skin

All of this above will be my base color layers.

 

▼ Now I feel like my line art is a little too dark for me, so I will change the color of the lines.

1. Select [Layer] that you want to edit your line's color

2. Choose the [Color] you want to edit

3. Go to [Edit] > [Change color of line to drawing] > See the result

 

This command is very useful when you don't satisfied with your line's and you can just try to change color until you okay with it.

 

 

▼ The changed is a little hard to notice, so I make the example to let you see what will happen when you use this command.

Shadow and Light

Now, we gonna start the actual painting stage.

 

■First, before we goona start to add some shadows and lights, we need to know where does the light come from

 

I set sunlight or light source to come from top right, then we can start painting some shadows.

 

▼ I start will create 2 new layers above the Hair layer and Skin layer.

and now I gonna clip them to prevent from any unwanted line or paint.

 

Select [Layer] that you want to clip > and go to [Command Bar] and select [Clip to Layer Below] After than red light will appear on the front of the layer.

 

So everything will only appear on the base layer below the clip layer.

Now I continue to paint on the clip layers using [Soft Airbrush] to Paint around the shadow area with a darker color.

 

When I think it's good enough then I will move on to the real painting process.

Now come to the actual painting, I create a new layer above all of my layer. this layer will be my [Overpaint] layer everything I paint from now on will be on this layer.

 

■ Then I start to paint shadow stroke to the layer with [Flat Brush]

 

I try to be painting slowly and try to figure it out where my hair will be dark or light because I don't want my hair to have too much shadow on it.

After I add some shadow on the hair, I start to change to the shape of the hair to make it sharper and curve more than before.

 

you can see the difference below here.

After I finished base shadow, I gonna add some highlight on the top that light source that made contact with the hair.

 

■ I create a new layer that will be my highlight layer.

I just start to paint with a softer tone or brighter tone a make it look more alive.

After that, I'm satisfied with the result then I will move on to the next step.

 

 

After adding high of the hair I start to draw detail on the hair like small hair and add some interesting color to the tip of the hair. It's a little hard to see, but you can see it if u focus to the tip area.

■ I think I need to add more light to the highlight area, and [Color dodge] is a great way to do that!

 

First, you need to create a new [Layer] > Select your highlight layer > Select [Blending Mode] >[Color dodge]

 

▲ the tool that I use is [Soft Airbrush] you may lower your brush opacity to 80% if you want

try to paint very loose because you don't want the hair to be too bright

 

If u want to erase it I recommend you to use [Eraser] > [Soft] because it have the same texture as the [Soft Airbrush]

 

▲ If you think is a highlight is too bright, try use [Soft Eraser] to erase it to make it softer or you can lower [Layer] opacity as well.

you can see the difference between this two! It's a lot better than before.

 

 

▼ After I adding Highlight I just realize some of the dark strokes is so hard to see, so add some more detail to the hair.

Final Detail

After I finished painting hair. then I'll continue to paint the rest of the picture.

 

■ I create a second overpaint layer below the first overpaint layer. this layer will contain painting about eyes and the rest of the body.

▲ I start to paint color to the eyes and skin around the lower eyes lid.

and reinforce a darker tone to the eyelash to make it look more interesting

 

▲ and also add some shadow on the skin on the area that hair block the light.

▲ adding more color the eyes and the white eyes, also start to painting highlight on the eyes to make it look more alive.

 

▲ adding more color to the eyelash as well

 

▲ I start to add more color to the eyelid and below the nose and the lip!

▲ after I think I add detail more enough to the face and the eyes. then I will move on to the body part.

 

▲ I just add more shadow on the neck and shoulder, and blend it to make it moke smoother

 

▲ and erase a little bit of unwanted lower body part

 

I think I'd call this piece is already complete!

Author's Words

Finally, we come to an end.

If you like my tutorial please let me know in the comment below I really love to hear that!

and If you don't understand something about this tutorial you may ask me in the comment down below.

 

I don't have any confidence in my English skill because is my first time doing some sort of tutorial in English. so I hope u can understand what I trying to do in my tutorial.

 

that's all of today guys!

remember, study hard and become a good artist! Bye!