This lesson in Clip Studio Paint, is based on the use of functions such as the [ Layer Mask ] and

[ Blending modes ]. It is an effective technique to render the Transparency effect of an object and materials like • Glass or • Plastic, that also integrating it into a background.

 

 

 

Terms used :

 

 

▢ Transparency is created by the degree of opacity with which an object blocks the light.

 

▢ Blending modes determine how two layers, below and above interacts with each other. It is an editing tool that affect the pixels and unlock creative possibilities.

 

▢ Layer Mask is a Black or White filter that allows you to hide or show different parts of a layer. It help me to control the transparency of some specific areas in the layers.

 

▢ Luminosity is the producing or the reflection of bright light, until appearing to shine.

 

▢ Darkness is the partial or complete absence of light.

 

 

 

 

 

▇ How it works

 

▶ Here is a short presentation of how works and what does the [ Blending modes ] I use to render the transparency by working on the light.

 

✚ Below is how to access to the [ Blending mode ] menu :

 

 

 

For the graphics below :

 

① The three primary colors juxtaposed in different layers, without transparency. All three in the same folder.

 

② Now to degrade the opacity of all layers.

 

• I first set the folder in the blending mode [ Through ].

 

⤷ [ Through ] give a control on all the layers in the group and have them to work with each others.

 

 

• Then I apply the blending mode [ Multiply ] to the layers.

 

⤷ [ Multiply ] Bending mode, allows to adjust the opacity according to remove the light colors and recover the dark pixels, the dark relief, the shadows. It will control the [ Luminosity ].

 

 

 

 

③ Now to recover the light, I use the opposite Blending mode of [ Multiply ] witch is [ Screen ].

 

⤷ [ Screen ] Bending mode, allows to adjust the opacity according to remove the dark colors and keep the bright pixels, the light. It will control the [ Darkness ].

 

 

④ With the layers and the blending mode, we can determinate the areas that become more or less transparent.

 

 

 

 

But now the colors are mixing together.

To avoid this and keep the colors tones, I work with Black & White and use the function of

[ Layer Mask ].

 

 

 

 

・ Layer Mask and Blending mode

 

This next study present with a Black & White volume the functions and effects of

[ Blend ] mode and [ Layer Mask ] that allows to selectively modify the transparency.

 

⤷ [ Layer Mask ] do not remove information like the eraser does, it only affect transparency and keep the tones.

 

And because [ Layer Mask ] is only composed of gray levels.

White corresponding to opaque ( at 100% ), and Black to transparent (at 0% ).

We need to have a layer that has pure whites, deep blacks and fairly light gray.

That will represent the rate of each colors expressed in Black & White.

 

⤷ The lighter your grays are, the more transparent your object will be.

 

 

 

 

▶ Application

 

 

① I create a volume with the brush [ Smooth Watercolor ] and set some lighter pixels.

 

 

② / ③ Then I use the brush tool [ Airbrush ] with Highlight and Shade to intensify the brights and darks areas.

I also use the [ Filter ] mode [ Blur ] to apply a blurry in the layer.

 

✚ Acces for [ Blur ] :

⇒ Select the menu [ Filter ] >> [ Blur ]

 

 

 

④ When the Black & White layer is ready, according to the setting of the layer masks

( White is opaque at 100% and Black is transparent at 0% ).

Let's create the [ Layer Mask ].

 

• First, select the surface that will defined the mask and so the transparency.

• Then apply the [ Layer Mask ] onto the folder with the icon :

 

As below

 

 

 

→ Don't forget to set this folder to the blend mode [ Through ] for the layers to work the transparency.

 

 

⑤ Then Select the Black & White layer, and set it into the blending mode [ Multiply ]

Already it becomes transparent because it loses the bright pixels to let the light through.

 

 

 

⑥ Now that the [ Luminosity ] layer is defined I want to affect those dark pixels.

 

• I need to reverse the processus so I duplicate this Luminosity layer

• And set the new layer to an other blending mode, [ Screen ].

Now the brights pixels comes back adjusted with the layer below.

 

We therefore have two precious new layers: Lights and Shadows on the other hand.

 

 

 

It needs now to adjust the tonal of those two layers with the function [ Level Correction ] to get more transparency effect.

 

Starting with the levels of the [ Screen ] layer to defined how much light the object reflect.

 

 

 

 

⑦ With the function [ Level Correction ], I am able to intensify the brights and darks areas.

 

✚ Acces to the [ Level Correction ] :

⇒ Select the menu [ Edit ] >> [ Tonal Correction ] >> [ Level Correction ]

 

 

 

Then, according to the Light, I adjust the [ Multiply ] layer and give the object its full transparency by adjusting the [ Luminosity ].

 

 

 

The final touch, is to arranged the details and the background in order to render a proper transparency.

I had in a different layer the • Light reflection in [ Normal ] blending mode. Like that it will not be affected by the transparency effect.

Then I rounded the background and reduced it to get the border of the ball so that we recognize a translucent sphere.

 

 

 

This example have show how with the help of two Blending modes [ Multiply ] and [ Screen ]

I have controlled the Brights and the Darkest pixels to apply a transparency effect.

 

 

 

 

・ Volume and Shape

 

▶ When an object become transparent, you have to know its volume, its shape.

As seen before, the background has to be rounded because of the round volume the sphere has.

 

Here is some of the basics shapes.

 

 

 

You can see, that I was able to colored these objects, from Black & White layers.

It will be explain how in the next chapters.

 

 

▇ Applications

 

In the following examples I will go into more details in the settings of functions such as

[ Level correction ] to render transparency effect and [ Hue ] in order to apply a color filter.

As well as the fine-tuning for a realistic integration with the background and the use of the

[ Black Layer Mask ] function.

 

 

・ Glass

 

▶ In this example of a glass bottle, I start with a background to see the integration with it, the bottle stopper which is not to be made transparent, and the draw of ​​a bottle.

 

 

 

As know from before we have to work in Black & White, to make the arrangements fitting.

But this original layer is needed to keep the colors values.

 

▶ So I first [ Duplicate ] the original bottle layer and gonna level all down the saturation to get a Black & White result, which has pure whites, a majority of light grays, and little bit of darker pixels.

Since I am expecting it almost totally transparent.

 

✚ Here is how to access to the function [ Saturation ] :

⇒ Select the menu [ Edit ] >> [ Tonal Correction ] >> [ Hue/Saturation/Luminosity ]

 

 

 

▶ I add a new folder and drag the new Black & White layer into it.

Then I start to developp the [ Layer Mask ] by selecting the shape of the bottle and set this new folder to the blending mode [ Through ].

 

 

 

▶ Let's now see through this bottle with the blending mode [ Multiply ] apply on the Black & White bottle's layer.

 

⤷ That keep the darkest pixels and hide the brightest. This new layer will control the

[ Luminosity ] of the bottle.

 

 

 

▶ Next is to get the brights tones recovered, to do that, I must reverse the processus with the blending mode [Screen ].

 

By [ Duplicate ] the [ Multiply ] bottle layer and switch its blending mode to [ Screen ].

⤷ This new layer now control the [ Darkness ] of the bottle.

 

 

 

As said before [ Layer Mask ] is only composed of gray levels.

 

▶ So if I increase the level of this new [ Screen ] layer, I will choose the intensity of it. Then the Darkest pixels will become transparent.

 

To do so, I select the [ Screen ] Layer and use the function [ Level Correction ].

✚ Accessing by :

⇒ Select the menu [ Edit ] >> [ Tonal Correction ] >> [ Level Correction ]

 

Below an illustration of the processus of leveling.

 

 

・ Integration with background

 

Now that the adjustments are done. The background need to be in agreement with this new transparency of the object.

It need to be curve in a way at least deformed

 

▶ To do so, I will not erase or adding paint to the background but will use a Filter of [ Distort ].

 

• First step is to select the shape of the bottle

• Select the Background layer, and copy the area.

 

⤷ This new layer represent the transparency reflection of the background and can now be modified.

 

 

▶ I start with the distortion [ Pinch ] which alters the selection and shifts the lines.

 

✚ Here is how to access to the filter [ Pinch ] :

⇒ Select menu [ Filter ] >> [ Distort ] >> [ Pinch ]

 

 

Now that the background is a bit curved by the glass effect, another detail for a realistic apparence requires some edges at the glass bottle.

 

▶ I will use the Filter [ Curved Surface ] to give some relief on the edges of this bottle.

 

✚ Access to the filter [ Curved Surface ] :

⇒ Select menu [ Filter ] >> [ Distort ] >> [ Curved Surface ]

 

Then choose in the selection tab, the option : [ Cylinder ]

 

Like Below :

 

It is now done with the transparency effect of the glass bottle and its integration with the background. Once again the functions are helpful in the process.

 

 

 

 

・ Apply Colors

 

Usually on the purpose to set the color, it will be the time to use the very first and original bottle's layer. But because it's a glass and a smooth material, I could just had to the shape selection of the bottle a flat coloring.

It will fit in accord to the other layers with the blending mode [ Color ].

 

⤷ [ Color ] blend mode preserves the luminosity of the bottom layer, while adopting the

[ Hue ] and [ Saturation ] of the top layer.

 

▶ To do so :

 

• Make a selection of the shape of the bottle.

• In a new layer, apply a color, better with a middle tone.

• Then, drag this color layer into the folder, on top of the [ Luminosity ] layer.

 

 

 

• Switch the blending mode of this new layer to [ Color ], so it will act with the other layers and the folder modes.

 

As below :

 

 

( I also show the tab with the positions of all layers. )

 

 

 

With this new [ Color ] layer, you are able to change the [ Hue ] value, and so the color of the bottle, by using the function [ Tonal Correction ].

 

✚ Access by :

⇒ Select the menu [ Edit ] >> [ Tonal Correction ] >> [ Hue/Saturation/Luminosity ]

 

 

 

That conclude the chapter for the glass material transparency.

You will have noticed that with the [ Blending modes ] It is easy to manipulate all the values of the bottle witch are the [ Luminosity ] the [ Hue ] and the [ Saturation ].

 

 

 

・ Plastic ( Soft )

 

This chapter about Soft Plastic will go further on the colors details such as the reflection or the partial transparency create with the [ Black Layer Mask ].

 

▶ I repeat quickly the first steps for the transparency effect to arrived directly to the color part.

 

 

 

 

▶ We can see below, that the selected part, must not be transparent because of the superposition, even more the node. There, the light can't go through.

 

 

 

To be able to cover that part without acting on the rest of the layer, I use the function

[ Black ] Layer mask.

 

⤷ [ Black ] on a [ Layer mask ] hide the layer that contains the mask, it makes possible then to hide some pixels.

 

✚ To make a [ Black Layer Mask ] :

⇒ Maintain ALT + Icon Create layer mask

 

 

 

▶ To do so I first [ Duplicate ] the original Plastic bag layer, then drag this new one up onto the folder. Then maintain ALT + Layer mask icon to create a [ Black layer mask ].

 

This new layer, as to stay on [ Normal ] blend mode, to be not affected by the transparency of the folder.

 

 

 

Now with a white color, I grab my Brush [ Smooth Watercolor ] and paint on the part I don't want to be transparent .

 

 

 

▶ The last thing to do to have a realistic effect, would be to make the reflection of the colors, by the plastic.

I use again the Brush [ Smooth Watercolor ] to express those details, in a new layer on

[ Normal ] blend mode.

 

 

・ Plastic ( Hard )

 

Hard plastic, is a combination of the both materials we have seen before.

It has a smooth apparence like the glass, and reflect the light as much as the Soft Plastic.

 

 

▶ On the illustration below I have represent in order from the left to the right.

The [ Luminosity ] with [ Multiply ] blend mode, the [ Darkness ] with [ Screen ] blend mode, the [ Hue ], and the final touch, colors and light reflection.

 

 

With the final result furthest to the right.

 

 

▇ Assets

 

▶ To get some transparency and also a texture, there are the [ Assets ] that some are already arranged with a transparent effect.

Here is some examples I find interesting to work with and the three very first ones that I did myself like the cracked and dirty glass.

 

I use the same procedure to get the transparency effect, but here with the texture, it help to get the idea of the material.

 

 

 

▶ Then on those ones below, I use [ Assets ].

⤷ The lowest layer represent the asset I use to make the texture.

 

Otherwise here the [ Luminosity ] and [ Darkness ] layers are useful not to get the transparency because it is already done, but to level with the function [ Level Correction ] or

[ Tone Curve ] the values of them.

 

 

▇ Credits

 

This is it but there will always be more to explain.

During this guide I have explored the use of three [ Blending modes ] and the [ Layer Mask ], as well that the function [ Level Correction ] to achieve the transparency effect.

Those are very useful to create various effects with a single layer.

 

Also I hope I was clear on these explanations, if you have any questions and comments, please.

 

For all the techniques and functions highlighted in this article, I invite you to test them and used them your way.

 

 

Thank you so much for reading, and I reach you on some next Tips or other post.

 

Have a good drawing!

 

 

 

➁➁