Hi everyone! In this tutorial I will be showing you 4 different ways on how to use screentones. 

_

But before I start, what are screentones? 

1. What are Screentones?  

Screentones come in all different shapes, patterns and can even be adjusted to various densities, frequencies and sizes. 

They can be used to add texture and dimension to your art. 

I mostly use them on gray scaled artwork in oder to avoid a flat colored illustration. 

_

You can add many screentones by selecting areas with the "auto select" or the standard "selection" tool and going to "new tone". 

You can also find lots of different screentones under "Material [Monochromatic pattern]" in Clip Studio. 

 

 

The following image shows how adjusting the frequency and density can change the outcome of the dots.

 

( Frequency: The number of times at which the patterns occur.

Density: The distribution (close/far apart) of the patterns. )

 

Now moving on to the actual tutorial. 

2. Preparations

So before I use the screentones, I will quickly show you how I put together my illustration, so using the screentones is going to be easier. 

 

The first thing that I am going to do is to create new canvas by going to "File" then "New" and set it to gray tones by selecting "Gray" under "Basic expression color", this will make sure that I can only use shades of black and white. 

Next I put up 2 thin borders and drew the lineart of my character into the panels. 

Then I add a new layer and just color in the parts that should stand out the most.

For example with this illustration, my character has dark red hair and colored skin, so I filled in the parts of his hair and skin with different shades.

Lastly I added a simple and quick background to make sure my character is positioned in the foreground. 

 

In the next steps, I will be showing you 4 different methods on how to use screentones. 

3. First Method - Auto Select

I took the "auto select" tool and selected his turtleneck under the shirt. (green area) (1)

(Make sure to adjust the width of the selection area under "close gap". )

 

After that click on "New Tone" (2) and choose the Type of screentone you want (3), you can also adjust the frequency and density.

 

For this turtleneck the type I choose lines, to give it a nice texture.

Finished look (4)

4. Second Method - Using Brush and Layer Property

Add a new layer, then using a Brush create shadows to give the character depth.

I recommend using the standard CSP Airbrush pen to get smooth corners.

After adding the shadows click on "Layer Property" (1) and choose "Tone" (2) on the Effect section, doing this turns all brush strokes into "Screentones".

 

Here you can also adjust the frequency and density and change the Type of screentone on "Dot Settings".

5. Third Method - CSP Materials

Clip Studio Paint has a big variety of Materials you can use for free.

 

For now lets focus on the "Material [Monochromatic pattern]" section.

Here you can choose between many different types of patterns, I will be focusing on the "Basic" section, giving my character a darker face shadow.

 

I chose a pattern from the "Dot" section. (Drag and Drop)

 

Here the fequency and density is already preset but can be adjusted trough "Layer Property", keep that in mind when choosing one.

After adding the dot pattern use the selection tool to mark the areas you want to keep as shadows (1) and then click the "Delete outside selection" option to get rid off the remaining dots (2).

 

Whithout deselecting the area use a soft eraser and erase along the edge for a smoother look (3).

Bonus: Fourth Method - Setting the mood

Here are 4 different ways how screentones change the mood of the illustration.

And you are done!