Heyo! How are you guys? Have you made any scribbles on your math assignments or notebooks? Do you want to go one step further into the digital world? Then you've come to the perfect place to learn how to convert your traditional sketches to digital ones and how to use Clip Studio's features to complete them. I’ve done a YouTube for you guys to hear my yapping, so please do check it out! Nevertheless, let’s get into the guide~

Importing Your Traditional Sketch

Scan or photograph your traditional sketch and import it into Clip Studio Paint (File > Import > Image). I recommended scanning since phones or cameras can sometimes overlook details in your linework. However, if you don’t have a scanner, no worries! Do however you can with tools provided to you

Afterward, Position and resize the sketch as needed.

Utilizing Level Correction to Enhance Line Clarity

Go to Edit > Tonal Correction > Level Correction. You'll adjust the input levels in this window to clean up the sketch. The left slider enhances the dark tones (lines), and the right slider adjusts the lighter tones (background).

Level Correction is a powerful way to adjust the contrast of your sketch. Moving the dark slider to the right sharpens your pencil lines while moving the light slider to the left makes the paper's texture disappear, creating a clean surface for digital work. If you have done pen lines, it would look so much cleaner and neat!

Refining Lines with a Gritty Yet Smooth Brush

After cleaning up the sketch, create a new raster or vector layer and choose a gritty yet smooth brush pen (e.g., the "Real G-Pen" in Clip Studio Paint) for inking. This brush gives your lines a hand-drawn quality while maintaining smoothness.

This technique enhances the traditional feel of your art while allowing for more clarity. Adjust the brush size for varied line thickness, emphasizing details. But if you love to keep your chicken sketches like mine were, Feel free to leave it be and go straight to coloring!

Also, by isolating your line art, you can add layers beneath it for coloring, allowing for smooth edits without affecting the sketch.

There’s another fantastic feature called “change layer color,” which automatically changes the color of the selected layer into a lighter hue. Their default color of choice is baby blue. However, you may change the color however you like! And the best part is that once you’ve used the function, it will revert to the original color as before!

Adding Digital Color and Experimentation!

My favorite part yet! Create a new layer beneath the line art and use the paint bucket tool or manual brush techniques, such as the lasso tool, to fill in the colors. Clip Studio Paint’s blending tools and brushes allow you to build smooth gradients or painterly effects. I’ve used their default brushes throughout the process, which are gouache and oil painting sets!

Digital coloring is where your traditional sketch truly transforms. Start with flat colors and gradually build shadows and highlights to add depth. You can also experiment with blending modes (like Multiply or Overlay) to enhance the overall look. I love using linear light and burn; it’s saturations into my overall piece, which is magical! Nevertheless, It’s up to you, to how your art style is and preference in coloring~

Finishing Touches

Add textures, refine highlights, and experiment with filters to give your artwork a polished, professional finish. “Gradient map” and “Tonal curve” are great options to consider to adjust the overall painting’s color composition and mood. Consider adding digital lighting effects or subtle texture overlays to mimic traditional media as it was previously.

The digital phase gives you endless possibilities to enhance and refine your traditional work. Clip Studio Paint has given us plenty of options to experiment with using layers for shadows, highlights, and textures to build up complexity!