Intro
Hey there! I'm Peter, an illustrator and comic artist. In this tutorial, I'll be sharing some awesome tips on how to create stunning artwork using just your smartphone. I personally do all my art on an Android phone, so this guide comes straight from a fellow smartphone artist!
How is clip studio on smart phone like ??
Contrary to popular belief, Clip Studio Paint on Android and other smartphones has all the same features as the PC version. Personally, I prefer using a smartphone because it’s more comfortable for me—though I can't speak for everyone!
That said, there are no limits to what you can create on your smartphone as long as you have CSP on it.
In this tutorial I will go over my process In using clip studio paint to create a character. I will also explain some of the amazing features on the clip studio smartphone you might not be aware of.
Starting CSP on smartphone
You can download the latest version of Clip Studio Paint from the Play Store if you haven't already. Once it's installed, we can dive right in!
When you open Clip Studio Paint, your screen should look something like this.
*1. This shows recently edited drawing you have made, would probably be blank if you haven't made anything yet.
*2. Recommends materials you might need for your illustration process, clicking the link takes you to clip studio asset store page.
*3. Recommends tips you might need as an artist when making your illustration.
*4. Use that to view your previous works
*5. This is the button we are most interested in, with it we can start making our beautiful illustrations.
When you click on the draw icon, you can start setting up your canvas by clicking the “advanced settings” icon.
You can edit your canvas settings from default to a custom canvas settings depending on what you want to achieve. Clip studio already have nice templates for illustration, webtoon, comics and animation.
By clicking custom, you will be allowed to type in your custom size for the illustration you want to make.
You can also select some of the default sizes you are comfortable with, it's up to you :-)
Once you've set up your canvas, you're all set! Now, let's jump in and start drawing—let's go!
Drawing process
I’ll walk you through how I use Clip Studio Paint on my smartphone to create this character and background scenery. My process might not be the absolute best, but it can serve as a guide to help you develop your own unique workflow that suits you best!
Sketching and Line art
When I first started using Clip Studio Paint, I drew with my fingers—and I still do! Drawing with your finger can be tricky at first, especially when it comes to line art, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll master it in no time.
To make line art easier, I usually start by sketching my character on paper. Then, I import the sketch into Clip Studio Paint and trace over it with my fingers. I love this process because it allows me to refine my drawing digitally while still keeping my original sketch. Plus, I end up with two artworks—the traditional sketch and the digital line art!
If you have a Sonar Pen, be sure to use it—it's much more comfortable than drawing with your fingers.
For the illustration am working on, I made a sketch on paper with a pencil.
I erased the sketch and began outlining it with my pencil to bring my character to life.
Even when sketching on paper, I like to add shading because it helps me define light and shadow, making the digital rendering process much easier.
Once I’m done with the drawing, I snap the drawing with my smartphone and import it into Clip Studio Paint.
Note: When taking a picture of your drawing, make sure to align your phone so it's perfectly parallel to the paper. This prevents perspective distortion and keeps your artwork looking accurate.
Importing photo
To import your photo, open clip studio paint and tap on the import icon. This will take you directly to your files and gallery where you can select your image.
After importing your image, it will appear on a single layer without the standard canvas layer that typically comes with a new project in Clip Studio Paint. This can make creating new line art challenging since lowering the opacity of the drawing layer will turn the image transparent.
To fix this, I will create a new layer and move it underneath the imported layer and fill it with a blank color (mostly white), this layer will serve as our canvas.
If you don't like this method, you can simply create a canvas before importing your drawing
Cropping your canvas
After successful importing my drawing I need to find the perfect composition for it, this can be achieved by cropping the canvas.
To crop the canvas, I use the quick access option and tap on the change canvas icon.
If you can't find the Change canvas icon on the quick access option you can add it by going to menu>edit>change canvas size.
Once you select Change Canvas Size, you can easily resize the canvas by dragging the side pins.
Once this step is complete, I create a new layer, name it, and begin tracing over my traditional artwork. To make tracing easier, I lower the opacity of the original layer.
Simple mode vs studio mode
I personally prefer Studio Mode because it has everything I need. While Simple Mode is said to be easier to use, I find Studio Mode more comfortable. The key is to familiarize yourself with the UI. Plus, you can customize it to better suit your workflow.
Here are some of the key difference in the two.
1. Studio Mode (Full Desktop Experience)
✔ Full Feature Set – All tools, menus, and customization options are available.
✔ Advanced Layer Controls – Full access to layer settings, blending modes, and effects.
✔ More Workspace Customization – Resize, move, and dock windows freely.
✔ More Brush & Tool Settings – Every brush option, sub-tool, and property is accessible.
✔ Ideal for Tablets & Styluses – Works best with larger screens and precise input devices.
✔ Potentially Cluttered UI – Can feel overwhelming on smaller screens.
2. Simple Mode (Mobile-Friendly UI)
✔ Streamlined Interface – Fewer menus, larger icons, and easier navigation.
✔ Limited Tool Access – Some advanced tools are hidden or simplified.
✔ Optimized for Touch Controls – Designed for drawing with fingers or simple styluses.
✔ Faster Workflow for Sketching – Less distraction, great for quick drawings.
✔ Less Customization – Fewer options for tool settings and UI adjustments.
The key is to use the mode you're most comfortable with. I've been using Studio Mode since before Clip Studio Paint introduced Simple Mode, so it was tough to get used to the change.
This tutorial will focus on Studio Mode, but if you prefer Simple Mode, you can still follow along.
Switching to Simple Mode is easy—just go to Menu > Switch to Simple Mode.
Customizing Studio mode
One of the great advantages of Studio Mode is its high level of customization. To add or remove icons from the palette bar, simply click and hold on it. A menu will appear, allowing you to access Palette Bar Settings, where you’ll find a variety of features to customize your workspace.
I added Navigator because it's especially useful when creating webtoons. I also included Timeline for easier animation and Subview for quickly viewing references.
On more about customization, you look up this tutorials.
Line art
Now, let’s get back to the drawing. With the paper sketch as our foundation, we can begin tracing over it while refining the lines and correcting any initial mistakes.
Tool setting for line art
For line art, I use the default mapping pen, but there are additional settings to enhance the quality of your lines. Since we're drawing with our fingers, increasing the pen stabilization is essential to ensure smooth, clean strokes and prevent rough line work.
To change the pen stabilization setting, tap on the pen icon on the tool bar
You can adjust the pen stabilization to your preference, but don’t set it too high—excessive stabilization can limit your control and make it harder to create sharp, dynamic strokes in your work.
One additional setting I personally like for my line art tool is adjusting the start and end of each stroke. I prefer my lines to taper at both ends for a cleaner, more refined look.
To achieve this, I tap on the settings icon beneath the tool option.
After clicking on the settings icon, I’ll navigate to the Start and End section, where I can adjust options like density, opacity, and brush size. Since my goal is to taper the brush’s ends, I’ll select Specify by Brush Size to achieve the desired effect.
Another way you can get your line art from your traditional work is to extract the line art using clip studio paint.
To do this, adjust the brightness and contrast of your work to make the line art appear darker. To fine-tune the contrast, go to Menu > Edit > Tonal Correction > Brightness and Contrast.
To extract your line art, go to menu > edit > convert brightness to opacity. This setting will make the white part of your drawing transparent while the black line art remains.
This technique is faster but it is not advisable if you are trying to achieve a neat line art.
Line work
Now that I have my desired settings, I can start my line work with ease. When tracing, you don’t have to strictly follow your initial sketch—you have the freedom to refine and correct mistakes, allowing you to create cleaner, more polished line art.
When working on a character's line art, it’s best to separate distinct parts into different layers. For example, I place the hair, facial features, arms, and clothing on separate layers. This makes it much easier to refine details and correct mistakes without affecting the entire drawing.
Flipping the canvas
While working on your line art, be sure to flip the canvas multiple times to ensure everything looks balanced. This trick helps you spot and fix any awkward or uneven areas you might have missed. Trust me, it makes a difference—lol.
Once done with the line art, we can move to the next phase of the process.
Color blocking
I usually create a selection around my character and then invert it to isolate only the character. Next, I fill the selection with a grayish color. This helps prevent gaps that often appear where lines intersect in the illustration. The silhouette serves as a solid base for adding my base colors.
Base colors
After color blocking, I began adding flat colors to different parts of the character, creating separate layers for the skin, hair, shirt, and tie.
To speed up the process, I use the bucket tool since it’s fast and precise. However, one downside is that it may leave small gaps, especially around the line art, that might need manual filling.
To deal with the gaps I use this close and fill tool, you can get it on clip studio assets. The tool helps you fill your drawing including the line arts without any gap.
I use the tool to close any gaps left after filling with the bucket tool, ensuring a more polished and professional look. This technique is especially useful for my webtoon project, where time is limited but high-quality results are still essential.
Now that I’m done with the base colors, I use the color picker to select them and create a custom color set. This is important because it makes shading easier—I can simply pick a darker shade of each color without having to search for the right tones manually.
Creating a color set
You can easily find the color set icon on the pallete bar.
To create a color set from your base colors, tap on the Color Set icon. This will display the default Clip Studio color sets. Next, click the Settings icon to create your own custom color set.
After clicking the settings icon, a new page will appear with various options. Tap the Create New Set icon, and you'll automatically have the option to name your set. Once confirmed, your custom color set will be ready to use.
To add a color to your Color Set, use the Eyedropper Tool to select a color from the base colors or tap and hold on any color on your canvas. Then, click on the icon labeled 2 in the image below. The selected color will automatically be added to your Color Set.
Repeat this step for other colors on the canvas to get your character color set.
The best way to use color sets is in your webtoon or comic project. With multiple characters, it can be challenging to remember details like their outfit and eye colors. Creating separate color sets for each character helps maintain consistency and speeds up the coloring process.
Shading
Shading is a great way to differentiate the brighter and darker areas of an object, as its shape affects how it interacts with light. When done correctly, shading adds depth and dimension, making your artwork look more three-dimensional and realistic.
For character drawings like this, I first identify the areas that will be in shadow, whether fully or partially. This helps me plan the shading and get a clear overview of how the lighting will affect the character.
When shading a character’s face, you can achieve great results by applying shadows in key areas: above the eyes, on either side of the nose, beneath the nose, under the lips, and around the neck. This technique helps create a three-dimensional look. It’s commonly used by comic and webtoon artists, especially when high-detail rendering isn’t necessary.
If you're not confident in shading a face perfectly, you can use references or a 3D head model in Clip Studio Paint. Align the model to match your character’s pose, adjust the light source, then save and import it into Sub View to use as a shading reference. This makes the process easier and ensures more accurate lighting.
Shading fabric can feel overwhelming, but as a beginner, a simple trick is to use triangular shapes along the wrinkles. This helps create a more natural and believable look without overcomplicating the process.
With just little shading, there is already a huge difference.
After adding shadows, I applied highlights to areas that naturally catch more light, such as the hair, parts of the eyes, the nose bridge, and the lips. This step is crucial for enhancing contrast and adding depth to the character.
Tools for shading character.
I use a hard pen for shading all my characters because it gives me more control and confidence. Later in the process, I can soften the edges using the blur brush if needed. This is just my personal preference, though—you can also use a relatively soft brush for shading. However, I strongly advise against using an airbrush unless you know exactly what you’re doing. It’s much easier to soften a hard edge than to add definition to a soft one.
Rendering
With shading alone, we've already created believable facial features and form. We could stop here, but there's still room to push the details further.
After shading my character, I move on to what I call rendering—a process that enhances the look of different materials in the painting, making them appear more realistic and refined.
Rendering technique
When rendering a material, think about what defines its appearance—its texture, reflectivity, and how it interacts with light. This approach helps you determine what details to add to make your painting more realistic while still maintaining your unique style.
In this illustration, I used an airbrush to add subtle color variations to the skin. I applied different shades of red to lighter areas where blood vessels are more visible, such as under the eyes, the lips, and the base of the ears. To enhance the character’s facial structure, I softened the initial shading to create a more natural, rounded look. Additionally, I added a few strands of hair using a small hard brush to bring more detail and texture to the hair.
Overpaint
The term "overpaint" might sound unusual, but it's exactly what I do after rendering. In this step, I add extra details, refine the character’s eyes, and incorporate more hair strands for added texture. The main goal here is to identify and fix anything that looks off in the illustration—or even enhance it with additional elements.
Final polishing and background.
Since I created this illustration specifically for the tutorial, I didn’t have time to design a complex background. Instead, I went with a simple plain backdrop and used the gradient eraser tool to add a subtle gradient effect.
You can find gradient tools at the tool bar.
Painting the line art
To paint the line art, you can do it manually or use an auto action. In my case, I opted for an auto action since it’s faster and more efficient. But if you prefer the manual approach, here’s how:
1. Create a new layer above your line art.
2. Select a darker shade of the color closest to your line art.
3. Paint over the lines using this color to blend them seamlessly.
You can find this auto action on Clip Studio Assets, where you'll discover tons of other auto actions designed to speed up your workflow and boost efficiency.
Using auto action on smartphone
To use auto actions on your smartphone, you'll need to customize your UI by adding the auto action function to your palette bar. I’ve already covered how to do this earlier in the tutorial.
Once done, you'll find the auto action icon in the palette bar. Tap on it, and it will instantly take you to Clip Studio’s default auto actions.
When you download an auto action from Clip Studio Assets, it will appear in the dropdown menu when you tap on it.
Tap on the auto action "Auto Line Color", then click Play icon to activate it. Clip Studio will process for a moment, and once it's done, your line art will be automatically colored.
Note:
For the best results, duplicate and merge the flat colors of your character into a new layer. Select this layer and run the auto action. Once done, clip the resulting layer to the line art.
Note:
Some auto actions have different specific ways they can be used, hence it is important to read the author’s manual on clip studio assets.
Filters and tonal correction
Tonal correction in Clip Studio Paint is used to adjust brightness, contrast, hue, saturation, and other color properties to refine an artwork’s overall look. It can be applied at different stages of the art process for various purposes:
You can use tonal correction for;
1. Final Adjustments: After finishing a piece, use tonal correction to fine-tune colors, brightness, or contrast to achieve a more balanced look.
2. Color Corrections: If colors appear off due to lighting, saturation, or mood inconsistencies, tonal correction can help adjust them.
3. Creating Atmospheric Effects: Use it to shift colors for different lighting conditions (e.g., warm sunset tones or cool night effects).
4. Quick Fixes: If an artwork appears too dull or overly saturated, tonal correction offers an efficient way to fix it without repainting.
How to Use Tonal Correction:
1. Go to "Edit" > "Tonal Correction" in the menu.
2. Choose a Correction Type:
Brightness/Contrast: Adjusts the overall lightness and contrast.
Hue/Saturation/Luminosity: Modifies color intensity and brightness.
Color Balance: Shifts the balance of red, green, and blue for warm or cool tones.
Level Correction: Fine-tunes the range of brightness and shadows.
Tone Curve: Provides precise control over highlights, midtones, and shadows.
3. Adjust the Sliders: Move them to see real-time changes.
4. Apply the Changes: Click "OK" to finalize.
For non-destructive editing, apply tonal correction to a duplicate layer or use adjustment layers to preserve the original artwork.
You can also create a correction layer on top of all your illustration layer, any edit you make on this layer will affect the rest.
In this illustration I didn't use tonal correction for any of the editing because I don't think there is any need for it.
Color match
The color match option allows you to match the overall color and mood of your illustration with any image. It is useful when trying to match your character with it's background.
To use the color match tool, go to menu > edit > tonal correction> color match.
You can select any image you want to match with your illustration or you can even import your own custom image and match with your character.
1. Select an image from Clip Studio’s file folder.
2. Import an image directly from your phone’s files or gallery.
3. Capture an image using your phone’s camera.
4. Delete a selected image if needed.
Once you've chosen your image, use the intensity slider to fine-tune its effect. Make sure to check the preview option to see real-time changes before applying your edit!
1) select image from clip studio folder
2) import image from phone files
3) import from camera.
4) delete image.
After selecting the image you want, you can adjust the intensity by using the slider on top, also check the preview option to view the effects of the changes.
1) Select image from clip studio file folder
2) import image from your phone files and gallery
3) capture image from your phone camera
4) delete selected image.
After selecting the image of your choice, there will be a slider where you will be able to adjust the intensity of its effect, be sure to check the preview option to see the changes of your edit real time
Here are some of the variations I got after experimenting with some of the image match.
Conclusion
Creating stunning illustrations on your smartphone with Clip Studio Paint is both accessible and possible. Mastering the app’s essential tools, utilizing layers efficiently, and experimenting with brushes and effects, you can bring your artistic vision to life, even on a compact screen.
Remember, consistency is key—practice regularly, explore different techniques, and don’t be afraid to push your creative boundaries. With patience and experimentation, you'll refine your skills and develop a unique style that shines through your work.
Now, grab your phone, open Clip Studio Paint, and start creating! Happy drawing!
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