This tutorial will get you started using the new Puppet Warp feature introduced in Clip Studio Paint version 4.0.

 

Here’s the video version - but if you prefer text, it can be found below!

Set Up Puppet Warp

To start with, go to Edit -> Transform, and choose Puppet Warp.

A mesh appears over the art on that layer.

To set up your puppet warp, you add pins to different parts of the mesh by left clicking.

 

Think of these like pinning rubber bands to a board. If you move a pin by clicking and dragging it, your image will be stretched away from the nearest other pins.

You can set up pins at each of a character's joints by continuing to click around the mesh.

 

The order you set them up in doesn't matter.

Select, Move, and Rotate Pins

You may have noticed that the most recent pin you place turns orange and has a ring around it. This is your active pin.

Click and drag the center of the pin to move it.

You can also rotate pins. Hover within the circle until you see this icon…

Then, click and drag to rotate the pin in place instead.

Deleting a Pin

If you place a pin by mistake, delete it by holding down the Alt key (Option on Mac) and left clicking the pin again.

You can also go over to the Tool Property palette and, next to Click Pin, change this dropdown to Delete Pin.

 

Then, any pins you click will be deleted instead of selected. Be sure to change it back to Select Pin when you're done.

Select Multiple Pins

There are a few ways to select multiple pins.

For one, you can hold down the Shift key and click each pin. They'll turn orange to indicate the selection.

Notice you also lose the ability to rotate them - however, you can move multiple pins at a time.

Another way to multi-select is to click somewhere outside of the mesh and start dragging. A selection box will appear, and any pins within it when you release the mouse will be selected.

The last way is to use the options in the Tool Property palette next to Select Pins.

 

1. New Selection - Each click will select the new pin while deselecting any others

2. Add To Selection - Clicking will add additional pins to your existing selection

3. Remove From Selection - Clicking will remove the pin from your selection

4. Toggle Selection - Clicking once will add a pin, then clicking again will remove it

 

I prefer the first and just using Shift to multi-select, but you might find options like the toggle more handy if you're on a tablet instead of a keyboard!

Finalize the Warp

Move your pins as you like, adjusting the rotation if you need to.

When you're happy with your image, go ahead and click OK to finalize the puppet warp. The pins and mesh disappear when you’re done.

Puppet Warp Tips!

So now, let's go over some tips for using this tool.

Tip 1: Puppet Warp is a Destructive Edit

So, what does that mean? Well, any edit you make with this tool permanently changes your pixels.

For example, if I move my character's arm over their face and hit OK, the pixels of the arm and face are now merged.

Starting a new Puppet Warp won't be able to differentiate where the separate arm and head used to be. It’s something to be careful of!

Tip 2: Duplicate Your Layer First

If you want to keep the original image for any reason, it's a good idea to just duplicate it before you use Puppet Warp on your art.

Right-click on the layer and select Duplicate Layer.

You can then hide the extra layer so it's out of the way in case you need to revert back to it, and delete it if you decide you no longer need it.

There is this option here to keep the original image, but it’s more for use with the other transform tools (like mirroring an image horizontally while keeping the original).

The original image is kept on the same layer, which might not be what you want when using Puppet Warp.

 

(Though it does look kind of cool, doesn’t it?)

Tip 3: Multiple Layers

If your character - or whatever you're warping! - is split up into multiple layers, you can select all of the layers, or a folder containing them all, and start a Puppet Warp on the whole thing at once.

 

The mesh is applied over all selected layers as though they were a single image.

Now, say I move the hand over the face again and hit apply.

 

The arm is still a separate layer, so I can still work with it independently.

Tip 4: Deleting a Pin Removes Its Effect

If you've made adjustments using a Puppet Warp but then decide to delete a pin, be aware that any part of the image affected by that pin will snap back as though it never existed.

 

Remember you can delete a pin by holding down the Alt key (Option on Mac) and left clicking the pin.

Tip 5: Expand the Mesh

If your warp isn't behaving like you expect, especially for thin lines, try expanding the mesh.

The pins you place are actually affecting this mesh, which in turn affects the image underneath, so expanding it out allows more points of reference to make nice curves on thin objects.

Tip 6: Warping Within Selections

Go to the Selection Area tool, and choose the Lasso subtool.

Click and drag around a part of your art to select it.

Start a Puppet Warp. The mesh will be limited to this area - and your selection will constrict to match.

 

The selection even adapts as you make changes using your pins.

Tip 7: Think Outside the Box!

One last tip is simply this - we hear "Puppet Warp" and immediately think of using it on a character. But how else might it be used?

I thought of warping a curtain to appear like it was fluttering…

Or a tree bending in the wind.

Conclusion

It's quite an interesting addition to the tools in Clip Studio Paint. What do you think? Have you come up with any unique ways to use the new Puppet Warp feature?

 

Be sure to follow me @MsRedNebula on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky, or Mastodon to see when I announce new tutorials. You can also follow me here on Clip Studio Tips, or subscribe to my YouTube channel.

 

I hope you had fun learning about this new tool!