From Clip Studio Paint Ver. 4.2.0, the Puppet warp feature, which allows you to change the poses of your illustrations, is now available in Simple Mode on tablets and smartphones.

 

By using Puppet warp, you can change a character's pose and adjust the flow of elements like hair.

 

Even after your illustration is completed, you can adjust it to a more appealing pose to fit the image’s size or composition without redrawing or separating layers.

 

 

You can use Puppet warp the same way on both smartphone and tablet.

In this article, we will explain how to use it with a tablet.

 

Puppet warp can be used on raster layers.

 

How to use Puppet warp

 

1. Apply Puppet warp

 

In the Layer palette, select the layer that contains the image you want to distort.

On the tablet version, tap Move / Transform on the toolbar, and followed by Puppet warp in the dialog box that appears.

 

For smartphone, tap the tool icon at the bottom of the screen, then select Move / Transform.

The image will be covered by a triangular mesh.

The mesh is automatically created along the "closed area" defined by the rendered portions and lines in your selected layer.

 

Note: How to transform multiple layers

If the image you want to distort is separated into multiple layers, first group them into a layer folder, then select that layer folder before using Puppet warp.

 

2. Placing pins

Next, place dots called "pins" on the mesh.

You can transform your image by rotating around the pin or by dragging the pin itself.

When adjusting a character, place the pins on joints or at the tips of the parts you wish to move.

Tap on the mesh to place a pin.

To delete a pin that has already been placed, tap the pin again.

Place pins on all the parts you wish to bend or sway, such as the character's joints or bag strap.

 

Note:

Though you can adjust the parts around a pin, the area where the pin is placed is considered fixed, and will not move even if it is transformed.

Try placing pins on parts that you do not want to move, such as the foot of a character standing straight.

 

3. Manipulate pins to transform the drawing

There are two methods of transforming using pins.

 

Drag the pin

You can distort parts by dragging and moving the center of the pin.

 

Rotate around the center of the pin

Drag the pin’s outer circle to distort the part as if rotating it.

After you have made all your adjustments, tap OK on the upper right of the screen.

Now the transformation is done!

 

Tips for Puppet warp

We will introduce some tips to master using Puppet warp.

 

First, place pins on all the joints

When you first start using Puppet warp, it may be hard to imagine how the body parts will move depending on the pose of the original illustration.

To start, it helps to place pins on all the joints, including those parts that you do not want to move. You can add or delete pins as you transform the image.

 

Enclosing with Selection area

If you only want to move certain joints, you can change the pose with minimal pins by enclosing them in an selection area and then using Puppet warp.

 

When doing this, place extra pins along the boundary of the selection area to prevent these parts from moving.

 

Changing the Pin order

When parts are distorted and overlap, there may be instances where it does not overlap as you intended.

 

For example, as shown in the figure below, the hand you wanted to place in front of the character may end up hidden behind the character instead.

 

In such cases, you can adjust the order of the pins by selecting the pin on the hand, then pressing the Pin order button in the dialog.

 

Keeping the image outline intact

In areas where outlines are thin, such as the tips of the hair, the mesh may get cut off, causing the image to appear distorted.

In such cases, widen the mesh range by adjusting the Expand selection slider in the dialog.

 

Hiding the mesh

If you want to see your artwork while distorting it but the mesh is in the way, you can hide it by turning off Show mesh in the dialog.

 

In Studio Mode, you can select multiple layers and pins simultaneously.

You can make more detailed adjustments than in Simple Mode.

If you want to make the most of Puppet warp features, see the following TIPS article.