In Clip Studio Paint Ver. 5.0 and later, you can use 3D hand models to draw hands and poses.

You can instantly try out poses that are difficult to visualize with only your own hands.

3D hand models can be used in Studio Mode.

You can adjust the hand appearance from 7 different presets to match your character.

Importing a 3D hand model onto the canvas

To select a hand appearance or 3D hand model material, go to the Materials palette > 3D > Hand model, and simply drag and drop it onto the canvas.

Adjust the position, size, and orientation of the 3D hand model on the canvas using the Object tool.

Note: 3D hand models other than “Basic” are additional materials. If you can’t see them in the Materials palette, please download the materials by tapping the gear icon in the upper right of Clip Studio > Download additional materials now.

Posing the hand

There are two ways to pose the hand: Slider mode for intuitive movement and Manipulator mode for fine adjustments.

You can switch between modes using the buttons at the top of the hand model.

(Left) Slider mode, (Right) Manipulator mode

Adjust intuitively in Slider mode

In Slider mode, you can adjust the movement of the hand or fingers using the handles and a slider.

Handles are indicated by the semi-circle, circles, and triangles on the hand model.

(1) Open/Close the hand

(2) Wrist angle

(3) Movement of finger tips and knuckles

(4) Finger bend

When you select a handle, the color will change and a slider will appear below the hand model.

You can adjust the pose by moving the slider left and right.

Adjust details in Manipulator mode

Selecting Manipulator mode displays the same manipulator used for 3D drawing figures and 3D materials. You can pose the hand model in the same way as other models.

You can select fingers or parts and move them in the direction you drag, or adjust the orientation and angle by dragging the rings of the manipulator displayed on the part selected in red.

For details on posing 3D drawing figures, please refer to this article.

Resetting the pose

To return to the default pose, select the reset button next to the mode switch button while in Slider mode, or in the Object Launcher in Manipulator mode.

Note: You can also use the Hand Scanner to capture your own hand movements and apply the same pose to the hand model.

For more details on the Hand Scanner, please refer to this article.

How to move the 3D hand model

You can adjust the position and angle of the 3D hand model by dragging on the canvas or using the Movement Manipulator.

Here, we will introduce the basic operations.

Drag the canvas to change the viewpoint to rotate the camera up, down, left, or right,

allowing you to check the model from various angles.

Note: Dragging to change the viewpoint does not change the direction of the light source. If you want the palm side to be brighter, change the orientation of the hand model using the Movement Manipulatort, or adjust the light source direction.

Maneuvering with the Movement Manipulator

When you select the 3D hand model with the Object tool, the Movement Manipulator will appear above the model.

You can move the model according to each icon by pressing and dragging up, down, left, or right with a pen or mouse.

Note: You can also move the model by dragging the canvas while an icon is selected.

Don't forget to deselect the icon before moving on to the next adjustment.

Changing the angle of the model itself

To change the angle of the model, use the fifth icon from the left, Rotate camera angle.

Zoom In / Zoom Out

To adjust the model size on the canvas, use the third icon from the left, Move camera forward/backward.

Adjusting the position within the canvas

If the Movement Manipulator overlaps the hand model and is difficult to see (e.g., at the top of the screen), you can adjust the position within the canvas using the fourth icon from the left, Plane movement.

For details on How to use the Movement Manipualtor, please refer to the User Guide.

Customizing the Hand in the Advanced Tool Settings

This section explains how to customize the hand model appearance using the Advanced Tool Settings palette.

Select the hand model with the Object tool, then select the wrench icon at the bottom right of the Tool Settings palette to open the Advanced Tool Settings palette.

Note:

The content shown in the palette depends on the width of the palette. If you have enough space on the screen, making the palette wider will make it easier to select the settings.

When wide: Hand icons are always displayed next to the sliders

When narrow: Icons will appear after you tap the relevant button

Blending Hand Shapes to Match Your Character

Byou can combine different hand models to find your ideal hand.

Adjust the hand appearance with the hand mixer

Open Hand model in the Advanced Tool Settings palette (or Hand mixer in the Tool Settings palette) and operate the sliders for the 6 types of models, excluding the Basic model (default state).

By combining multiple models, you can create a hand shape that suits your character.

① Delicate

② Slender

③ Boney

④ Cartoon

⑤ Plump

⑥ Rugged

For example, combining “Rugged” and “Boney” results in a hand that’s muscular yet slim, perfect for a character with a slender and toned build.

**NOTE Preventing distortion of hand shapes**

The Hand Mixer allows you to blend multiple hand shapes, but if the total value of each hand exceeds 100, the appearance will become distorted.

To prevent distortion, turn on Limit hand mixer.

On the other hand, turning it off can add more personality.

Left: Off / Right: On

Switching between left and right hands

If you want to flip between the left or right hand after dragging a model to the canvas, you can switch it by going to Pose > Flip left/right within the Advanced Tool Settings palette (or Tool Settings palette).

Checking the hand structure

You can display a guide texture on the surface of the 3D hand model.

The midline of the hand and the position of the bones and joints will appear. This is helpful as a guide to keep track of the shape of the 3D object or when drawing with the light source turned off.

If you turn on Show hand details in the Hand model settings, the texture will be displayed.

Adjust hand features such as finger length, thickness, and nail shape

You can make detailed adjustments to match the character's personality, such as finger length, thickness, or nail shape.

To access these settings, open Adjust parts in the Advanced Tool Settings palette (or Adjust parts in the Tool Settings palette).

When you select the finger or hand part you want to manipulate from the palm illustration, settings corresponding to that part will appear.

・All fingers

・Each finger, palm, wrist

All fingers

In All fingers, you can adjust the thickness and length of all fingers at once, as well as lengthen the nails or change the nail width.

The nail shape changes to a square type when the slider value is high, and to a round type when lowered.

Individually adjusting each finger, palm, and wrist

Each finger

You can adjust the thickness and length of the selected finger by moving the slider left or right.

Palm

You can adjust the width, length, and thickness of the palm by moving the sliders left or right.

Displaying veins

You can also display veins on the back of the hand or wrist when you want to draw a strong character, or depict tension and anger.

Wrist

You can adjust the thickness of the wrist by moving the slider left or right.

Showing/Hiding the Wrist

If the wrist gets in the way, such as when drawing a close-up of a hand for a comic or a hand coming out of a cuff, hide the wrist on the 3D hand model.

Restore to default

If you want to reset the settings, select the Reset button when a part is selected.

Resetting will return the sliders related to the selected part to default values.

Adjusting the light source

If you want to change the direction of the light, you can change the light settings for the 3D hand model from Light Source in the Advanced Tool Settings palette (or Tool Settings palette).

You can adjust the direction of the light source by dragging the ball displayed on the palette.

You can also adjust the intensity of the light hitting the hand with Directional light intensity.

Using with 3D drawing figures

By using the 3D hand model with a 3D drawing figure, you can use it as a reference for drawing not only hands but as well as full-body poses.

①Importing a 3D drawing figure

Select a 3D drawing figure from the Materials palette > 3D > Body shape and import it to the canvas.

② Importing the 3D hand model

Import the right and left 3D hand models onto the same 3D layer as the 3D drawing figure.

③ Setting a parent-child relationship between the 3D drawing figure and 3D hand model

Open Object list in the Advanced Tool Settings palette and drag and drop the 3D hand model onto the 3D drawing figure to set a parent-child relationship so they move together as one.

When set to a parent-child relationship, the right hand is automatically assigned to the right hand and the left hand to the left hand.

The 3D drawing figure's hands will get replaced by the 3D hand model automatically, saving time.

④ Applying pose materials to the linked 3D drawing figure

Also, when the 3D drawing figure and 3D hand model are set to a parent-child relationship, simply dragging and dropping a pose material from Pose in the Material palette will apply the 3D drawing figure's pose to the hands as well.

Note: If you unlink the parent-child relationship between a 3D drawing figure and 3D hand models, the 3D drawing figure's hands will not be displayed.

You can display them again by checking Show 3D model hand in the Advanced Tool Settings palette > 3D drawing figure (or Tool Settings palette > Show 3D model hand).

Adjusting the direction and angle of the linked hands

If you want to adjust the direction or position of a hand linked to a 3D drawing figure, select the hand and adjust it in manipulator mode.

When adjusting the pose of the 3D hand model, aligning the direction of the wrist and back of the hand first makes it easier to adjust fine details such as fingers.

For more details on parent-child relationships, please refer to this article.

For more details on 3D drawing figures, please refer to this article.

Tips for using hand models

Align the wrist position properly

If the wrist shifts out of place while adjusting the pose, turn on the texture display for the 3D hand model and adjust it by aligning the displayed center line with the line on the drawing figure.

Fine-tuning while visually checking the connection between the hand and arm makes it easier to align it to a natural position.

Turn off the light source for a simpler view of the hand

We recommend that you turn off the light source if you want to simply grasp the shape of the hand or check the texture clearly.

Unchecking Apply light source in Light Source of the Advanced Tool Settings palette (or Tool Property palette) makes the texture easier to see.

 

Registering 3D Hand Models as Materials

By registering a 3D hand model as a material, you can save the poses you created or a custom appearance.

There are three ways to register materials depending on what you want to save: "Register Pose", "Register Appearance", and "Register with Parent-Child Relationships".

Registered materials can be displayed on the canvas in the same state at any time, saving you the trouble of recreating poses.

*You cannot register hand models as materials in DEBUT.

・Registering a pose

With the 3D hand model selected, open Pose in the Advanced Tool Settings palette (or Tool Settings palette).

Select Register pose to register the current hand pose as a material.

・Registering a hand appearance

With the 3D hand model selected, open Hand model from the Advanced Tool Settings palette (or Hand mixer in the Tool Settings palette).

Select Register hand shape as material to register the blended hand shape as a material.

・Register with a parent-child relationship

To register a material combined with other 3D materials such as a 3D drawing figure, select the 3D layer you want to register and select the Edit menu > Register material > Image.

When registering a material, choose the material name and save location in the dialog that appears, then select OK.

3D hand models are equipped with many features to help you draw hands with confidence.

Try incorporating adjustments to match your character and using them with drawing figures to streamline your drawing process and create even more expressive poses.