DIY - Custom Decoration Brushes

Have you ever been working on an illustration or a comic and realized that a specific design could be easily solved with a pre-existing decoration brush? But what if your creativity goes beyond the standard tools and you want to create your very own?

 

Look no further!

 

In this guide, you will learn how to create and use your own custom brushes in Clip Studio Paint. Even though this guide is divided into parts, each tool or specific technique starts with the ● symbol. This allows you to browse the list for a specific setting without being limited to following the tutorial in order. Feel free to jump straight to the topic that addresses your immediate technical needs!

 

We will start from the simplest options to more elaborate configurations.

1. The Concept: Gustav Klimt's Style as a Guide

To demonstrate the process, we will use the work of Gustav Klimt. The Austrian painter was a master of the Art Nouveau movement, famous for his decorations and gold leaf.

 

We will perform a reinterpretation of his style, creating a new work inspired by his patterns while transforming those elements into digital decoration tools.

In this tutorial, we will work with the painting Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I (1907). To streamline the process, I have already separated each color area into different layers. This preparation allows us to focus entirely on applying the decoration brushes to each specific section of the artwork.

2. Setting Up Your Workspace

Preparing your workspace is extremely important because sometimes many windows don't appear and we feel lost. Therefore, below we will see the main windows that we will use.

Sub Tool and Material Palettes: Finding your tools.

Make sure the Tool Property and Material (All materials) palettes are open. If they are not visible, go to the Window menu and select them. These windows can sometimes be hidden or closed by accident. In my setup, they are located on the right side, but yours may be on the left.

Folder Management: Organizing for a faster workflow.

Create a specific folder to store the images for your brushes. In the Material window, click the New Folder icon and give it a name. You can later rename or delete folders by right-clicking them or using the management buttons.

3. Brushes in "Color" Layer Mode

Before we get started, you should know that Clip Studio Paint works with three types of layer properties (Expression Color): Color, Gray, and Monochrome.

 

We will begin with the Color layer. This is the simplest and fastest way to create a brush because it keeping all the original colors intact.

 

While it has fewer customization options compared to the others, it is the perfect starting point for learning how Clip Studio Painting registers your materials.

Creating Simple Brushes: Spray

Our first brush consists of small squares. Although they are aligned in Klimt's original work, we will configure them as a Spray to add more dynamism to the stroke.

●ㅤㅤCreating the Image (Brush Tip)

Create a new document at 600 dpi to ensure the best resolution. This prevents the brush from looking pixelated when resized, keeping your ornaments sharp and crisp for large canvases or high-quality printing. Note that on this window we have already chosen the Basic expression Color as Color.

On a new layer (I named "golden square"), use the Selection area [Rectangle] tool while holding Shift to create a perfect square and fill it with color.

 

To register it: go to Edit > Register Material > Image. Check the Use for brush tip shape box and save it in the folder we created.

●ㅤㅤCreate Custom Sub Tool

In the Sub Tool window, click the menu (three lines) and select Create custom sub tool.

 

Name: (Name your brush)

Output process: Direct draw

Input process: Brush

Icon: Select the decoration icon and a background color for easy identification.

●ㅤㅤSub Tool Detail Settings

Brush Tip: Under Tip shape, select Material and click the "Add brush tip content" icon to find your registered image.

Brush Density: This controls the transparency of each individual stamp. It defaults to 50%, but for these solid squares, we will set it to 100.

Spraying Effect: Enable this tab. Increase the Particle size and decrease the Spray deviation so the squares stay closer to the brush path.

Stroke: To prevent the squares from overlapping, increase the Gap until they are clearly separated.

To create that rich, irregular fill seen in Klimt’s work, the secret lies in how the particles are scattered:

That’s it! You’ve just created your first decoration brush.

Quick Tips

- You can use your own drawings or existing photos as tips.

- Use transparent areas in your tip image for different textural results.

Creating Simple Brushes: Texture

To capture the rustic feel of Klimt’s canvases, we will create our own texture from a photograph. A concrete wall or a brick wall for its pattern.

●ㅤㅤCreating your Texture Material

Take a photo of an interesting surface and import it into Clip Studio Paint. To make it work perfectly as a texture, go to Edit > Convert brightness to opacity. This will turn the light areas of your photo into transparency, preserving only the dark details and shadows.

To register it, go to Edit > Register Material > Image. In the dialog box, follow these essential steps:

 

Material Name: Give your texture a clear name.

Material Settings: Check the Use for paper texture box.

Tiling: Enable this box so the texture repeats seamlessly across the fill.

Location: Select the folder we created earlier to keep everything organized.

 

This ensures the software treats the photo as a background pattern that reacts to your brush strokes in a continuous way.

●ㅤㅤCreating the New Sub Tool, Applying and Adjusting the Texture

Just like before, go to the Sub Tool window, click the menu (three lines), select Create custom sub tool and define Name, Output process, Input process and Icon.

●ㅤㅤFine-tuning the Texture

With your new brush selected, open the Sub Tool Detail Settings (wrench icon) and navigate to the Texture tab. This is where we fine-tune the effect:

 

Texture Density: This sets the strength of the texture. High values make the pattern very prominent, while low values create a subtler effect.

 

Invert Texture: If you want the deep parts of the texture to become the raised parts (and vice versa), check this box. This changes how the relief of the wall is perceived.

 

Emphasize Texture: This option sharpens the contrast of the texture, making the photographic details much more pronounced within the stroke.

Scale Ratio: Adjust the texture's zoom level. If the wall pattern looks too large for your current brush size, decrease this value.

Quick Tips

A key detail that completely changes the look of your brush is how much of the original photo you select for your Brush Tip. The final result of your brush can change drastically depending on how you combine the Brush Tip with the Texture Settings.

A great feature: since this brush only affects texture, you can change colors freely! Create decorations with one pattern, easily adapting with a single click.

Done! We’ve finished our second decoration brush. Now you can apply it to create backgrounds with realistic textures!

Creating Simple Brushes: Ribbon

Ribbon mode deforms the art to follow the flow of your stroke. For this example, we will create a brush where the designs have a small gap between them, using the same image flipped vertically like in Klint's painting.

●ㅤㅤCreating your Ribbon Art

I draw a simple ornament. The total size of your canvas will determine the "gap" or breathing room between the designs, so keep this in mind when sizing your art within it. I’m using the gray color paper to see the white color in the ornament.

 

Since Clip Studio Paint 2.0, ensuring continuity is much easier: use the Align and Distribute tools to center your art exactly in the middle of the canvas before registering. This prevents the "ribbon" from drifting off-axis.

Registering the Tips

Select the entire canvas (Ctrl+A) to ensure the empty space around the art is included (the "gap" trick!). Go to Edit>RegisterMaterial>Image, name it, and check Use for brush tip shape.

After this, flip your art vertically (Edit > Transform > Flip Vertical). Register this new version as a second material. Having these two versions (normal and flipped) will make the ribbon pattern much more dynamic.

●ㅤㅤSub Tool Settings

Create a new brush and in the Sub Tool Detail wondow, adjust:

 

Brush Tip: Add the two materials you just created. Adjust the angle if needed and the Brush Density.

Stroke: Check the Ribbon box. In Repeat Method, choose the first icon/option.

 

 

Anti-aliasing: Ensure this is active to keep the ribbon edges smooth.

●ㅤㅤRibbon and the Perfect Line Application

You now have a versatile tool that can be used to create organic curves, like a fluid ribbon, or precise geometric lines. To create perfectly straight edges on clothing or frames (Trim the Edges): click the starting point, hold Shift, and click the end point. Clip Studio will connect the two points with a flawless straight line.

We’ve finished creating one more brush!

 

Creating a Multi-Image Spray Brush

Since we’ve learned that we can use multiple images at once, we will now create a spray brush (still using a color layer) for another part of the art.

●ㅤㅤCreating multiple materials at the same time (easy way)

The first thing I’ll do is create a new document and make a rectangular base to draw several designs on. Naming your layers helps you find them quickly, which makes a huge difference when working with multiple files.

 

Pro tip: You can drag the layer directly into your materials window! Just don't forget to configure it afterward; this is extremely practical when dealing with many Asset Materials.

To save even more time, you can duplicate the previous brush: In the tool palette, right-click the brush you want to copy and select Duplicate sub tool then give it a new name.

When selecting the images for the brush tip, you can choose several at once by holding the CTRL key.

●ㅤㅤBrush Tip - Thickness

To make the designs more varied, I can increase the brush size, either in height OR width, using the Thickness slider to keep the change fixed.

 

I can also adjust the height or thickness of the brush using pen pressure for a more dynamic look, similar to what we saw before. Here is another tip: You can set a minimum value for the pressure dynamics, preventing the brush from changing too drastically.

●ㅤㅤBrush Tip - Flip

You can also flip your brush horizontally and vertically to adjust the image or add variety. Notice that every time you do a simple click, the first material image appears, followed by the others in order. Using just this single click method, we can see how the brush flips.

After a few adjustments to the Gap and Particle Size, we have another brush ready!

 

Remember, CSP offers settings like Random Repeat, Brush Density or Color Jitter. We won't change them now to stay consistent, but use your creativity! Feel free to explore and create unique effects that fit your own style.

4. Monochrome and Gray Brushes: The Power of Two Colors

Since we already know the functionalities of Expression Color layers, let's look at the other two expression options.

 

Color: Stores full color information. It is the standard layer for colored illustrations, allowing any hue, saturation, and brightness.

 

Gray: Works with 256 levels of gray. It converts colors into luminosity, making it ideal for black-and-white art with smooth gradients, shading, and transparency effects.

 

Monochrome: It is binary (black or white), with no middle tones.

With Gray Monochrome layers, we can use two colors at the same time (Main and Sub color).

 

Our focus here will be on color interaction beyond the basic settings. We’ll quickly recap the features we’ve already covered. This way, we focus on what's new without making this tutorial even (more) bigger.

How Gray and Monochrome layers become color brushes?

Monochrome or Gray expression layers don't store fixed color data. They act as a "map" that tells Clip Studio where to apply your chosen colors:

 

Black areas: Will be replaced by your Main Color.

White areas: Will be replaced by your Sub Color.

Gray areas (in Gray mode): Will create a blend between both colors.

●ㅤㅤSetting up the Monocrome or Gray Layer

There are two ways to prepare your art for this type of brush:

 

1. When creating a New Raster Layer, you can set the Expression Color to Gray or Monochrome in the settings. This defines how a new layer will handle color information.

Change an existing layer: If you’ve already drawn something on a color layer, go to the (Layer > Convert Layer…) or Layer Property window and change the "Expression Color" from Color to Gray or Monochrome.

 

Pro Tip: After switching to Gray/Monochrome, don't forget to click the "Apply expression color of preview" icon (if it appers) to finalize the change before registering your material!

Switching Between Colors: Color Jitter Settings

Color Jitter acts as a chromatic randomness engine in CSP. It recalculates HSL (Hue, Saturation and Luminosity) values in real-time for each brush tip instance, enabling dynamic instantiation. This avoids “mechanical” repetition in your strokes.

●ㅤㅤColor Jitter: Change Brush Tip Color

Change brush tip color within the Color Variation settings Instead of changing the color only when you lift the pen, it picks a new color for each individual brush tip within a single stroke.

 

Hue: Defines the change in the color itself. If set high, the brush can cycle through completely different colors.

Saturation: Controls intensity. High values make colors vary between vibrant, vivid tones and grayish, muted ones.

Luminosity: Controls brightness. Adjusting this slider makes particles vary between lighter and darker tones.

●ㅤㅤColor Jitter: Randomize per stroke

By enabling this option, Clip Studio picks a new color combination every time you start a new stroke, preventing the decoration from looking repetitive or flat.

 

Change Main/Sub Color: By adjusting the mixing slider, the brush transitions between your two chosen colors.

You can choose exactly which part of the decoration changes:

 

Change Main Color only: Affects only the parts that were black in the original art.

 

Change Sub Color only: Affects only the parts that were white.

●ㅤㅤColor Jitter: Pen Pressure, Speed, Tilt and Randon

These settings define how Clip Studio interprets your movement (Pressure, Speed, Tilt or Randon) to generate chromatic variations.

Pen Pressure: Variation is dictated by the force applied to the pen.

Tilt: The color changes according to the angle of the pen relative to the tablet.

Velocity: The software calculates the speed of the stroke to alter the color.

Random: Applies variations randomly via the system, independent of physical movement, ensuring that no two elements look exactly the same.

 

Testing each setting is better for understanding how they work. You can choose one or more options from this list for the same brush.

 

Note: The Tilt option is only available for tablets that support this feature. Mine, for example, does not have tilt, therefore, this option remains inactive.

●ㅤㅤSpray Effect: Density and Deviation

Particle Density: This slider controls how many ornaments appear at once. Increasing density creates a fast, dense fill, while lower values allow for delicate control.

 

Spray Deviation: This is the "Pro Tip" for organicity. Deviation defines how far from the stroke center the particles can land. The higher the value, the more scattered and less linear the result will be, avoiding a hard-edged look and creating a smooth, natural transition for your decoration.

●ㅤㅤTip Angle: Rotation Dynamics

The Tip Angle defines the orientation of the brush tip image. By applying dynamics to this parameter, you prevent the pattern from looking like a repetitive "stamp". It's slightly different from the previous window, but the functionality is very similar.

 

Pen Pressure: The angle of the design changes based on the force you apply.

Tilt: The tip rotates following the physical tilt of your pen.

Direction of line: The brush tip automatically rotates to follow the path of your stroke. Ideal for ribbons and decorative borders.

Random: Each stamp appears at a randomized angle, creating the organic disorder typical of Klimt’s mosaics.

The result: Two brushes, one design, and endless possibilities.

I configured two distinct brushes:

 

Small Flowers Brush: Focused on dense filling. It uses continuous Spray mode with full density and minimal color variation (low Color Jitter). This creates a rich but uniform background texture that serves as the foundation for the composition.

 

Large Ornament Brush: Focused on points of interest. Here, I used a larger Gap to isolate the shapes, higher color deviation (intense Color Jitter) for contrast, and slight variations in tip size for a more organic, less mechanical look.

Dynamic Ribbon Brushes

We already know how ribbon brushes work, so this time, we will use a Gray Scale layer to register our material. When drawing the decoration, we will use four distinct tones: black, white, and two different shades of gray.

 

Clip Studio will convert black into your Main Color, white into your Sub Color, and the gray tones will create automatic blends between the two. This ensures the brush is fully customizable without needing to edit the original material.

●ㅤㅤCreate Custom Sub Tool: Unit Curve

The Unit Curve is the graph that defines how the brush reacts. Instead of accepting the software's default setting, you decide the stroke's behavior.

Straight, Quadratic, or Cubic Lines: You choose how the points connect. Straight lines create sharp changes, while Cubic lines provide the smoothest, most natural curves for your stroke.

 

Angle Snap: This function "snaps" the line angle to fixed directions while holding shift.

●ㅤㅤRepetition Methods in Ribbon Mode

When using multiple images to create a decorative ribbon, the order in which they appear defines the rhythm of the pattern:

 

Sequential: Follows the exact order in which the images were registered in the list. It is ideal for creating predictable patterns and geometric borders that need a fixed cadence.

 

Random: The software shuffles which image appears next. This breaks the monotony and is perfect for the Klimt style, as it simulates the organic and varied distribution of ornaments in a mosaic.

 

Always Use Next: Ensures that with every new stroke or stamp, Clip Studio moves to the next image in the list. This prevents the same image from appearing consecutively in an obvious way.

I chose a 30° angle for the stroke to add dynamism. Unlike Klimt’s static feel, I’ll use repeated angular lines to create movement, making the art more vibrant and fluid.

Extending the Technique: Clothes Laces and Jewelry

Using the same logic from the Decorative Brushes we previously configured, you can create a unique brush for the character's arm accessories. By maintaining the technical base of Ribbon Mode and Fixed Size settings, we ensure the bracelet follows the arm's anatomy with the same precision as the other ornaments in the piece.

●ㅤㅤGray and Color Expressions in One Stroke

When creating a custom brush in Clip Studio Paint, you can registering one brush tip in grayscale, using Expression Color: Gray, and another in Color, to create a composite stroke. This allows the brush to interact with your selected primary color through the grayscale tip while maintaining the specific, fixed chromatic details of the colored tip, resulting in a rich, multi-layered texture.

●ㅤㅤChoosing Between Unite Curve and Color Jitter

In Clip Studio Paint, you must choose between Unit Curve or Brush as the Input Process when creating a tool to enable either the Unit Curve or Color Jitter.

 

The brush engine operates through distinct input processing methods. When we select Unit Curve as the Input Process, the software prioritizes the smoothing and geometric precision of the stroke path. However, when we select Brush as the Input Process, the engine focuses on color fidelity, allowing Color Jitter and chromatic variations to appear correctly throughout the stroke.

●ㅤㅤEnabling the Border Effect in the Layer Property.

Activating the Border Effect in the Layer Property palette adds an automatic outline to every element drawn on the layer. For decorative brushes, this is essential for visual separation: it prevents complex patterns (like mosaics or jewelry) from blending messily into the background or other art elements. By setting a contrasting border color, you create an instant highlight that simulates physical relief and depth.

●ㅤㅤOptimizing Brushes: Simplifying Vector Lines

On a Vector Layer, you can use the Simplify Vector Line tool to streamline your strokes. This is crucial for complex decorative brushes as it removes unnecessary control points that often cause glitches or texture distortions at the end of a stroke.

 

By simplifying the path, you ensure the brush pattern flows smoothly and remains error-free. This technical adjustment gives you total control over how the texture is rendered in your artwork.

Ruler Precision: Structuring Decorative Brushes

In this stage, we use rulers as support guides to ensure our decorative brushes maintain perfect alignment. This is essential for creating geometric patterns and ornaments that require rigorous structure

●ㅤㅤVisualizing and Creating Guides: Rulers & Snapping

Rulers function as editable objects in Clip Studio, allowing you to move or transform them individually. You can also use the Align/Distribute panel to align these guides with absolute precision, choosing between the Canvas or a Selection as your base to organize your decorative elements.

 

Go to View>Ruler or press Ctrl+R to show the canvas rulers. To create a guide, click and drag from the horizontal or vertical ruler on to your screen.

Snapping: go to the View menu and select Snap to Ruler, Snap to Special Ruler, or Snap to Grid. On the top Command Bar, locate the three ruler icons; when highlighted, they indicate that magnetism is active, ensuring your stroke follows the guides with absolute precision.

When creating patterns for ribbon brushes in Clip Studio, using rulers is essential to continuity between different brush tips. They act as tracks that maintain exact stroke alignment, allowing decorative elements to connect perfectly and form an infinite, seamless line, even when switching between multiple materials.

Before registering your material, it is important to remove any rulers from the layer. This ensures that Clip Studio recognizes the artwork as a proper Image Material rather than saving it as a specific Ruler Layer or a layer with metadata that might interfere with the brush tip functionality.

 

 

●ㅤㅤBrush Customization: Varius Sub Tool Detail Settings at same time.

UnitCurve: Set to Bézier for fluid, organic strokes.

Brush Size: Fixed at 100px (PenPressure: Off).

Ink: Opacity 100%, Mode: Normal.

Anti-aliasing: Set to Strong (3rd option) for smooth edges.

BrushTip: Selected Registered Material at 100 Density.

Stroke: Mode Ribbon (1st option) with Darkenblending.

Texture: 25% Density, Inverted, Mode: Multiply.

Correction: Enable Snapping for rulers and guides.

●ㅤㅤVector Layer Flexibility for Decorations Brushs

When using brushes configured with Bézier Curves or other complex dynamics, always try to draw on a Vector Layer.

 

This allows you, even after finishing your decorative stroke, to use the Operation (Object) tool to click on the line and modify its curvature, the software dynamically recalculates the texture and pattern application, ensuring you have total control over the composition without having to redraw anything.

●ㅤㅤSpecial Rulers & "At Last Pixel" Optimization

Use the Special Ruler (Parallel Line) to draw perfectly straight lines in any direction. Holding Shift locks the angles, ensuring a consistent flow. Pairing this with a Fixed Size brush (no pen pressure) facilitates a clean, uniform look, ideal for technical ornaments and architecture.

In the Sub Tool Detail menu, the At Last Pixel setting ensures that your decorative pattern completes its final shape perfectly at the end of a stroke. This tool prevents the brush from cutting off textures or leaving "half-finished" ornaments, providing a clean, intentional closure that is vital for intricate jewelry and mosaic designs.

Brush Size: Set to respond to Pen Pressure.

Brush Tip: We will use the previously registered material

Stroke: Set to Ribbon mode so the pattern follows the stroke’s curvature like a ribbon.

At Last Pixel: Enabled to ensure the final element of the pattern renders completely when lifting the pen.

Correction: We will use high Stabilization and enable Velocity Correction to prevent jitters and ensure silky-smooth lines.

Dynamic Texture Brush: Flip and Variation

In this stage, we will step up the technical level by combining several settings at once: using Spray or Ribbon modes integrated with Textures. It might seem like a complex process at first, but the final result offers a sophisticated and professional visual effect.

●ㅤㅤSeamless Texture Creation: Quadrant Mirroring Technique

To create a decorative texture brush without any gaps, we will use a precise mirroring technique. By flipping the images horizontally and vertically across four quadrants, we ensure the edges align perfectly when the brush repeats.

To build my quadrant base with rulers, I created three vertical rulers, organized them with equal spacing, and then copied and rotated them 90 degrees. This method resulted in a perfect square grid, ensuring the quadrants were perfectly aligned for image flipping and the total elimination of gaps in the final pattern.

 

The Mirroring Process: Copy the first quadrant to the second quadrant, flipping it horizontally. Copy these two and flip them vertically, and the third and fourth quadrants will be done. By merging these four mirrored versions into a single image, you eliminate any "gaps" or harsh edges at the borders of the texture.

Once the seamless image is ready, proceed as we did with the previous brushes: convert brightness to opacity, register the image as a Texture Material, and apply it to a new brush. Use all the settings to make your texture work.

●ㅤㅤTiling Manual

To create a perfect pattern, draw normally across the central quadrants, letting elements overflow past the side edges. With Snap to Ruler enabled, select the area outside the quadrant, press Ctrl+T, and move it to the opposite side.

 

The Snap ensures the selection aligns perfectly with the inner edge, creating a seamless connection. This allows the pattern to repeat flawlessly across the canvas without any visible breaks or misaligned textures in your final design.

Repeat the same process for the top and bottom edges: select the elements overflowing at the top, press Ctrl+T, and snap them to the corresponding bottom edge. This ensures the vertical connection is as perfect as the horizontal one.

 

Finally, fill in the remaining empty space in the center of your quadrants. Complete the drawing freely, but make sure not to touch the outer borders this time. This keeps the seamless edges intact while adding complexity and detail to the heart of your pattern.

Multi-Brush Strategy for Complex Textures

Not everything can be solved with a single decorative brush. For the dress, I created three: a background texture with adjustable density (more organic than a fixed pattern), small triangles that change size and brightness, and brushes for the eyes.

 

This strategy allows for greater technical control. By separating elements into distinct brushes, you can independently adjust triangle luminosity and eye color variations, ensuring a rich and professional finish for your final illustration.

Conclusion: Final thoughts

Sometimes, using decorative brushes alone might not fully solve your visual goals. To elevate your artwork, combining them with Blending Modes or Correction Layers is essential for a more integrated and professional look.

 

These technical tools make a significant difference in how patterns blend into the illustration. As shown in the comparison below, using modes like Add (Glow) for highlights or Multiply for depth transforms flat elements into rich details that harmonize perfectly with the overall lighting.

After these technical details, we move on to the Final Rendering. At this stage, the focus shifts from brush construction back to artistic finishing, where we unify all the elements of the piece.

 

We will now finalize the hair, refining strands to interact with the ornaments, and polish the shapes to ensure sharp silhouettes. Most importantly, we will focus on volume. By applying light and shadow, ensuring that the decoration looks realistic.

I would have loved to cover Double Brushes, but this tutorial is already huge! To keep things manageable, we focused on the essential techniques for textures and patterns.

 

If you enjoyed this guide, make sure to save the tutorial for future reference. And if you’d like a second part dedicated to Double Brushes and even more complex effects, let me know in the comments below! <3