►Brushes used:

(1) Clip Studio default Airbrush

(2) Clip Studio default Pencil

(3) Clip Studio Coffee Pencil (Free download https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=2095181)

This tutorial will share:

 

♦Basic makeup concepts:

 

♦Brush usage techniques:

(1) Using the "Pencil" brush to draw different eyebrow shapes.

(2) Using the "Airbrush" brush to draw makeup.

 

♦Color selection & adjustment techniques:

(1) Tips for choosing colors for "Warm-toned makeup" and "Cool-toned makeup."

(2) Using "Adjustment Layers" to quickly change colors without redrawing

 

► Drawing Process: Warm-toned Makeup

0. Introduction: Changing Character Vibe with Makeup

Illustrated characters are like real people; even with the same face shape, simply changing the makeup can present a different vibe. If you further change accessories and hairstyles to match the makeup, the character can even look like a different person.

 

Taking the image below as an example, A is a bare face, while B, C, and D show the variations when combined with eyeshadow, eyelashes, colored contacts, and lipstick.

► Drawing Process Video: Changing Makeup Styles

0.1. Light Makeup → Bold Makeup

When drawing, I categorize makeup that "looks similar to the character's original skin tone/appearance" as "light makeup or nude makeup"; if the makeup colors "have a noticeable difference from the character's original skin tone and look prominent," they are categorized as "bold makeup."

 

Using the image above as an example, the character's skin tone is a lighter warm tone. Therefore, the left image uses lighter warm-toned makeup, which blends naturally with the skin; the right image uses green and bright orange, where the colors differ significantly from the character's skin, making the makeup look bolder.

 

 

0.2. Warm-toned & Cool-toned Color Selection

So, how do you choose between warm and cool tones? In color theory, colors are mainly divided into three categories based on psychological perception and tone: warm colors, cool colors, and neutral colors (intermediate colors). Common representative colors are as follows:

 

♦Warm tones: Red, orange, etc.

♦Cool tones: Blue, cyan, blue-green, blue-violet, etc.

♦Neutral colors (Intermediate colors): Green, purple, black, white, gray, etc.

Therefore, when choosing colors, you can imagine a line in the Clip Studio color wheel between yellow and blue. To the left of the line, there are more warm tones, but the closer you get to the bottom blue, the cooler it becomes. So, the magenta near the bottom is cooler, while the orange-red near the top is warmer.

1. Color Selection & Adjustment Techniques: Leveraging Digital Drawing "Layers"

1.1. One Color per Layer

Using the image below as an example, when a layer contains only the red of the blush, you can not only quickly change the intensity by adjusting the "Layer Opacity" but also go to "Edit > Tonal Correction > Hue/Saturation/Luminosity" to change the color to anything else you want to try, without worrying about affecting other finished parts.

2. Stroke Techniques

2.1. Drawing Eyebrows

In this example, the character's bare face has sparse hair at the ends of the eyebrows.

Next, I will share my method for drawing eyebrows and the differences between various eyebrow shapes.

 

 

► 2.1.1 Eyebrow Shape Logic

Eyebrows are divided into 3 main segments: the head, the arch, and the tail.

A prominent eyebrow arch will make the character's expression look sharper; a less prominent arch will make the expression look softer.

 

For the character in this example, the eyebrows are drawn in a style using "lines" paired with "base color blending," and without a prominent arch.

The head of the eyebrow is positioned slightly inward from the corner of the eye. The position of the tail can be determined by drawing a line from roughly the corner of the mouth through the corner of the eye, which prevents the tail from being drawn too long or too short.

 

Of course, in practical application, you can intentionally draw the eyebrows very long or short as a character trait. ( ˶ˊᵕˋ)੭

► 2.1.2. Drawing Hair Strokes: Pencil

Stroke Direction + Pressure

When using a pencil to draw eyebrows, draw "quickly" from the root of the hair toward the tip, and make sure there is a slight curve.

 

If you're worried about misplacing the hair strokes, you can mark the area with a color block on another layer and delete the color block layer after the strokes are drawn. The hair strokes don't need to be too neat; a bit of messiness is more natural.

 

As long as your strokes are quick and clean, you can draw hairs that are "thick at the root and thin at the tip." If you draw too slowly, the lines tend to jitter, and it's harder to achieve the thick-to-thin transition.

► 2.1.3. Drawing Eyebrow Powder: Airbrush

Create a new layer under the hair strokes. Use the airbrush in the same upward direction (root to tip), spraying with a light and quick touch. The eyebrow powder color doesn't need to be applied very thickly.

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2.2. Drawing Eyelashes: Pencil

Draw eyelashes using the pencil brush in the same upward direction (root to tip). Light and quick strokes can create hairs that are "thick at the root and thin at the tip."

 

 

Humans in the real world have eyelashes on both the upper and lower eyelids, and use mascara or false eyelashes during makeup to make their eyes more expressive. There are many types of false eyelashes, such as lengthening, volumizing, or partial-enhancement types. The same logic applies to illustration and manga characters; with the same face shape, adding eyelashes in different positions, with different densities and colors, can change the character's look.

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2.3. Drawing Eyeshadow: Airbrush

Eyeshadow in the same color family as the skin tone can simulate light and shadow on the skin, naturally making the eyes look deeper. If you intentionally choose colors that differ significantly from the skin tone (such as the green and purple in the example), you can emphasize personality and character traits.

► 2.3.1. Eyeshadow Application Range

There are many choices for eyeshadow placement, offering high freedom for experimentation.

 

In standard makeup, eyeshadows darker than the skin tone are usually applied along the upper lash line and the inner/outer corners of the eyes to add depth and enlarge the eyes. Eyeshadows lighter than the skin tone have an "expanding" effect and are more commonly used near the inner corner of the eye.

 

Some feel that applying dark eyeshadow directly below the lower eyelid looks like dark circles, but it can also be an interesting effect. For example, smoky eye makeup uses exaggerated dark colors to emphasize the eyes.

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2.4. Drawing Blush

Since I want the character style to have some brushstroke effects, when drawing blush, I first use a pencil brush to draw circular lines in the blush area, then use a blending tool to smudge them with the same circular motion. For subsequent layers, I use the airbrush to increase the color intensity. (Different intensities and ranges of blush are placed on their own layers for easy adjustment later.)

As mentioned in section 1.1 of this tutorial, you can adjust the color intensity by changing the layer opacity, as shown in the image above.

The left image uses a cool-toned red and adds blush under the eyes in the cheek area using an airbrush; the right image uses a warm-toned orange-red for the blush, with a larger airbrushed area including the cheekbones and bridge of the nose to create a sunburnt makeup look.

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2.5. Drawing Lip Color

Lipstick effects are influenced by the following three factors:

 

A. Application area

B. Color intensity

C. Edge blending

 

In this example, I want to draw a look with blended edges and a thin upper lip/thick lower lip effect.

 

Add a new blank layer, use the airbrush to spray a small area within the dotted line, and then use Clip Studio's built-in color blending tool to smudge it. If the color is too strong, you can lower the layer opacity or go to "Edit > Tonal Correction > Hue/Saturation/Luminosity" to adjust it.

♦The coloring process can be done by layering gradually; the color doesn't need to be drawn heavily all at once.

♦As seen in the video, when the character's eye makeup becomes bolder, the lip color drawn initially becomes relatively less noticeable. At this point, you can add new layers to add tones that suit the eye makeup.

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2.6. Drawing Colored Contacts

The character's original eye color is a dark olive green (far left). As long as you have separated the layers at the start, you can select the iris layer and go to "Edit > Tonal Correction > Hue/Saturation/Luminosity" to lighten or change the color. Once the base color is adjusted, create a new layer and use a pencil brush to draw radial lines on the iris to create the colored contact effect.

 

 

3. Conclusion

To make some steps in this Clip Studio Tips article easier to understand, I have turned some video clips into Gif files. However, Gifs are lower in quality; if you need to see a clearer image, you can watch the video at the very top of the article.

 

Let's enjoy drawing together! ( ⸝⸝•ᴗ•⸝⸝ )