Setting an Image to a Decoration Brush

You can register illustrations to a decoration brush and use them like stickers.

 

(1) I select the sub tool group I want to register from the [Sub Tool] palette, and then select [Create Custom Sub Tool] from the [Sub Tool] palette menu.

 

The [Create custom sub tool] dialog opens and I set each item in it as below.

[Name]: Set the sub tool’s name

[Export process]: [Direct drawing]

[Tool icon]: Select your preferred icon

I input the settings and click [OK]. After creating a custom sub tool, the [Sub Tool Detail] palette will automatically open.

 

(2) I set the brush from the [Sub Tool Detail] palette.

 

I select [Brush shape] > [Brush tip] > [Tip shape] > [Material], and click [Click here to select tip shape].

 

When the [Select brush tip shape] dialog opens, I select from the image materials I previously registered.

 

I select all the images I want to register to the brush.

You can change the the order of your registered images to the brush via drag and drop.

 

(3) I change and adjust the brush settings.

Under [Brush Shape] > [Brush Tip], I set [Brush Density] to 100.

 

Under [Brush shape] > [Stroke], I set [Gap] to [Fixed] and adjust its value.

Then I set the [Repeat method] to [Repeat].

• Adjust the values and repetition methods to suit your illustration.

 

I made a decoration brush with the illustrations I just made!

 

<Example using the decoration brush>

I added a simple background to the illustration I made with my decoration brush and created a smartphone background image.

 

Creating the ribbon brush

You can also use a decoration brush as a ribbon brush.

A ribbon brush is a brush with it’s [Stroke] settings set to [Ribbon]. Ribbon brushes change pattern as you draw your stroke.

Now I will make a masking tape-like ribbon brush in order to make that simple striped background shown in the image above.

 

● 1. Creating an image to be registered to the brush

(1) First, I select [File] menu > [New] to display the [New] dialog box, then under [Use of work], I select [Illustration] and create a new square canvas.

 

(2) Then I display the grid on the canvas with [View] menu > [Grid].

 

Using the [Selection area] Tool > [Polyline], I create a diagonal line selection using the grid as my guide and then use the [Fill] tool to fill it.

 

I then create a new layer under the layer where I created the first stripe pattern and fill it with another color.

This creates the stripped pattern background that will result in seamless repeating.

 

I copy the merged ballpoint pen layer from another file, and paste the stripes I made onto the canvas.

• You could either register the ballpoint pen illustration as an image material in advance, or just copy and paste it directly from a material.

 

Then I select the background layer and the duplicate illustration layer, and combine them into one with [Merge selected layers].

• I’m planning to use multiple striped backgrounds, so I merged all of the duplicated layers into one.

 

I then register the merged image layer in the same way as in part 3.

 

● 2. Setting the brush to ribbon.

(1) First, I create sub tools in the same way as the brush creation process.

 

I open the [Select Brush Tip Shape] dialog box from [Brush Shape] > [Brush Tip] on the [Sub Tool Detail] palette, and then select and set the image material I registered earlier to set it.

The I set the [Direction]to 90 degrees, and the [Brush density] to 100.

 

I put a check in [Brush shape] > [Stroke] > [Ribbon].

 

(2) From [Correction], I check [Post-Correction] and set the correction value to 40.

• Because the ribbon brush transforms as it follows a brush stroke, setting a high correction value allows it to look cleaner when you use it.

 

(3) I then set a paper texture to the ribbon brush to make it look like masking tape.

 

I select a paper-like texture from [Texture].

I’m going to go with the canvas texture in the image below.

 

I set the [Method to apply texture] to [Multiply].

 

I have completed making the masking tape-like ribbon brush.

 

<Example using the ribbon brush>

 

I created an image that looks like a memo pad by using the masking tape-like ribbon brush.

 

[3] Exporting the created brushes

You can export a created brush material and share it with others.

 

Right-clicking on the created brush from the [Sub Tool] palette displays a menu. From there you can export the brush material via [Export Sub Tool].

The exported brush file is a sut file.

 

By sharing your brush file to Clip Studio Assets it exposes your illustrations to more people.

*Clip Studio Paint default materials such as texture materials cannot be used when publishing to Clip Studio Assets.

 

 

 

By keeping the hand-drawn feeling to the ball-point illustration and then digitally coloring, I was able to create an illustration with a loose, natural touch.

 

Also, by leveraging the strength of digital technology and registering my illustrations as materials I was able to create much, much more.

Please do try it out!