After various explorations and attempts, I found that mixing different brushes can, to some extent, simulate the texture of traditional watercolors and ink wash. Below, I will first introduce the brush characteristics and creation methods, followed by a step-by-step explanation of the process.

 

(To make the explanation easier to understand, I have numbered the brushes; their original names had no numbers.)

 

 

Brush Introduction

no.1 [Rough]

 

Can draw delicate line variations and also create a rough texture similar to a brush pen.

This is a built-in CSP brush, found in the [Ink] section.

(However, my layout and initial settings are different, so the images are for reference only.)

 

 

no.2 [Light Ink]

 

Has a blending effect, capable of spreading highly concentrated colors.

 

Also built-in to CSP, found in the [Ink] section.

 

no.3 [Oil Pastel] (Official)

(Download Link > https://assets.clip-studio.com/zh-tw/detail?id=1702961 )

 

By varying brush size and pen pressure, it can draw delicate lines and blend colors, making it a very versatile brush.

Setting Brush Effects

To more effectively simulate the mottled effect of hand-drawn art, two additional brushes with watercolor textures need to be created:

named no.4 [Oil Pastel] and no.5 [Dark Watercolor] respectively.

 

 

no.4 [Oil Pastel]

 

Can simultaneously express the texture and transparency of watercolor edges, and also increase color saturation when layered.

It is an adjustment of no.3 [Oil Pastel] introduced above. Please change the values in the [Sub Tool Detail Palette].

 

The detailed adjustment values are as follows:

 

Ink: (Paint density>80 Color spread>75)

Brush Tip: (Thickness>120 Density>50)

Scatter effect: (Particle size>87 Particle density>3 Scatter bias>3)

Paper texture: (Paper texture density>Invert density Magnification>68)

Watercolor border (Watercolor border>1.7 Transparency influence>5 Brightness influence>5)

 

Sorry for the many changes.

 

To increase color saturation and the convenience of color blending, I increased the paint density and color spread. Lowering the density of the brush tip maintains transparency, and simultaneously enabling the scatter effect and watercolor border, along with strengthening the paper texture, further enhances the feel of hand-drawn watercolors.

 

(These settings were adjusted while testing features, and since the effect was good, I used them for drawing. So the values are quite specific, apologies for bothering your eyes (´Д` ))

 

 

no.5 [Dark Watercolor]

 

Enhanced scatter effect and watercolor border, simulating the outlines left by watercolor drying on paper.

Different effects can be achieved by varying pen pressure, brush size, dabbing, holding, and other drawing methods.

Created from CSP's built-in [Dark Watercolor], found in the [Watercolor] section.

The adjustment settings are as follows:

 

Scatter effect: (Particle size >15.2 Particle density>4 Scatter bias>3)

Watercolor border: (Watercolor border>5.5 Transparency influence>4 Brightness influence>1)

 

After the brush settings are complete (Finally! (´Д⊂ヽ), it's time to move on to the drawing phase.

 

Drawing Process

All canvas sizes below are A4, 210mm x 297mm, 350dpi.

 

(Please note that if the canvas size is different, the relative brush size will also be different. This should be taken into account before drawing.)

(1) Line Art

I drew pancakes because I don't think anyone dislikes pancakes, and their simple structure is suitable for explanation.

 

To achieve a pencil-like feel, you can use a brush with a slightly rough texture. When drawing, pay attention to variations in pressure to prevent the line art from looking too stiff. I personally like drawing with gaps between lines.

 

(Here I used うにゃペン, which has an excellent drawing feel. I recommend it to everyone, thanks to Hmm...-sensei)

Download Link > https://assets.clip-studio.com/zh-tw/detail?id=1695797

(2) Drawing the Base Color

 

Using brush no.5, leave one side white and apply a light yellow base color to the pancake on the other side.

Pay attention to controlling the pressure while drawing to add different shades and textures to the picture.

Appropriately retaining both sharp and soft reflections will better approximate the irregular effects of hand-drawn watercolors.

 

(You can adjust the brush to different sizes as needed while drawing; just whatever feels comfortable.)

(3) Coloring

Create a new layer and apply a deeper yellow to the browned parts of the pancake. When coloring, be careful not to cover the areas you want to leave white.

(If you create a new layer above, the colors won't blend together.)

 

 

(4) Blending

Merge the layers and blend with no.2 [Light Ink]. Be sure to keep some sharper reflections while blending the parts you want to merge. This step can create a watercolor blending effect.

(5) Adding Shadows

Create a new layer, use no.3 [Oil Pastel] and a darker brown to add shadows and details, then blend with no.2 [Light Ink].

 

(Varying pen pressure, dabbing lightly, or blending can add more texture to the picture.)

(6) Adding Color and Texture

Create a new layer, use a darker red and no.4 [Oil Pastel] to lightly add a mottled texture. For deeper areas, apply a little more pressure.

 

(If details are difficult to draw because the brush is too thick, you can use the eraser tool or set the brush to transparent to erase excess color.)

 

(7) Color Burn

Create a new layer, set to Color Burn > 70%

 

Use the red from the image and no.4 [Oil Pastel], then lightly blend with no.2 [Light Ink] to cover the entire piece with a textured gradient shadow.

(8) Adding Highlights

Open a new layer and add white to the areas where you want to emphasize and refine highlights.

If you want a sharper look, use no.1 [Rough]. If you want the white to blend, use no.2 [Light Ink].

 

Appropriately adding unevenly distributed white dots will enrich the picture and create effects common in watercolors.

(But be careful not to add too many, as it will distract the viewer's attention.)

 

For the scatter effect here, I used the Battlefield Dust Brush, thanks to diceproj-sensei for providing it.

Download Link > https://assets.clip-studio.com/zh-tw/detail?id=1687371

(9) Detail Refinement

Finally, refine the line art, observing the overall picture to add and refine details.

(Thickening the line art in areas prone to heavy shadows will give the picture more three-dimensionality.)

(10) Finalizing

 

Finally, add the plate and fork. When drawing, you can use different brushes to express texture based on the characteristics and colors of various objects.

 

Different levels of line art, lineless art, etc., can create different effects. These are provided for your reference.

Considering that the main color of the pancakes is yellow, the effects of different color mixtures might be less obvious, so I tried drawing objects of different colors.

 

(The hydrangea below can be used to reference color blending effects.)

 

The base colors are mainly blue, purple, and yellow, mixed using no.4 [Oil Pastel] and no.2 [Light Ink].

When you want to layer colors, you can create a new layer above, draw the desired colors, then merge the layers for blending.

Brush Supplementary Explanation - Ink Wash Style

Since I realized that only drawing pancakes wouldn't allow me to introduce the ink wash characteristics of no.1 [Rough], I've included a goldfish drawing process here as a supplement.

 

(After seeing the pancake drawing process, some might think no.1 is useless (ノД`). I need to elaborate on it.)

(1) Sketch and Line Art

After drawing the rough outline of the goldfish, lighten the sketch to use as a reference, then create a new layer and draw details such as fins, scales, and tails while maintaining the overall feel.

 

(Since it's an ink wash style, the focus is on presenting the form, and there's no need to meticulously draw out the line art.)

 

(2) Base Color and Blending

Use no.1 [Rough] to draw the base color. Utilizing the brush's characteristics, you can draw lines with varying thickness. Applying more pressure to the tail area will thicken the lines, while drawing lightly on the fins will result in delicate lines, which are perfect for simulating the fluidity of a goldfish.

 

(At this stage, pay attention to leaving white space; do not completely fill with color.)

 

After applying the base color, on the same layer, use no.2 [Light Ink] to blend the color blocks on the goldfish's head. By extending the color along the direction of the fins and tail, you can achieve a natural ink wash blending effect.

(3) Layering Colors

Create a new layer. Use no.4 [Oil Pastel] and no.5 [Dark Watercolor], controlling pen pressure with light dabs to add rough particles, thereby increasing the hand-drawn texture.

 

Then, merge the layers and use no.2 [Light Ink] to blend the colors.

(4) Drawing Ink Lines

Create a new layer, set the brush to a dark red, then use no.1 [Rough] to draw thicker ink lines. Enhance details on the fish's outline, fins, and turning points when the goldfish swims, which will improve the overall sense of flow.

 

Next, increase pen pressure to strengthen the color of the scales, and then slightly add texture to the scales with no.4 [Oil Pastel].

 

(5) Refining Outlines

Create a new layer, set the brush to white, and use no.1 [Rough] to refine the tail lines, adding details such as scale reflections.

(Due to the brush's characteristics, it's easy to draw sharp edges.)

 

(6) Adding Details

Feeling that the overall piece was a bit too red, and wanting to add a golden feel, I created a new layer and lightly applied golden yellow to the fish's back and tail using no.2 [Light Ink]. To enhance the tail's sense of flow, I drew more delicate lines with no.1 [Rough].

 

Finally, I added a few black accents to emphasize the eyes and surrounding contours.

 

Conclusion

Finally, please note that the drawing methods above are for reference only. There is no single correct order for drawing steps; as long as it suits you and helps achieve your desired effect, that's what matters.

 

The main purpose of this guide was to demonstrate brush setting methods and blending techniques. Not many brushes were actually used, but the official sources and numerous users provide a vast amount of materials and brushes. Feel free to experiment widely; you might discover new things when mixing brushes with different characteristics.

 

If you find a brush uncomfortable to use, you can adjust its settings to match your habits or create a new brush that suits you. Of course, you can also use existing brushes or various materials; anything that improves your artwork is worth trying.

 

Thank you for reading; I hope this content is helpful (・∀・)