Compatible with Clip Studio Paint Ver. 1.9.14

 

Let’s create an animation in Clip Studio Paint!

This animation practice tutorial is aimed at first time animators.

 

 

 

In this first lesson, we are going to make an animation from a single image.

Features you will learn: Animation folders & the [Timeline] palette

 

Note: For smartphone Users

Clip Studio Paint for smartphones requires palette bar customization to create animations.

Use the following procedure to add the [Timeline] palette.

 

Drawing the illustration

(1) First, you will need to draw your illustration in Clip Studio Paint.

(You can also import or open illustrations that you’ve previously made)

 

(2) In the [Layer] palette, click [New Raster Layer] twice and make two new layers.

These two layers will be the base of our animation.

 

(3) For simplicity, let’s double click the layer names to rename them layer “1” and “2.”

 

(4) Draw something you want to animate on layer “1”.

 

(5) Similarly, draw a variation of the same object in layer “2”.

Note: While doing this, layer “1” can be hidden by clicking on the eye icon in the [Layer] palette.

 

Layers “1” and “2” will now have slightly different illustrations.

 

Animating the illustration

(1) From the [Animation] menu, select [New animation layer] > [Animation folder], and create an animation folder named “Folder 1.”

 

(2) Under the [Layer] palette, drag and drop layer “1” and “2” into “Folder 1.”

 

Once the two layers are stored in the animation folder, they will be hidden.

 

(3) Select [Window] menu > [Timeline] and display the [Timeline] palette.

 

(4) From the [Timeline] palette, click on [New timeline].

 

 

 

(5) In the following [New Timeline] dialog, set the [Frame rate] to 8 and the [Play time] to “8”, and then click [OK].

 

Note:

By default, the playback time is set to 4 seconds.

This time, we set the playback time of the animation to be 1 second.

Note: “Frame rate and playback time” is explained in detail in the following tutorial.

 

You will now have a timeline named “1.”

 

(6) Right-click the leftmost/first frame of “Timeline 1” to display the right-click menu.

 

(7) Select “1” from the displayed menu to specify the timing of layer “1” on “Timeline 1”.

 

(8) Next, right click the center of “Timeline 1” and select layer “2”.

 

Layers “1” and “2” have been specified to “Timeline 1”.

Note: If you specify the 5th frame (which is in the middle of the total 8 frames), layers “1” and “2” will be shown in exact same intervals.

 

Done!

Click [Play/Stop] on the [Timeline] palette to play your animation.

 

Your first animation is complete!

Note: This has been exported to GIF format.

 

From the [File] menu, click [Export animation], then [Animated GIF] to export the animation in GIF format.

 

 

 

You’re now done with the first practice tutorial.

 

Part Two

 

Part Three

 

Part Four

 

To learn more about animation features:

If you want to learn more about Clip Studio Paint’s animation features, please look at the tutorials below.