This tutorial teaches how to transfer the oil painting technique to digital media, achieving a result with a traditional appearance. We will use the different brushes provided by the program and other Clip Studio Paint tools.

 

It is recommended both for those artists who have experience in the traditional and want to start in digital art, and for those digital artists who want to approach the traditional technique. Previous painting experience in any of the media is recommended, although the tutorial is explained so that a beginner user can follow it.

 

The illustration process was also recorded to accompany the tutorial:

Understand and use references

This step is essential when making any illustration. We seek references to oil paintings to fully understand the characteristics of the technique. We can use, for example, works by classical artists such as Singer Sargent, Mead Schaeffer and Norman Rockwell as main references. The important thing is to analyze the details of the oil technique to understand how to replicate it.

 

We also need to look up references of what we are going to illustrate. For this example, the photo of a cat at the precise angle is used. There is no need to perfectly replicate the reference, especially if we are not looking for a realistic result. However, relying on reality helps develop a more credible work.

 

Make the sketch

To make the sketch we can use any brush of preference. It is not necessary to use a textured one, although it is important that it be translucent. It is better to use a large size on the brush, with this we avoid detailing the sketch too much.

In this example, the Clip Studio Paint default opaque watercolor brush is used.

 

Everything we are going to sketch will be covered by paint later and it does not compensate for detailing it excessively. The key is that the sketch reflects enough to understand well what we are going to draw.

 

It is recommended to draw the most important shadows of the illustration from the beginning. In the example, the neck shadow is added. This helps to visualize the end result.

 

 

 

We edit the sketch using the Selection Tool and the Free Transform Tool to modify the line. In this tutorial that I did previously, the possibilities of the Selection Tool are explained in detail:

To access the free Transform tool, we first outline with the Selection Tool what we want to edit. Then we go to the Edit window, click on Transform and finally click on Free Transform. Another option is to press the Ctrl, Shift and T keys simultaneously on the keyboard. By clicking and dragging the nodes of the square that borders the selection, we can modify its appearance.

When we finish editing the sketch, click OK or press Enter on the keyboard.

 

 

Paint the first layer of color

We create a layer below the sketch that acts as the base of the illustration. In this example, a brown shade is used that mimics the color of a canvas. We color the sketch with a color of the same range so that it integrates well. The goal is to create harmony between all the colors in the illustration.

 

We can use different tools to change the color of the sketch. For example, the Snap to Bottom Layer feature or the Lock Transparent Pixels feature. Both have been explained in detail in this tutorial that I previously did:

Next, we create a new layer above the base and below the sketch. In it, we apply the first coat of paint. Since we are in the digital medium we could do it directly with the Fill paint bucket tool. However, as our intention is to follow the traditional methodology, we will not proceed in this way.

We use different textured brushes to apply the color. Various colors and different textures are used to simulate the brushes of the traditional medium.

 

These are the brushes used in the example, created by users of the Clip Studio Paint community. It is good to experiment with the different brushes to learn how to use them. The tutorial video shows the order and specific brushes used in each step of this illustration.

 

We use several brushes with different textures throughout the process, since using a single brush could have the effect of flattening the entire work under the same texture.

 

Taking into account the range of colors that we will use in the work, we are painting, using colors that are slightly saturated and that vary in hue.

 

Here we demonstrate the great visual difference of using the Fill tool to manually colorize the background.

Shading the figure

We create a layer below the sketch and, using the same color as the sketch, we shade in greater detail taking into account where the light comes from in the drawing.

 

In this example, this brush created by a community user is used, which works wonderfully for the result we want to achieve.

 

It is a good time to look again at the references that we have collected at the beginning of the process. Thanks to them we can better understand how shadows work on the materials we are going to paint.

 

The work must be understood as a total unit, not as independent elements. Shading outside the figure is more than valid in this methodology. The intention is that the background and the figure are integrated to create harmony in the illustration.

 

 

An advantage of the digital medium is the ability to flip the canvas freely. This allows us to see the work from a new perspective to find flaws to correct. Clip Studio Paint has a non-destructive function to do it quickly. To do this, click on this icon in the Navigator formed by two triangles called Flip horizontally.

Color the background and figure

We create a layer below the sketch and the shadow. We take a brush and paint the colors we want. We recommend using different shades of the same color in the figure, taking into account the background to implement harmonic colors with it.

 

This image shows what the figure's color looks like if we deactivate the shadow layer.

 

Clip Studio Paint offers tools to modify the color if we wish. In this example, the Tonal Correction function is used to modify the hue of the color. To use it, we go to the Edit window. we click on Tonal Correction and select Hue / Saturation / Lightness. In the tool menu we can adjust different options until we find the result we want.

This would be the result if we activate the shadow layer again.

Next, we add a darker, more saturated shade to the background in a new layer to balance it with the figure. To give it vitality and harmony, we use a main tone and a secondary pair in less quantity. One of them being similar to the color of the figure and the other opposite to the base color. In this example, dark green is used as the main color, yellow as the secondary, and a few small strokes of blue.

Aside from using different textured brushes, we use the Airbrush tool to limit blending the tones together. It is important not to overdo it using this tool, since it could cover the textures of the other brushes.

Smart, smart, smart

This is the most complicated step, requiring the ability to paint fluently. If this point is difficult for you, I encourage you to continue practicing until you achieve your goal.

 

In the video of the process you can see this section clearly:

 

We take out the references again to keep them in mind while we paint. For artists coming from digital painting, it is important to remember that the goal is to make it look like a traditional painting. It is good to analyze the small details of the references to replicate them.

 

It is important to know when to blend the edge of the figure with the background. Not all the contour must be integrated, but an important part of it. Using brush strokes with intermediate colors between the background and the figure, we create the appearance that they are part of the same set.

 

We have started the work with slightly saturated colors because now we gradually increase the saturation and contrast of the colors manually, painting over the different tones to control the harmony and the points of interest of the illustration.

We must use different brushes with different textures. Understanding where we should use the different textures helps us achieve a better result. For example, in the most interesting points of the illustration we use textures with more detail and in a smaller size, while in the less relevant areas we will use more subtle and flat textures so that the viewer's eye can rest.

An advantage that digital offers us is the ability to create an almost unlimited number of layers and be able to edit their opacity. We can create layers above the drawing with different colors or textures and lower the opacity to taste.

 

The best advice for this step is to trust instinct and not be afraid to experiment. The less you use the Undo shortcut, the better. As a creator, what you feel during the process will be transferred to your work. Therefore, enjoying without fear and taking advantage of the freedom offered by this medium will give vitality to your result.

Final touches

This is the last step in the process. Thanks to the functions that Clip Studio Paint has, we can edit and retouch the illustration to achieve the result that we like the most.

 

In this example, the saturation and contrast of the work are edited. To achieve this, we merge all the layers into one and use the Tonal Correction function previously explained.

 

It is recommended to duplicate the merged layer and make edits to it. Thus, we can easily return to the original state of the work in case we are not convinced by the edition. It is also possible to play with the opacities of the layers to find the optimal result.

And here is the end result!