Easily adaptable workspace for lineart / vectors and color / painting

I use a workspace that I can adapt to what I'm doing with just a few clicks: either edit lineart or color.

 

At the beginning I explain how and why I have customized my workspace. For experienced users, this is probably sufficient as an overview. For those who are just starting to use Clip Studio Paint, I will then explain how to customize and register your workspace so that you can reload and use it over and over again.

 

This is going to be a long tutorial, so I'll add subheadings. If you don't want to read through the whole tutorial, you can simply scroll to the heading that interests you.

1.Overview of the Lineart / Vectors workspace (the numbers correspond to those in the illustration)

Sketch: I'm old-fashioned there. I mostly sketch with pencil and paper and then usually scan or photograph my sketches in order to process them digitally.

 

1: I create my lineart as vectors, placing the sketch as a separate layer in the background and drawing it on a vector layer created above. I mainly draw with the pen, but also with the figure tool for complex representations. Since I don't use any colors other than black as long as I create the lineart, I hide the color palettes. I have created it in a separate dock that I can switch on if necessary.

2: I hide the tool dock to have a little more space.

3: Instead of the tool dock, I use Quick Access, on which I only have those tools that I often need: operation, moving layers, selection area, automatic selection, pen (my most common drawing tool for creating vectors), eraser (Vector), figure (here I mainly use the [continuous curve] and the [Bezier curve]), correct the line.

4: Additional tools for editing vectors are displayed in the layer properties when a vector layer is active (that's why I added the quick access below the layer properties, so I have almost all tools in one place on the screen): Operation → Object, Correct line → anchor point, correct line → press vector lines, correct line → correct line width. I use all of these tools a lot when working with vectors.

5: I have also added the anchor point tool to the command bar so that I can use it quickly if I have selected another set in Quick Access in which the anchor point tool is not stored.

6: In order to get quick access to the drawing colors black and transparent, I created both colors as commands in the command bar.

7: I created [Show vector paths of the selected layers] in the command bar (usually located under: View → Show vector paths). In addition, I created the shortcut V for this command. I use this feature to be able to check which layer I am working on while working with the vector layers. I am always on the plane whose vector paths are shown. As a result, it happens to me much less often that I draw on the wrong plane. This function also helps me to find gaps in the line art.

Example: In the image below, the vector paths of the layer with the decorations on the wall panel on the back left are highlighted in orange. This level is active. If that bothers me, I press V or disable the function in the command bar. I can turn it back on anytime I want to check what vector layer I'm working on.

2. Overview of the Color / Painting work area

Now I've finished the lineart and want to colorize. First I change the Quick Access Set from Vektor to Colourwork:

1: Click on the three small lines next to the quick access symbol

2: Change set

3: I choose the Colourwork set because I want to color now.

Here I have all the tools that I normally use frequently for coloring, shading or post-processing (from top left to bottom right): move layer, selection area, automatic selection (magic wand), pipette, pen, pencil, brush, airbrush, decoration, Eraser, dissolve, fill area.

 

Then I switch on the color palettes by clicking on the small double arrow to the left of the command bar (the palettes are not there automatically, I have stored them there. I will explain how to do this below.):

Now my screen is very full, but since I'm so completely disorganized when coloring, I need it like this:

In addition to these functions, I have added the following commands to the command bar, which I use when painting:

1: Free transformation and form grid transformation. I actually rarely use it. I was just too lazy to go back to the functions in the Edit menu. So that's kind of a backup. (The commands can be found under: Edit → Transform → [Free transform] and [Form grid transformation].)

2: Flip horizontally (orange background) and flip vertically. These two commands are also from my early days in Clip Studio Paint. Since I come from vector design, I was looking for the [mirror] command almost desperately at first. After I found it, I deposited it. There it is now! Very reassuring. (These two commands are usually located under: Edit → Transform → [Flip Horizontal] and [Flip Vertical].)

3: Get screen color. With this nice colorpicker you can also pick up colors from outside the Clip Studio Paint window. I use it occasionally. (Find it under: Edit → Get screen color (almost at the bottom).)

4: Select the color gamut. This is used to select areas that have the same color but are not connected. The same effect is achieved if you remove the checkmark for [follow adjacent pixels] in the automatic selection (magic wand). I actually use this quite a lot. (To be found under: Selection → Select color range.)

5: Select again. Selects the last selection again. My salvation if I clicked too quickly on the [Deselect] box and then continued working. (Find it under: Select → Select again.)

2.1 My painting process

1: I set the basic colors with the paint bucket.

2: To do this, I gradually create a color palette with the color fields or use a color palette that I have already used for another illustration, if it seems appropriate to me.

3: If I forget a color that I used, I can look it up from the color log or I use the pipette (4) to pick it up from the picture.

5: I choose the colors in the color wheel (HLS model, the one with the triangle in the middle. I was once told that this model would be easier to use than the HSV model (the one with the square in the middle) there saturation and brightness are adjusted separately. I stuck with it, but I never really gave the HSV model a chance to convince me.).

6: And adjust the value, saturation and brightness with the color slider.

7: I then use the intermediate color for shading.

2.2 Shading with intermediate colors

1: I choose the color I want to work with from the color fields.

2: I put this color in two diagonally opposite corners of the intermediate colors, because that is my middle color.

3: I use the color sliders to choose a color that is a little warmer and lighter because I want to represent daylight.

4: I use the lighter color to color one of the two remaining corners of the intermediate colors.

5: I use the color sliders to choose a color that is a bit darker and cooler for the deepest shadow (image is below).

6: And use it to color the last corner of the intermediate colors that is diagonally opposite the lightest color.

7: I also create two new layers for light and shadow, which I attach to the layer with the colors using a clipping mask. (At this point you can also just create one layer and paint all the shadows and lights on it. Or you can decide to paint only light or only shadow, then the actual basic color (the middle color) becomes the lightest or darkest color.)

8: Since I have only created all the colors on one layer so far (you can of course create a separate layer for each color, but then you have a lot of different layers), I now need a way to ensure that I do not paint beyond the areas that I want to colorize. Therefore I create a selection with [Select color gamut]. So I can only paint the areas of the color layer that I have selected. That actually makes the clipping mask superfluous, but I usually leave it on anyway because it helps me distinguish which layers belong together.

9: Do I have to make a selection very often, or if it is very complicated, I create a selection level from it (Selection → Convert to selection level), which I can select again and again if necessary by double-clicking on the small green symbol in the level.

10: I also save both colors in the color fields so that I can use them again and again. (To create a new palette in the color fields, click on the small wrench to the right of the palette name and then on [Add new]. To register the current color in the palette, either click on the drop with the on the right under the palette + or hold down the Alt key and click on an empty field.)

Then I shade the areas on which the light falls with the lighter intermediate colors (whereby I choose darker intermediate colors the further away I am from the light source, the window). Then the areas that are on the shaded side of the window frame with the darker intermediate colors.

For this I have used a watercolor brush with a relatively high transparency, but any brush is possible.

That was about how I design my work area so that I can paint and draw with it in the way I have got used to so far. Next, I'll briefly show you how to set up your workspace in the first place.

3. Design your personal workspace

3. Set up 1 command bar

There are two ways to access the command bar settings:

1: File → Settings command bar ...

Or:

2: Click with the right mouse button on the command bar → Command bar Settings ...

3: This drop-down menu also contains the command with which the current drawing color can be stored in the command bar.

4: The current drawing color is then created as a symbol in the command bar and can be called up at any time with a click.

A window opens in which you can literally select any possible command and store it in the command bar.

1: Here you choose whether you want to store a command from the main menu or a tool or an auto action or something similar. Depending on what you choose here, the options in the large field (2) change.

3: Once you have found the command you were looking for, select the action to be performed with it (add to command bar, delete, etc.)

3.2 Arranging the pallets

Short tip: If you want to have a very clean work area quickly, you can press [Tab] (the tabulator key). Then all palettes are hidden. Also to be found under: Window → Hide all palettes (quite far down). All pallets also come back with [Tab]:

1: All palettes can also be shown or hidden individually in the Window area in the main menu.

2: To hide pallets, simply remove the hook in front of them. To show them, check them in front of them.

Showed palettes can be moved by clicking on their name at the top of their palette area and holding down the mouse button. They are then highlighted in red and can be moved anywhere:

If you want to insert it at a certain point next to, above or below another palette, a red line appears at this point. Then release the mouse button and the palette will be inserted in the right place:

It gets a little trickier when you want to group pallets. I will show this with an example:

I've taken my palettes apart and want to see the intermediate and approximate color palettes separate from the other color palettes, but in the same place (I want to hide the other palettes when I fade in the intermediate and approximate colors).

To do this, I first pull both pallets out of the dock and store them floating on the work surface:

In order to display them individually, I first have to display the other palettes as icons (2). This is done by clicking on the single arrow at the top of the pallet dock (1):

Now I can drag the approximate color and the intermediate color to the place below the icons for the other color palettes:

Now I have both icons on the same palette dock as the other color palettes, but only in such a way that I can open them individually:

But I want to arrange them so that I can open the Intermediate Color and Approximate Color palettes together, but independently of the other color palettes.

I drag the intermediate color icon onto the approximate color icon until the approximate color icon turns red. Then I release the mouse button:

Now both palettes are grouped in such a way that I can display them together, but separately from the other color palettes, which are stored in the same place:

This procedure works with all tools, sub-tools, level dialog, navigator, etc.

3.3 Quick-Access

I use quick access instead of the tool bar because I don't always need all the tools available in the tool bar for each work step. I imagine that this is how I save space ...

I call up the Quick Access via: Window → Check the Quick Access box.

1: By default, the quick access is at the top of the material dock. But I can move it anywhere as shown under 3.2.

2: I can choose between different sets by clicking the buttons.

3: To create a new set, I click on the three small lines to the left of the name »Quick Access«.

To create a new set:

1: I choose [Create Set ...].

2: Give the new set a name.

3: And get a new set in quick access.

4: I can drag all tools that I want to have in the new set with the left mouse button pressed. However, if I want to add a command from the main menu to the Quick Access, I must first click on the three small lines next to the Quick Access name and then click on [Quick Access Settings ...].

3.4 Register workspace

When I have tried so hard and have designed my workspace optimally, I would also like to save it so that I can call it up again later. Maybe I want to make changes to it because I have a specific project for which, for example, a different arrangement of tools makes sense. But later I want to be able to return to my old work area.

1: To do this, I select Window → Workspace → [Register workspace ...].

2: And name my new work area.

1: My new workspace now appears further down in the Workspace menu.

2: I can change the workspace at any time by clicking on another workspace that is stored here.

3: Or reset the workspace to the default settings.

Then I would like to thank everyone very much who held up to this point, or who even read part of this tutorial.

I hope that what I said was helpful!