Hello everyone! In the CLIP STUDIO PAINT 1.10.10 update, [Dual Brush] has been added to the brush customization settings. This function allows us to combine two brushes in a single stroke to obtain diverse and interesting results. We can also experiment with how the brushes interact with each other to change the brush effect.

■From simple textures to full-color special effects, in this short tutorial I will introduce you to the Dual Brush function and show you some examples to start creating your own brushes or combining some of your favorites to obtain unique and original results.

1. Introduction to Dual Brush

To quickly understand the new feature, let's look at some of the new materials added in version 1.10.10 that use Dual mode.

 

■By experimenting with these professionally created brushes, we can get an idea of the potential of this new feature and get inspired to make our own materials.

I suggest you read this official guide to familiarize yourself with the function and terms.▼

■ [1] One of the most common and useful applications for dual brushes is creating textured brushes. In this example, I have a main brush with an organic shape, opacity, and size variation with tablet pressure, but as you can see, it lacks texture.

•[1.1] In the Tool Property palette, click the wrench icon to open the Sub Tool Detail menu with brush settings. Select D- Brush Shape to view the dual brush settings.

•[1.2] If we activate (Dual Brush), we can see that the stroke preview changes and now has some texture. The blending mode is Multiply, the most common for adding texture with dual brushes. Each mode generates different results, based on the characteristics of the 2 brushes and how they combine, it is important to experiment with each blending mode to get an idea of what results we can expect from each one.

•[1.3] In the D-Brush Tip submenu, we can see the shape of the second brush and its characteristics. This tip combines with the original shape of the main brush, in this case "erasing" part of the original stroke to generate the pastel texture.

•[1.4] The final result of the dual brush gives us a more interesting stroke thanks to the texture that simulates a traditional crayon or pastel.

While it is a simple method and the most basic use of the dual brush, this technique is very versatile. By modifying the parameters of the second brush, changing the tip, or experimenting with blending modes, we can create countless variations for our brushes, obtaining more personal, unique, and original results.

■ [2] Let's observe how some decorative brushes using the dual function work. The (Zipper) brush combines 2 tips to create the accessory. If we deactivate the dual brush, we can paint each part individually, and if we activate it, we paint the closed zipper.

■ [3] In this rose brush, we can see another basic use of the function. We have a brush with different tip variations, in this case, some flowers with color variation.

•[3.1] In the dual brush, we have a leaf brush also with tip variations. If we pay attention, the blending mode is (Normal). This way, we combine the brushes in 2 layers, obtaining a more complex result in a single stroke and on a single layer.

•[3.2] The (Braid) brush consists of two parts: Brush 1 defines the base of the braid in lines.

Brush 2 adds shadow and texture.

The blending mode is Normal, but this time [Apply RGB Values] is active.

[Apply RGB Values]: If active, the color or monochrome value of the second brush is applied, which is necessary if we have color brushes. If not active, the Alpha or transparency value is applied.

•Since we have the brushes separated, we could, for example, reduce the density of the second brush to make the shadow and texture effect more subtle.▼

•[3.3] Another example of [Apply RGB Values] is the chain brush. With the dual brush deactivated, we have a simple chain without details. The second brush adds shadows and highlights using the Linear Burn mode.

•[3.4] If we deactivate [Apply RGB Values], only the transparency of the second brush is applied, and the obtained result is not as expected.

•[3.5] (Glitter) is another brush that uses [Apply RGB Values], in this case with the blending mode [Add (Glow)]. The overlapping parts illuminate randomly, it's very fun to paint with this brush and see how the dots change color.

•[3.6] An important parameter to consider is that we can combine spray for both the main and secondary brushes, which opens up even more possibilities for being creative with our combinations. We can take [Diffuse Lights] from the official materials as an example. This material uses spray on both brushes. With the first, we create an organic and diffuse color cloud. The second, in Subtract mode, erases parts of the original stroke, generating a completely different atmosphere.

■ [4] Taking advantage of the interactions between the two brushes, we can create organic effects imitating traditional materials like watered-down watercolors. In this case, painting with low pressure, the second brush "washes" the paint; if we add more pressure, we get a greater amount of tint.

Now that we've seen the possibilities dual brushes offer, let's create our own.

2. How to Combine Brushes

The simplest way to create our own brush combinations is to choose two brushes we like. One will be the main brush and the other the secondary brush.

■ [1] First, let's register the secondary brush as a preset shape. For the first example, I chose the new [cloud] tool as the secondary brush.

•[1.1] As we did before, open the [Sub Tool Detail] palette from the wrench icon at the bottom of the [Tool Property] palette.

•[1.2] In the [Brush Shape] tab, select [Register as preset] to define the brush properties and be able to use them later.

■ [2] Select our main brush and duplicate it if necessary.

•[2.1] In the [Sub Tool Detail] palette > [D- Brush Shape], activate Dual Brush.

•[2.2] Select the [Cloud] preset we created in the previous step and click [Adopt Brush Shape] to apply the preset to the secondary brush.

•[2.3] With the dual brush in Multiply mode, we can see how an organic cloud texture is generated in our stroke.

•[2.4] A simple way to vary the result is to modify the size of the secondary brush. We experiment until we find a pleasing balance, and then we select [Apply to main brush size]. This way, we maintain the proportion between both brushes when we modify the main brush size.

•[2.5] Another interesting option is to change the blending mode and see what results we get.

■ [3] To finalize the brush, we can use other customization parameters.

•[3.1] In this case, in the [Color Variation] tab, I activated [Random per stroke] with a Hue value of 5 and Luminosity of 10. This makes each stroke change color and intensity slightly, making the effect even more natural.

•[3.2] Finally, I added a general texture to the main brush. It is also possible to add texture to the secondary brush.

And this is the result of our watercolor-style brush textured with clouds.▼

■ Whenever we create a dual brush, we first register the secondary brush shape as a preset.

3. Simple Special Effects

I'm going to show you a couple of examples of useful brushes for creating magical effects, for you to take as inspiration.

 

■ [1] I'll start with a smoke brush.

•[1.1] In this case, I'll use the same brush as the secondary one. Therefore, I register the shape as a preset.

•[1.2] I activate dual brush and select the preset I just created.

•[1.3] I modify the size of the second brush to be slightly smaller than the primary one, and I add pressure and random modifiers to obtain the same brush as the original.

•[1.4] I select Add (Glow) mode and activate [Apply RGB Values]. By using the same brush as the primary but at a smaller size, interesting highlights are generated in the overlapping areas.

•[1.5] By modifying the size of the secondary brush, we get infinite variations of the effect.

•[1.6] Here we can appreciate the subtlety of the effect if we compare the dual brush activated and deactivated. It's a simple yet versatile effect, and we can use it as a base to create different magical effects.

■ [2] The second example is even simpler to create.

•[2.1] I selected a lightning brush as the secondary brush, so I registered the shape as a preset just as we did before.

•[2.2] The main brush is a simple soft airbrush.

•[2.3] We activate dual brush and assign the lightning as the shape. The blending mode is again Add (Glow). By adjusting the size and density of the secondary brush, we obtain a simple effect with some highlights in the overlapping parts.

4. Advanced Control

If we analyze the new dual brush tool [pencil], we can see that by tilting the tablet stylus, we switch between the main and secondary brushes. This type of advanced control opens up possibilities for creating more complex relationships in our dual brushes.

Let's create a transition between smoke and particles.

•[1.1] Register this particle brush as a preset for the secondary brush.

•[1.2] The main brush is the smoke brush we used before.

•[1.3] We set up the dual brush in normal mode with the particles.

•[1.4] We define a curve in the density of the secondary brush. Particles only appear when we press the stylus very hard.

•[1.5] To generate the transition, we apply an inverse curve to the density of the primary brush, meaning that when we press gently, we will paint smoke, and when we press harder, we switch to particles. This is a simple example to understand the process. We can experiment with similar relationships to obtain various effects.

5. Color Texture and Frames.

We can also use dual brushes in the [Figure], [Frame Border], and [Speech Bubble] tools. In this example, I defined a secondary brush with texture in subtract mode and a soft primary brush. Again, by modifying the size of the secondary brush, we obtain different effects.

I registered a full-color metallic texture brush as a preset. To use this brush, it's important to use [Apply RGB Values]. We can apply this texture to both frames and chain brushes and other variants. Experiment with blending modes to change the textures obtained.

I hope this brief introduction to dual brushes helps you get inspired to create your own. Stay creative! Thanks for reading.