[Shading Assist], which automatically creates shadows on works, has been added to Clip Studio Paint Ver. 2.0.

 

 

[Shading Assist] can generate two types of shading based on your color and lineart layers: [Smooth Shading] which creates a smooth blended transition between shaded and non-shaded areas, and [Cel Shading] which creates a distinct border between shaded and non-shaded areas.

 

 

The generated shading is created on layers above the target layer in the [Layer] palette.

 

1. To use Shading Assist

 

To use [Shading Assist], first you will need a canvas with an illustration divided into a lineart layer and a color layer for the base colors of your work.

 

1) Line art layer

To have line art referenced when using Shading Assist, set it as a [Reference Layer].

In cases where line art is divided into multiple layers, it is better to set all of them as reference layers.

 

How to set a reference layer

To set [Reference Layer], select the layer you wish to set and tap the [Set as Reference Layer] button at the top of the Layer palette.

Any layers set as reference layers will show a lighthouse icon on them in the [Layer] palette.

 

Note: Reference layers are also useful for fill, selection, and brush tools. For more details, see the following articles.

 

Mastering the reference layer -Basics-

 

 

2) Color layer

Shading Assist is best used on layers with only a few flat colors. If colors are divided into multiple layers, you can generate shading for the all the flat colors by selecting all of the layers and then applying [Shading Assist].

 

Note: The Fill tool is useful for filling in flat colors as a base for Shading Assist. For more details on the Fill tool basics, see the following article.

 

 

 

2. Basic usage

 

Once the line art and color layers are ready to go, run [Shading Assist].

 

1) In the [Layers] palette, select the colors layer or layer folder you want Shading Assist to apply shading to.

 

2) Go to the [Edit] menu > [Shading Assist] and the [Shading Assist] dialog will pop up.

When line art is set as a reference layer, turn on "Refer to lines on reference layer."

Turning this on enables the generated shading to refer to the line art.

In the image below, the left shows "Refer to lines on reference layer" turned off, and the right, "Refer to lines on reference layer" turned on.

 

Then select a [Preset] in the dialog that appears.

The dropdown menu features different presets you can use for different situations.

 

Presets

 

You can also expand [Shading] and [Light Source] for detailed settings.

 

3) Adjust the position, size, and intensity of the light source using the circle manipulator on the canvas.

 

Once the color and light settings are set to satisfaction, tap [OK] in the dialog to create a shading layer on top of the selected layers in the [Layer] palette.

 

3. Detailed light source and color settings (PRO/EX)

 

You can apply detailed settings to your shading in the [Shading Assist] dialog.

You can also register adjusted settings to presets, so you can always apply the same settings to your work.

 

The dialog contains detailed settings for [Shading] and [Light source].

Note: [Shading] and [Light source] are not available in Clip Studio Paint DEBUT.

 

Shading

 

[Shadow type]

Smooth shading: Creates a smooth blended transition between shaded and non-shaded areas on separate layers for shadow and light.

 

Cel shading: Creates a distinct border between shaded and non-shaded areas. It can generate up to four shadows and highlights all generated onto separate layers.

 

Invert shadows and highlights

 

When on, shadows and highlights are inverted.

 

The following image shows the smooth shading parameters when color is set to Use layer color. These settings allow you to set the blending mode and a color for each shadow or highlight.

 

1) [Color]: [Use layer color]

The selected layer is used for the base color, and the highlights and shadows are generated according to it. The blending mode shading layer will be [Normal].

 

(2)

・Hue

Specifies the amount of hue change relative to the base color. This makes highlights brighter and shadows darker.

 

・Saturation

Specifies the amount of change in saturation relative to the base color. This makes highlights brighter and shadows darker.

 

・Strength

This determines the intensity of highlights and shadows.

 

The following image shows the smooth shading parameters when color is set to Use layer color.

(1) [Color]: [Use base color]

 

The colors for highlights and shadow are determined based on the colors specified in the [Shading Assist] dialog.

You can set its blending mode in the dialog under [Color].

 

(2)

・Base color

The colors for highlights and shadow are determined based on the colors specified in the [Shading Assist] dialog.

 

・Blending mode

Sets the blending mode of the highlight and shadow layers.

 

・Strength

This determines the opacity of highlights and shadows.

 

General settings

(1) Blur

The larger the value, the smoother the highlights and shadows are blended.

 

(2) Shadow balance

Sets the percentage of shading relative to the total shadows generated.

The closer to 100, the larger the shaded area.

 

[Cel shading] parameters

 

(1) Shading bar

Here you can adjust the strength, shading amount, and number of shades. It can generate up to four levels of shading.

A: Enter a numeric value to adjust the strength of a shadow.

B: Drag to adjust the shading amount.

To add a shade, tap just below the bar (B).To remove a shade, drag it out of the bar.

 

The shade range can be adjusted by dragging the arrow for each tone to the left or right.

 

(2) Reverse shadows

When on, shadows and highlights applied to the canvas are inverted.

 

(3) Color

Sets the color of the shade. Starting from the right side, the arrows on the shading bar correspond to Level 1, Level 2, and so on.

 

(4) Blending mode

Sets the blending mode of the generated layer.

 

Light source

(1) Light source type

Ball light: This places a light source that can be moved to anywhere on the canvas. [Ball light] tends to produce more easily recognizable shadows than [Directional light].

 

Directional light: This applies light to the entire canvas at the same angle and intensity to generate shading.

 

(2) Light positions (x) and (Y)

Enabled when the light source type is [Ball light]. These set where the light source is placed on the canvas in regards to width and height. You can set any value from 0 to 100.

 

(3) Light angle

Enabled when the light source type is [Directional light]. This sets the angle at which the light shines.

 

(4) Refer to lines on reference layer

When on, this refers to lines on the reference layer to generate shading.

When off, shading is generated using only the information on the color layer.

 

(5) Strength

This is enabled when [Refer to lines on reference layer] is turned on.

This sets the strength at which the line art influences the shading.

The higher the value, the more likely it is to generate shading along the lines of the line art.

 

4. Using the manipulator to adjust shading

 

The image below shows [Ball light] on the left and [Directional light] on the right.

 

 

(1) This displays when set to [Ball light]. By dragging the circle, you can move the light source to anywhere on the canvas.

 

(2) This displays when set to [Directional light]. Drag the arrows to adjust the angle of the light. The manipulator can also be moved by dragging around the center of the arrow.

With [Directional light], the position of the manipulator does not affect shading.

 

(3) Light intensity handle

This allows you to adjust the intensity of light by dragging the circle and changing its size. The parameters that are adjusted differ depending on the type of shading.

[Smooth shading]: Adjusts the shading area size. The larger the circle, the smaller the amount of shaded areas.

[Cel shading]: This corresponds to the shading bar. The larger the circle, the larger the amount of highlights.

 

(4) Highlight strength handle

This shows when the shading type is [Smooth Shading]. The more the handle is dragged to the left, the lighter the highlights will be.

 

(5) Shadow strength handle

This shows when the shading type is [Smooth Shading]. The more the handle is dragged to the left, the lighter the shadows will be.

 

Note: (3), (4), and (5) are not available in Clip Studio Paint DEBUT.

 

Note: The light source does not change while dragging the manipulator. It applies after its dragged.

 

5. Saving and deleting customized settings

 

The settings in [Shading] can be saved to [Preset].

You can register a preset by tapping the create preset button next to the [Preset] dropdown menu. When the [Create preset] dialog appears, you can enter a name and save it.

 

To delete a [Preset] you created, select it and tap the trashcan button.

 

Note: Default presets cannot be deleted.

 

6. Tips

 

Adjust the color and thickness of your line art

 

Both "Strength" and whether or not "Refer to lines on reference layer" is turned on have a considerable effect on the shading created.

If the color of the line art set as the Reference Layer is too bright or narrow, it may be difficult to capture in the shading. In this case, try temporarily adjusting its color and thickness using Border effect and Layer color from the Layer Property palette.

 

The image below shows black line art on the left and blue line art on the right.

 

For further details on how to use the [Layer Property] palette, see the article below.

 

Backlighting

 

There are three presets for backlighting: [Backlight], [Faint backlight], and [Stage light].

 

All three have Invert shadows and highlights and Reverse shadows turned on.

 

When using [Shading Assist] to generate backlighting, it is easier to achieve good results by referencing the entire fill rather than detailed portions of the line art.

We recommend lowering the [Strength] value to about 20 to generate the shading.

 

 

 

Change preset colors

 

The preset [Color light] is initially set to a blue-green color, but it can easily be changed to another color to change the overall mood of an artwork. By changing the base color, you can easily create shading with different moods.

 

Using Shading Assist on the background

 

If the shading type is set to [Directional light], it can be used to color the background of your artwork. You can create shadows that blend in with your background by setting a warm light color for indoors and a bluish cool color for outdoors.