Introduction

Wings are a fantastic element that can be used in your fantasy and sci-fi artworks, but they can also be challenging to draw. How do you make them look attractive, dynamic, and appealing? In this article, I will show you some tips and tricks to draw attractive wings in clip studio paint, powerful and versatile software for digital art. Whether you want to draw angel wings, dragon wings, bird wings, or any other kind of wings, this guide will help you achieve your goals.

I will go through each of the steps listed above in detail and show you how to draw a pair of angel wings as an example. However, you can apply the same principles to any kind of wing you want to draw. Let’s jump straight into the making of it!

 

Reference from nature

The first step to drawing realistic and attractive wings is to examine shortly how they look in nature because relying only on your memory about how a wing appears can be tricky. So, I suggest looking at real pictures, you can use photos or videos of real animals or birds as references for your wings. For example, if you want to draw angel wings, you can look at pictures of eagles, hawks, swans or other large birds.

To import an image or video into clip studio paint, go to File > Import > Image or File > Import > Movie. You can then resize, rotate, crop or flip the image or video as you wish. You can also use the navigator window to zoom in or out of the image or video.

 

Shape study

Of course, this is only a starting point you don’t have to be strictly realistic in your drawing, but what we want to obtain by looking at real pictures is drawing a credible structure and dynamic movement, even if your wings are completely invented.

Wings are used basically to interact with air, so in the example above you can see that they can push the air down or they can be banded along the body to offer less resistance to the air and create a dynamic sense of speed, or they can be spread open to act like a parachute.

Symmetry tool

The symmetry tool is a useful feature that allows you to draw both sides of the wing at the same time. This can save you time and ensure consistency and accuracy in your drawing.

I suggest using this tool even if you don’t want to draw symmetrical wings, it can be really helpful to make a fast concept of the wings you want to draw, it not only helps you visualize your ideas but also allows you to experiment with adding details or changing the shape, before starting drawing the wings on your character.

To activate the symmetry tool, go to Tool > Ruler(U) > Symmetry Ruler, and draw a simple line wherever you want your ruler on the canvas (see the animation below). This will display a line on your canvas that represents the symmetry axis. You can drag the line to adjust its position and angle.

 

When you draw on one side of the symmetry line, clip studio paint will automatically mirror your strokes on the other side.

Don’t put limits on your fantasy, for example, you can add jewels to your wings as in the image above. Adding unusual elements or making exaggerated shapes, or combining together elements that belong for example to a bat wing with elements that belong to an insect wing. All these different approaches make your wings even more attractive.

Remember that if you want to add another layer on top and you need the symmetry line also on that layer you can do that by right-clicking on the layer with the symbol of the ruler and selecting Show in All Layers, this way you will be able to see the symmetrical ruler in the other layers.

 

Mecha wings (quick tip)

If you want to draw mecha wings the symmetry tool is also great, but I will show you a quick trick to obtain straight clean edges. With the Eraser tool click on the canvas then press and hold the shift button on your keyboard, move your cursor on the screen and you will see a straight line, if will be able to erase everything perfectly straight. See the animation below:

3D Model feature

The 3D model feature is another helpful feature that allows you to create a basic shape of the wing using a 3D model. This can help you with perspective and proportion, as well as adding depth and volume to your wing.

To use the 3D model feature, go to Window > Material > Material: Body type. This will open a window with various 3D models that you can choose from. For example, you can select Human Body (Male) or Human Body (Female).

To place the 3D model on your canvas, drag and drop it from the window. You can then resize, rotate or move the model as you wish using the tools on the left side of the canvas. You can also change the pose of the model by clicking on the joints and dragging them. See the animation below:

 

Rough sketch ideas

Of course, if you like a more traditional approach as I do you can roughly sketch your character in a desired position and add your wings, but let me give you a couple of tips.

Firstly I suggest starting drawing by shapes using the marker tool and not by line, it will help better visualize the whole rather than the details, so always start visualizing the bigger picture and only afterward focus on detailing.

 

The second tip is to subtract instead of adding. In other words, use the eraser tool as if it were a brush, in this way, you can model your shape and even add details, as it is shown in the examples. Did you know that every brush can be turned into an eraser? If you press C on your keyboard, the brush will turn into an eraser and it will also keep all the properties of the brush, try it it's a really cool feature!

Complete a project (details, highlights and shadows)

So we are ready to finalize our wings, the final step to draw attractive wings is to complete your project by putting together all the things we have seen so far and adding the final touch:

Add details: You can use the G-pen or brush tool to add more details to your wing, such as feathers, scales, veins or patterns. You can also use different brushes and colors to create different effects and textures. Don’t forget to emphasize depth making the feathers that are closer to the viewer’s point of view bigger.

Use clip masks: You can use clip masks to limit your coloring or shading to a specific area of your wing. Firstly, I blocked transparent pixels to do that, right-click on the layer with the shape of the wings and select Layer settings-lock transparent pixels. Then after creating a new layer on top don't forget to right-click on the layer you just created and select Layer settings- Clip to Layer Below, now you will be able to draw precisely only on the shape of the wings. Of course, you can continue adding more layers on top of the previous one and clipping them to the layer below, to draw shadows or other details. You can then use the pen or brush tool to color or shade your wing without affecting the rest of your canvas.

Applying highlights and shadows: You can use highlights and shadows to create contrast and depth in your wing. To create highlights and shadows, you can use different methods such as gradient tool, airbrush tool, dodge tool or burn tool.

 

Conclusion

Drawing attractive wings in clip studio paint is not as hard as it may seem. By using features such as references from nature, the symmetry tool, the 3D model feature, or roughly sketching your ideas, you can create realistic and dynamic wings in no time. By using tools and techniques such as adding details, using clip masks, applying highlights and, shadows and adjusting colors and filters, you can make your wings look appealing and stunning.

I hope this article has inspired you to try drawing wings in clip studio paint. Remember that practice makes perfect, so don’t be afraid to experiment and have fun with your wing drawings!