This article introduces the basics of using Simple Mode on the tablet version of Clip Studio Paint.

 

For Studio Mode basics, see here.

 

Simple Mode layout

In Simple Mode, the essential functions needed for those new to digital art or those who want to enjoy drawing casually are laid out in an easy-to-understand way.

Interface layout and color settings

At the top right of the screen, go to Menu > Preferences to adjust the toolbar and layer palette positions to suit your dominant hand.

You can also change the interface to Dark Mode here.

Note: When switching from Studio Mode to Simple Mode, Simple Mode will also be set to Dark Mode. You can change this from Menu > Preferences in the upper right corner of the screen.

Selecting a pen or brush and draw

Tap the brush icon from the toolbar on the left side of the screen to display the default pens and brushes.

 

Switching categories on the left side will show a brush list for each brush type.

Undo, redo, and making corrections with the eraser

You can use the following touch gestures on the canvas to undo and redo an action, such as drawing lines.

 

• Undo: Two-finger tap

• Redo: Three-finger tap

 

You can also use the Eraser tool to erase lines you have drawn. Tap the eraser icon on the toolbar or from the brush category to switch tools.

You can also Undo and Redo by tapping the arrow icons on top of the canvas.

 

When you don’t want to draw with your finger

If you would like to draw with a stylus instead of your finger, tap the ... menu in the upper right corner of the screen and turn off Preferences > Draw with finger.

When turned off, brush tools, selection tools, and so on can only be operated with the stylus. However, you can still use your finger to scroll the canvas.

You can create your illustrations even more efficiently using keyboard shortcuts. You can use shortcuts by connecting a keyboard to your device.

You can check the shortcut keys set by selecting Preferences and Help > Keyboard Shortcuts from the [...] menu at the top right of the screen.

 

Changing brush size and opacity

You can use the sliders along the bottom of the screen to change the size and opacity of the pen or brush.

 

Changing the drawing color

To change the color of the pen or brush, tap the color circle icon on the bottom of the tool bar.

This will show the Color Wheel palette where you can choose the color you like.

• Main color: This is the drawing color. It is used by pens, brushes, fills, and so on.

• Sub color: This is a secondary drawing color. Tapping it allows you to draw in the color shown. It is useful to set a color you frequently use as your Sub color. Note that some brushes use both the main and sub colors.

• Transparent color: You can use Transparent color on your brush to erase a drawn area.

 

Using the colors on the canvas

You can longpress the screen with one finger to select a color on the canvas.

The color on the bottom half of the circle is the current drawing color. The color on the upper half of the circle will become the drawing color once selected.

Note: If you do not want to switch to the eyedropper with a long press, go to Preferences and turn off Eyedrop with long press.

Using layers

Each layer acts as a transparent film. By adding and stacking transparency layers, you can overlay as many layers over your drawing as you want. Separating layers for each part of the image or each step in your drawing process, such as lineart and coloring, is helpful when you want to make adjustments later.

The Layer palette is displayed on the far right side of the screen. Swiping left on it displays detailed information such as layer name and blending mode.

 

To add a layer, tap the + icon. If you longpress the + icon, you can add images saved on your device.

You can reorder layers by long pressing and dragging the layer thumbnails.

 

At the bottom of the Layer palette, there is a Paper layer that is painted white, which serves as the canvas's base color. The base color of the Paper layer can be changed, but you cannot draw on this layer.

Tapping a thumbnail displays a menu for detailed layer settings such as Show/Hide layer and Opacity.

 

Importing an image

To import an image or reference material taken with the camera to the canvas, longpress the + at the top of the layer palette and select Add from image or Add with camera from the menu that appears.

 

Try adding recommended materials!

From Ver. 2.2 and later, you can add recommended materials from within the app and use them immediately without opening the browser when in Simple Mode.

 

There are useful materials that are easy for even beginners to use, so if you are wondering what materials to download from Clip Studio Assets, try out using these recommended materials first.

Show Recommended Materials

A) Sub Tool palette (Brush/Eraser):

Select Add recommended brushes from the + button on the top right. This is how you add brush materials.

B) Color palette:

Tap the title of the color set, then select Add recommended sets from the + button at the top right of the color set selection screen. This is how you add color set materials.

C) Material palette:

Select Add recommended materials from the + button on the top right of Downloads. This is how you add image materials, pose materials, and body shape materials.

When a pop-up menu with a list of recommended materials appears, tap the material you are interested in to check it out. You can install the material within the app by tapping Download at the bottom.

If you are not logged in to Clip Studio then the login screen will appear.

 

Downloaded materials will be added to the Material palette in Downloads or Downloads in the brush list.

 

How to search for materials besides the recommended ones

Clip Studio Assets offers more than 150,000 materials such as brushes, patterns, and 3D models uploaded by the Clip Studio community. Go to Clip Studio Assets from the Recommended Materials list, scroll down and tap the button.

From here you can download popular materials and anything else you like! Please be aware there are some paid materials.

 

Using 3D drawing figures

You can use 3D drawing figures as a reference for poses and compositions. 3D drawing figures can be found in the Material palette under 3D . Tap the thumbnail of a material to paste the drawing figure onto the canvas.

Tapping the thumbnail of the material pastes the drawing figure onto the canvas.

Once pasted to the canvas, you can adjust the pose and body shape from the Object settings tab. You can also change its pose and body shape with other materials with Apply pose material and Use body shape material.

You can adjust the angle from which the pose is viewed from the Camera details tab. To apply a preset angle, tap Apply angle preset and adjust the perspective with the slider.

 

Tapping the icons on the launcher to the left lets you intuitively adjust the camera and light source with touch gestures.

 

After you have made all your adjustments, tap OK in the upper right corner.

You can download and use pose and body shape materials from Clip Studio Assets.

 

Saving and exporting your work

When you are done drawing, you can save your file by tapping Save in the upper left corner of the screen. This allows you to save your work with the layers intact.

Now let’s export the image so it can be posted to social media.

 

Exporting your artwork

Tap ... in the upper right corner of the canvas and select Export image to save or share your illustration. From here on, the procedure changes depending on whether you are using an Android or an iPad.

 

Sharing a timelapse can be done with the same steps. Tap Export timelapse to save or share the timelapse.

● iPad

Tap ... in the upper right corner of the canvas and select Export image to open an image preview screen.

Select the desired file format from PNG, JPG, and PSD, then tap Share.

 

A popup will appear with share and saving options. From here you can select the social media site you wish to share to.

You can also save images to your device by tapping Save Image.

 

● Android

Tap ... in the upper right corner of the canvas and select Export image to open a window to select Share or Save to device. Selecting either option will display a preview screen.

Select the desired file format (PNG, JPG, PSD) and tap either the Share or Save button to finish exporting the image.

If you tapped the Share button then a pop up window will be displayed. From here you can select the social media app you wish to share to.

 

Switching to Studio Mode

You can use all the same functions as on the computer version of Clip Studio Paint by switching the interface to Studio Mode.

To switch modes, tap Switch to Studio Mode from Menu in the upper right corner.

To learn how to use Studio Mode, see the following article.