Hello everyone! \n.n
I'm v21e, author of the webtoon “¡A Levelear!” and co-author of the webtoon “Love x Horror Club”, and today I bring you a tutorial on a topic I'm passionate about: Pencils and colors!
If you've already read other tutorials of mine, you'll know that I like to dedicate the necessary time and space to explain the topics I cover in depth, and this time will be no exception. To understand the functions of Clip Studio Paint 2.0 related to the emulation of pencils of different materials and colors, it is necessary, first, to understand the basic notions of real pencils and the qualities that make them unique.
And it is for this reason that I will start with real pencils so that when you move on to Clip Studio Paint 2.0, you will have extensive knowledge of what you want to achieve. If you already know about pencils or are not interested in the subject, you can go directly to the chapter “Theory Applied to Clip Studio Paint 2.0”. Without further delay, let's start the tutorial!
About Real Pencils
Black Pencils: Types and Grades
Basic black pencils are normally made of graphite, and their grade is defined by their composition. Regardless of whether their casing is wood, polymer, or any other material, what matters to us is their pigment, and depending on the graphite percentage of this pigment, there will be more or less material shedding when drawing (thus defining whether the stroke appears lighter or darker).
The 'darkness' grades of the pigment range from 9H to 9B. As an example to clarify what was explained about the graphite percentage, a 9H pencil will have a graphite percentage of 41%, 5% wax, and 53% clay; meanwhile, a 7B pencil will have 87% graphite, 5% wax, and 7% clay.
As an additional detail, harder pencils tend to last much longer than softer ones because they have less pigment shedding and, therefore, require much less sharpening. Another detail is that softer pencils tend to smudge more, so handle them with care.
H means “Hard”; F means “Firm”; HB means “Hard Black”, and it is the pencil commonly used in any activity because it is the midpoint or neutral; B, finally, means “Black”.
Is graphite the only material black pencils can be made of? Of course not! In fact, there are also charcoal pencils (much more abrasive and dirtier than regular ones) and chalks (used in pastel technique), but for the sake of brevity, I won't include them in this tutorial.
Color Pencils: Which material are you looking for?
Have you ever seen polychromos pencils and wondered why they are so expensive? What differentiates them from other types of pencils even within the same brand?
Polychromos are so expensive due to the purity of their pigment, first, and their material, second. There are two types of color pencils: wax-based and oil-based.
Wax-based pencils are creamier and blend much better with other colors than oil-based pencils. This is why they are better for preparing blends and adding realism due to their blending capacity and smooth transitions. Their tip is soft, so they tend to break and snap easily, requiring careful handling. Their effect when drawing is slightly 'crayon-like', but unlike crayons, I consider the latter to be a bit softer and more malleable. I will attach my own examples of these pencils so you understand what I mean.
Oil-based pencils are very good for adding details and maintaining blending control as they allow for better 'layer' gradation. Depending on the pressure you apply to these pencils when coloring over previous colors, you can decide how much the colors blend in the drawing. Their tip is firm, which helps with control and small details. Their disadvantage is that they don't blend as easily as wax-based pencils, making some effects like smooth transitions more difficult. I will leave some examples of what I'm talking about.
Your preference for using wax-based or oil-based pencils depends solely on your style. For a realistic portrait style, a wax-based pencil is preferable, while for adding particles like dust or light specks or even animal hair, an oil-based pencil might be preferable.
The difference between a color pencil and a polychromos pencil is the intensity and purity of the latter's pigments, as well as the materials used in its manufacturing. Polychromos pencils also have greater UV resistance, so drawings made with polychromos suffer less color fading over time. I do not recommend polychromos for beginner artists, but rather for more advanced ones due to their grip and high cost (but yes, they are very pretty >
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, here's an example of a drawing using this type of colors).
Theory Applied to Clip Studio Paint 2.0
Emulating Pencils
As we have seen before, even within the same material, there are different gradations in pencils. This is why we must not only choose the appropriate brush in Clip Studio but also configure it according to our preferences and style. With this configuration, no one will distinguish a drawing made with real pencils from one made in Clip Studio Paint 2.0.
That said, here are my favorite brushes for emulating graphite pencils, and then color pencils, both wax-based and oil-based.
Brushes for graphite pencils:
Brushes for wax and oil colors:.
The default brushes present in Clip Studio Paint.
Once you have chosen your preferred brushes, it's time to configure them to define their intensity, hardness, and blending and dragging capabilities.
Color Theory: Real vs. Digital
Although it may seem that color theory in reality is the same as in Clip Studio Paint 2.0, it must be clear that this is not the case in crucial aspects such as color mixing itself. If you color with yellow over blue with real pencils, there will be a partial mix that, depending on the hardness and materials of the brushes, will tend towards green. However, when trying it in previous versions of Clip Studio v.2, yellow would simply superimpose opaquely over blue, even with the appropriate brushes and pencils indicated in this tutorial.
This is why we must learn to handle ink density tools and brush blending functions. Without these, we will not be able to attempt a realistic drawing in Clip Studio.
Procedural Color Mixing: The New Feature in Clip Studio Paint 2.0
The saturation and vibrancy of colors in real pigment mixtures are never perfect. If one observes the color scale, they will notice that when mixing colors (for example, blue and red), one does not achieve the vibrant and saturated version of the color (violet) but rather a duller and grayish version. This is not necessarily negative; in fact, it's something some artists even know how to use to their advantage: following the example of blue and red, we would achieve something more similar to manganese, suitable for coloring lavender flowers and twilight scenes, rather than a vibrant violet that would simply appear saturated.
The Procedural Color function prevents colors from tending towards gray when mixed, increasing their vibrancy. It's not the mix you might expect if you're trying to achieve a duller tone, but it has other advantages that, if you know how to use the function, will only give you more tools to express what you want.
This function can be activated and deactivated as follows:
1. Select the pencil to use.
2. Go to the [Tool Property] window → click the wrench icon to bring up the [Sub Tool Palette]
The [Tool Property] window is where you can edit brush opacity, size, texture, etc.
3. The [Sub Tool Detail Palette] will appear as a pop-up window. The Sub Tool Detail window allows for the editing of more specific aspects of a brush. From its blending mode to the number of particles implemented in a stroke. It is ideal for customizing and creating brushes.
Go to [Ink (4.)] → [Enable Color mixing (5.)] → [Blending mode (6.)] → [Procedural]
[Brightness Correction (7.) ] is a function that activates when using the procedural blending mode. It enhances mixed colors with dark results. The further to the right our brightness correction mode selection is, the stronger the lightening effect will be applied in the procedural mix.
Handle this tool according to your personal preference. I use it at the lowest brightness correction level; however, sometimes I adjust the function based on what I want to achieve in my drawing. Have fun!
I recommend reading the official Clip Studio Paint article detailing the Procedural Color Mixing functions in version 2.0.
How to achieve wax and oil pencil effects?
The secret lies in the amount of paint, how much the color spreads when painting, and the opacity of a brush. All of this is customizable in [Sub Tool Detail].
1. Opacity.
Varying opacity can help you make smoother transitions between colors, as you would normally do with any digital brush.
2. Amount of paint.
Pigment is the amount of paint the brush adds. Therefore, keep in mind that with less paint, the chosen pigment will lose density against pigments already present on the canvas.
My personal preference for using color pencils varies depending on the pencil style I want to achieve.
Wax-based pencil: 40%-50%
Oil-based pencil: 60%-80%
My personal preference is 60%
3. Color stretch.
Color stretch is the amount of paint with which the stroke drags color mixes. The higher this value, the more the stroke is affected by color mixes from superimposed colors.
Wax-based pencil: 18%
Oil-based pencil: 10%
My personal preference is 10%
These values are not absolute. I suggest you test these parameters to adapt these tools to your personal taste.
Suggestions for Handling Realistic Color Values
I suggest you unlock - if they are locked - the blending modes within your brushes for greater realism in mixing cool and warm colors.
These are activated by going to [Color blending] → [Apply and extend]
I suggest keeping the floating [Sub Tool Detail] window always active or visible for easy access to brush customization.
When mixing cool and warm colors - such as ultramarine blue and cadmium yellow, for example - I suggest activating the [Multiply] or [Darken] blending mode within the brush. This will help the paint not look so opaque and a slight darkening will appear, which occurs in reality. It is also particularly useful with light red/pink and sky blue, giving a purple combination.
To simulate color pencils for our drawings, I suggest that color mixes be done with several pencil passes or with low opacity. I also recommend not varying the size and density of brushes within the same drawing to provide greater realism in the stroke.
Final Considerations
When drawing with brushes to simulate graphite, I suggest that you first test the brush as it comes by default before deciding to edit the paint density, opacity, or color mixing level of the brush. This is to evaluate how best to adapt it to your needs.
Don't be afraid to edit your brushes; you can always revert to their default settings. To do this, go to the [Tool Property] window → [Restore sub tool settings]. It is the circular icon in the bottom right, next to the wrench-shaped icon in the [Tool property] window.
If you want a brush that simulates the blending effect created by a cotton swab, finger, or blending stump in graphite or polychromos illustrations, I suggest the default 'color mix' brush in Clip Studio Paint. Specifically, I recommend the 'Blend with texture' sub tool. It handles very well with my blending method. It is quite natural and intuitive to use, and the effect achieved is close to what is done in reality.
Farewell
Thank you very much for reading this tutorial, I hope it has been useful to you. If you like my work and want to see more of my content, here is a link to my social media.
It was a pleasure and an honor to have somehow facilitated this training on your artistic journey.
That's all from me. Thank you!
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