Unable to make effective use of convenient 3D...what's the reason?

Clip Studio Paint comes with 3D models, and you can use them as a reference to create character illustrations! This is a very useful feature.

The latest version also adds a link function with POSEMANIACS, making it even more complete.

 

But for now, that doesn't matter. It's not important (rant).

 

When it comes to creating 2D characters from 3D,

you first have to create a rough sketch of the character from the 3D, and you skip that step.

 

Serious beginners can't do that.

 

So, as an example...

Let's say you've tweaked Clip Studio Paint's 3D doll and somehow

decided on a cute and dynamic pose and camera.

This time, I arranged it based on the pose loaded from POSEMANIACS.

 

But when I traced it as a base...

It's kind of stiff.

 

The cuteness and dynamism that should have been there in the original pose are gone, and what's more, the connection of the body parts seems a bit strange! I'm sure you've made comments like the hateful judge in a gourmet manga.

 

I'm sure I traced the original pose exactly...!

 

So how many beginners are scared of 3D after this?

 

Yes, that's me...

 

But there are some clear reasons for this.

 

① I focus only on the area I want to trace and don't notice anything else.

② I neglect to pay attention to the protruding points such as elbows, knees, and shoulders.

③ I don't use the midline and circular section lines (I don't know the official names).

 

These points are especially likely to be the reason why beginners think, "I'm going to use 3D to save time!" but then feel like something is not right.

 

Let's take a look at each one.

① Focus on the area you want to trace and don't notice anything else.

This isn't just a problem when creating a rough sketch from 3D,

but it can also be the reason why things don't go well when drawing lines from a rough sketch.

In other words, it's a typical physical education problem that beginner artists in general tend to fall into.

This can cause problems like when tracing the outline of a finger, you're only looking at the tip of the pen, so you stop in a different place each time, which can make the finger look uneven and strange.

 

Well, since the cause is "looking at only one spot too much," the solution is the opposite: "look wider."

 

While drawing a line, you need to be conscious of the width of the line from the beginning to the end.

 

② Not paying enough attention to protruding points such as elbows, knees, and shoulders

We tend to draw elbows and knees vaguely with a vague image, so by focusing on them firmly, we can create more contrast in the finished product.

But in the example pose, they aren't very noticeable.

3) Do not use the midline or cross section line (I don't know the official name)

The grid lines in Clip Studio Paint's drawing doll aren't just for decoration.

 

They're a useful guide for understanding three-dimensional objects.

There's no reason not to use them.

 

I just added the midline and slice lines to the tracing I gave as the first bad example, but it clearly has more three-dimensional presence and looks less unnatural.

 

Well, it's a pain to add all the slices like a mummy, so it's probably a time-saving idea to only use them for landmarks you want to understand, like an arm or leg that's hard to see.

 

But it's definitely better to trace the midline. Especially while you're not used to it.

Putting the above together and further polishing it

If you also trace in the collarbone, ribs, and fleshy curves,

the final midline section line will not be necessary.

As this is still just a rough outline of the body, there is no problem if you leave it.

 

Now, here are some points to keep in mind when making a 3D doll.

This is the wrist of the pose I'm using this time, but it looks clearly strange.

 

In a realistic human anatomy, there are two bones running between the elbow and wrist,

and the wrist rotates when these bones twist...

 

But this mechanism cannot be reproduced with a 3D doll for posing.

The assets have a skeleton as an example, which is really useful.

Thank you.

 

Well,

this means that you need to be aware of these problems and fix them.

However, if the finished product is going to be hidden by the sleeves,

it might be okay to continue as is,

so you'll have to deal with it on a case-by-case basis.

Except for the head!

Finally.

 

So far I've been explaining how to create a rough sketch of the entire body from 3D,

 

The head is an exception.

 

If it's a mob character you can continue like this,

 

but if you're drawing a main character,

 

it's better to set up a separate work frame.

 

If you do it like this, the illustration will look strange.

 

Especially when using the manga perspective function, the shape of the head will sometimes become strangely distorted.

 

So...

There are tons of tips on how to draw a head,

so you can use the method you like,

but in my case, I made a rough draft of the head like this...

I tried to draw it normally, but my brush slipped and it looks 90s

Vaporwave came out.

Well, if the base is solid, it can be used for any style of drawing.

 

The purpose of this TIPS is to solve the problem of beginners who can't create a base body from 3D! So I won't explain about clothes or wrinkles.

You won't be able to digest a flood of information if you're bombarded with it.

 

For now, just remember that if you can draw the base body, you'll be able to draw it eventually.

 

That's all for this TIPS.

I hope it was helpful.