3D Models for Character Illustration (iPad)

781

ED.

Intro & Video

Hello everyone, today we will see different 3D features that you can use in Clip Studio Paint on your iPad or tablet. From how to adjust the body and size on models, use the face mixer, link and pose 3d models. And to quickly create basic character sheets to make illustrations for digital or printed projects. So, let’s begin.

Youtube Video Tutorial

For this tutorial we are going to see the characters from the image below as the main examples. But you can use these features on any digital or printed project.

Note: All the images and characters were design by the author of this tutorial. The videos were capture from an iPad 9th generation.

Where to find 3D Models

When you are working on your iPad you can find the 3D folder material on the left if you are using the default workspace.

But if you use the illustration or comic workspace you will find it at the right it all will depend of the workspace you are using or that you have load from the workspace menu.

On my custom workspace the folder materials are on the left. Regardless of the workspace you can go to the menu Windows > Material and select one of the different folders you have there.

Next find the 3D category. You can select Body types, head and more 3D materials such as primitives or poses.

And if you want more you can always tap on the Search in Assets button at the top.

Now from Body type select a drawing figure and you can drag it to the canvas but these days I prefer to tap on the “Paste selected material to canvas” button. That way you are always sure that the model will appear in the center.

Also you can easily replace body types and heads with the same button.

When you are editing 3D material remember to always select the Operation tool.

Now you can use two palettes that will show you the different 3D features. First open the Tool property palette and then the Sub Tool Detail palette.

On the first you need to scroll up or down while with the Sub Tool Detail you will find all the options separate in tab sections.

Light Source

To adjust the lighting go to “Light Source” and move the sliders to control the intensity of the light over your model.

Or you can change the direction moving the sphere with the tip of your pencil or using your fingers.

How to use 3D Cameras

With your model on the canvas and the Operation tool selected. You can use the three camera icons at the top. The first one to rotate the camera, the second to move or pan the camera around and the third to zoom in or zoom out.

You can also rotate the camera dragging your pencil in an empty area. Or you can use your finger if you use the same tools with your finger and pencil.

You can tap over the camera icon on the object launcher. There you will find different presets to place your camera around your model.

But if you want to have a better view of your model you can open the Tool property palette and tap over the same presets.

You can also find the same options on the Sub Tool Detail palette.

Under Switch camera you can find a drop down menu and see the number of cameras you currently have.

Tap over the Duplicate button and a new camera will appear.

Move the camera around. Then you can quickly jump between cameras from the drop down menu and duplicate even more to have different angles of your model. You can also delete them with they are no longer needed.

Remember you can also find all the options on the Sub Tool Detail palette.

You can duplicate layers and quickly create model sheets for reference.

Then you can use those references as a base to draw and design your own characters.

Adjust 3D Model Body and Size

To adjust your 3D model go to 3D drawing figure in the Sub Tool Detail palette.

Here you can select or change your model between male or female.

You can also change the height moving the sliders and decide if you want to keep the head to body ratio.

If you prefer tap over the field to enter a precise number with you iPad keyboard.

And use the little arrows to make small adjustments.

With the Full body selected you can tap and drag the coordinates in the square graphic.

You can decrease or increase weight from left to right.

Or make the model look strong or soft from top to bottom. Move the cross point to match the body you want.

If you tap over a section in the body graphic you can give or take more weight to that area or make it larger or smaller.

When you select parts like legs or arms you can even adjust upper or lower sections with the icons at the top.

If you don’t want to drag you can also use the numbers and arrows at the bottom.

For this model let’s also increase the size of the hands. You can go all the way up if your model is more cartoony and same with the feet.

Tap in the large area next to the body to select the Full body again.

To save tap over the Register material button in the Sub Tool Detail or Object Launcher.

Next select the folder where you want to save the model and add search tags and use a name that you can identify later and tap OK when you are finish.

Now you can replace the default drawing figures with any of the models that you have adjust in Clip Studio Paint.

3D Head Models & Face Mixer

Let’s Paste a basic Head model to the canvas from the material folder.

Next on the Sub Tool Detail palette go to Head model. Here you will see nine different presets or styles.

Move the sliders to add or reduce features of that particular style.

You can also mix more than one preset just make sure to keep Limit face mixer ON to avoid weird looking results.

But if that is what you are looking for then go for it.

You can Reset the mixer and go back to the Basic face with the button at the center. And make all the adjustments that you need to the head and face once again.

When you are done you can go to Facial features.

And with the whole head selected you can tilt the head up or down or change the angle to the sides.

You can always reset the sliders with the button at the top.

If you tap over a section in the head you can change for example the height of the eye brows to change the expression on the face.

Even more you can select the left or right side from the icons at the bottom for more customization.

Remember that you can use multiple cameras to see your model from different angles. This might be helpful when you adjust parts from a frontal or lateral view.

You can also change the shape and position of the nose.

Same with ears you can move them forward or backwards. Take your time to experiment.

Now to save the head tap over the last icon in the Object Launcher.

As we saw before choose a folder and add search tags and a name that you can identify later.

Now you can open the material folder and replace the default Basic face with your custom head model.

And use it as reference or base to draw your own character in Clip Studio Paint.

How to Link 3D Material

For this chapter you can use one of the 3D bonus material that you can claim with your Clip Studio subscription.

Open the Download folder and paste the material to the canvas.

Now tap over the 3d material and you will see handles with different colors. This is the Root manipulator you can use it to move, rotate or resize the object.

Tap and hold over an arrow handle, when it changes to orange. Drag it to move the crown-tiara in the axis that the arrow is pointing out. You will see one color for each axis.

In the same way you can use the sphere lines or rotation rings to rotate the 3d crown-tiara.

With the larger sphere you can change the scale of the 3d object.

You can use the icons in the Object Launcher to reset the size and rotation of the 3d crown-tiara.

You can also place the model on ground level.

Which might be helpful when you need to reach objects that are above and out of sight.

Now in order to place the 3d tiara over the head model we need to enable Snap to 3D models with the magnet icon at the top on the Movement Manipulator.

Now next time you use the handles you will see some bounding boxes and snapping effects around the 3D objects that are in the same 3D layer.

If you want to select other 3D object just tap over it or use the arrows in the object launcher.

Now let’s open the Object list from the wrench icon.

And select the objects from the list in a similar way you do with layers.

These materials are in the right place. But if you try to move the head you will see that the crown-tiara stays in the same location.

Tap and drag the object and release it over the head model.

Now the head will become the parent object and the tiara is going to be the child object. As long as you have selected the parent object you can move, rotate or resize both objects at the same time.

Link 3d Heads to Drawing Figures

So let’s say you want to do the same with a drawing figure and a head model. Paste the head to the canvas.

And on the Object list drag the head over the 3D figure. Then from the attachment point select Head.

The basic head will appear at the top of the model.

Now you can place it in the correct position with Snap to 3D models ON.

And reduce the head size with the Body shape coordinates we saw in a previous chapter.

Now if you want to use your custom head model select the head and replace it with Paste selected material to canvas.

Then adjust the body shape again moving the coordinates.

Or you can also replace the entire body and reduce the size of the head in the figure drawing

And rotate the camera to see if you need to reduce the neck from facial features.

You can have multiple 3d child materials under one 3d parent object.

And you can use these as base or reference to draw your own characters in Clip Studio Paint.

How to Pose 3D figures and hands

To add a pose to your 3d model you can explore the content of the sub folder Pose inside the 3D folder. Here you will find different options from sitting or relaxing poses to action or standing poses ready to be use or to download.

Now to save time let’s tap over the search field and type Run to narrow the options to Running poses.

Here you can easily drag one of the poses over your model or tap over the Paste selected Material to canvas icon.

Then adjust the camera with the icons or presets to get the desire angle for your 3D model in the canvas.

Tap over the drawing figure to make the handles visible. If you tap over a part of the body you can use the local handles to adjust that area.

Tap in the same area again and you will see seven blue points that control the pose of the figure. Tap over the distant point to see the moving and rotation handles.

You can use the arrows or move the point freely. To adjust where the model is looking at.

Also remember that you can duplicate the layer to try different angles and poses to create a model sheet for reference.

Try to use at least two cameras. One with the angle that you want to use on your model and other that you can freely move or rotate when adjusting the pose of the 3d model.

Now let’s tap over the blue point in the left wrist. When it change to orange try to move the point freely and rotate the camera while you keep adjusting the pose from different angles.

You can also use the handles as we saw in a previous chapter.

And don’t forget that you can use the scroll down menu to change the camera and see how the arm is looking in the angle you decide for your model.

Use the sphere or rotation rings to adjust the wrist making the palm face the opposite side of the body. So it will be ready to give us a thumbs up.

Hand Pose

Now let’s open the Sub Tool Detail palette and go to Hand pose. You can tap over the presets at the bottom to close both hands.

But if you tap over one of the hands you will only adjust that single hand and not the other.

You can also move the cross point inside the triangle to change the position of all the fingers.

If you tap over the icons at the top you will only move the finger that is not locked.

And now that we have get a thumbs up. You can tap over the icons to unlock the fingers again.

Flip & Mirror Pose

You can flip your pose with the flip icon on the Object launcher.

Or you can open the Pose section in the Sub tool Detail palette.

Here you can also mirror arms, legs and hands from your pose at the same time and get two thumbs up.

You can decide with the icons or from the drop down menu which parts are going to be copy from either the left side or the right side of the model.

Drawing from 3D Models

Once you have created a model sheet you can place all the layers in one folder. Next duplicate the folder and hide the original.

Now merge the folder in one single layer. If you Merge the layers your iPad will use less system resources.

Now tap over the Layer color icon on the Layer palette to make all blue.

Create a new layer and start sketching with any pencil or brush.

When you are done with the sketching place another raster layer below and start adding colors to the drawing using any sub tool from Fill.

In the process if you need to close any gap you can use the Lasso fill sub tool.

Then switch back and use Fill again to keep adding color to the sketch. You can try different color schemes and decide the final colors later.

Once you are finish coloring let’s repeat the previous process to use less system resources on the iPad and to make the inking process easier.

Place all in one folder, duplicate, merge and make all blue with Layer color.

Then select a sub tool to draw clean line strokes and start drawing on a new Vector layer. The G pens are a very popular choice among Clip Studio users.

Dawing your lines on a vector layer might be helpful if you want to edit the lines later without losing any quality or to adjust, move or delete single lines while holding the command key on the edge keyboard in Clip Studio Paint.

You can also use a raster 3D image as reference to paint the shadows in your character.

And if you don’t like the result or want to experiment you can go back and change the lighting from Light source in the Tool Property palette or Sub Tool Detail palette.

Conclusion and Final Illustration

So, you can use all these steps to create character sheets and try different angles for your custom models and heads.

Then you can use these as base or reference to draw. Or for the shading process on illustrations that can be use for design, comics, or to create printed material for cards, magazines, banners or commercial posters.

Here you can see all the models from this tutorial in one final illustration.

So, I hope you found something useful this is Ed saying until the next time!