Quick and Easy Coloring Tutorial with Clip Studio Paint

Introduction

Hello, artists! Today, I’m sharing my personal coloring tutorial, especially useful for those working in Clip Studio Paint (CSP). After seeing a surge of interest from my recent recycled TikTok video, I'm excited to compile my coloring methods here for you to reference whenever you need. Let's dive into the world of coloring!

A Few Preliminary Notes

Before we start, here are some essential things to keep in mind:

Comic Artist Background: I've been a comic artist since my teenage years, and my webcomic, Cast Off. Set Area Scaling Mode to "Two Darkest Pixels" to avoid filling outside the line art.
Close Gap Setting: If there are gaps in your lines, adjust the Close Gap option to prevent color leakage.

Step 3: Filling Colors

Now you can go ahead and fill in your flat colors quickly with the Fill Bucket tool.

Drag to fill multiple areas, and use the Sub View tool to keep character palettes visually accessible.
The Fill Bucket tool may miss sharp corners, but don’t worry; we can fix that.

Step 4: Clean Up with the Remove Dust Tool

To fill in any missed areas, use the Remove Dust tool. Set it up by:

Choosing "Fill Leftover," maximum dust size, and selecting "Fill Transparent Gaps with Surrounding Color."
Brush over your whole artwork to fill in the little gaps.

Step 5: Adjust Line Width Tool

For larger unfilled areas:

Select the Adjust Line Width tool and set it to thicken.
Make a selection of the area where you want flat colors and fill in any missed spots.

Step 6: Adding Details

For additional character design details, make sure to add them on a separate layer to prevent messing with your main flats.

Rendering Your Artwork

Now that the flats are in, let’s render:

Create a Shadow Layer: Make a white layer over your flats, then create a new layer set to Multiply for shadows.
Drawing Shadows: Use a desaturated color for shadows and fill in areas by switching between drawing and the Fill Bucket tool.

Step 7: Color Adjustments

To revitalize your shadows:

Select colors using the Select Color Gamut tool.
Adjust shadow colors using Hue/Saturation.

Step 8: Highlights and Additional Effects

After dealing with shadows, complete your illustration with highlights, ambient occlusion, subsurface scattering, and correction layers for essential color adjustments.

Finally, incorporate bounce light and glowing lighting effects to round out the final look of your artwork.

Conclusion

There you have it—my personal coloring method using Clip Studio Paint! I hope you found this tutorial helpful. If you have questions or requests for future tutorials, feel free to leave them in the comments. You can also access the layered CSP file on my Patreon. Happy coloring!

Keyword

Clip Studio Paint
Coloring Tutorial
Fill Bucket Tool
Remove Dust Tool
Rendering
Shadow Layer
Color Gamut
Highlights
Ambient Occlusion

FAQ

Q: Do I need to be a comic artist to use this tutorial?
A: No, anyone can use these coloring techniques regardless of their specific art focus.

Q: Can I use these methods in other programs?
A: This tutorial is specifically for Clip Studio Paint, but some concepts may be applicable to other digital art programs.

Q: What if my Fill Bucket tool doesn’t work?
A: Adjust the settings to ensure it refers to other layers and experiment with area scaling options.

Q: Can I change my colors after applying flat colors?
A: Yes, it’s easiest to adjust colors using the Select Color Gamut tool after you’ve established your flats.

Q: How long does this process usually take?
A: The time can vary based on complexity, but the methods shared are designed to optimize speed and efficiency.