Hello! And for those who did catch the previous installation of Illustration Station, welcome back! As promised, here I will be showcasing even more personal favorites of mine among the digital art tools and assets I’ve used for years. This time I’ll be spotlighting some brushes with unique, useful visual effects. All the tools I’ll be talking about this time are for use in Clip Studio Paint. Here are three more recommendations!
“Prism Pens (プリズムペン)”
This is one I started using very recently. I illustrate a lot of characters in flashy action, sci-fi, and fantasy settings, and I’ve been putting more focus into how to portray vibrancy and liveliness. Thanks to this prism effect, I’m able to splash my illustrations with more color with ease.
“Hair Pen (髪の毛ペン)”
Another personal favorite. Along with drawing long, flowy hairstyles, I also love using this one to draw ribbons in a certain way that I like.
“Decorative Collection (装飾集)”
This jewelry brush has three different patterns available. I’ve never been good at picking favorites, and I really like them all! This is another one I only recently found, and I’ll definitely be getting a lot of use out of it.
And not only that, but also a work of art that uses all of the above!
I’m so grateful for all of these, many thanks to the creators out there who release tools and assets like these for fellow artists- and for free! I appreciate any thoughtfully-made resources that make illustration and creation simpler! Now, there are many more where that came from if you can believe it, so we’ll pick this back up at the next Illustration Station! I hope that those of you who have also gravitated towards a favorite by now will also give some love to these free Clip Studio brushes too.
I’ve entered my illustration into Clip Studio’s ongoing “Smile”-themed Illustration contest. Wish me luck!
The trial and error that comes with trying out different brushes over a decade requires ironing out your digital illustration preferences. While this may not be universal, I feel that distilling the tools on hand across (or restricted to) software for artwork has led me to a better understanding of traditional art and drawing, as well. Not all my favorite tools need to have a traditional or fine art equivalent, like some cartoony effects or tones, but for quite a few do have the appeal of their realistic feel. Sticking to what I personally use in Clip Studio Paint, here are three I recommend!
Brush Used – “Braids by Vegalia”
This entire set of brushes is a lifesaver. As an artist with many original characters and illustrations of which the subjects are Black folks with varying hair types, knowing how detailed my drawings are… that’s a ton of manual line-work! So, having brushes for the outline and the full shape of braids, twists, and dreadlocks is a huge time-saver. Whether my illustration requires realism or just a simple outline of these kinds of hairstyles, this set has over 30 amazing different brush options ready to use. The quality and number of options is refreshing!
Brush Used – “Curls by Vegalia”
As you can see, this same creator has an accompanying brush set for curly and coily hair textures! I’ve been using the previously mentioned set & this one in Clip Studio ever since they came out for sale, and I feel more than happy to have invested in something so well-made. This set also has over 50 unique brushes, and I’d say there’s something for everyone in there. Whether I want to doodle myself a self-portrait or need to correctly capture a character’s curl type for a commissioned piece, I’m often finding myself gladly using this set instead of painstakingly painting high levels of detail manually. Also, I’m the type to re-correct something over and over if the detail doesn’t look right to me, so now at least for curls and braids I’ll have no doubts.
Brush Used – “よわ太鉛筆セット” (“Thick Pencil Set”/ “Intoxicate Pencil Set”)
This set is so satisfying to sketch with. It succeeds in capturing a texture that I gravitate to when choosing my pencils and charcoal tools for traditional art. I’m really picky when it comes to the pens and pencils I use for sketching and line-work. Sure, you can adjust pen pressure settings, the shape it yields, how stable the produced line is… but if the output doesn’t feel right even after these adjustments, I’ll delete it immediately. Sometimes you only want something that gets it right the first time, you know? It’s a reliable set I’ve been using very often for sketching.
Funnily enough, I have dozens more digital brushes, tones, and tools that I use as the project calls for it. We’ll see if those other favorites of mine will star in a future post like this one- I have many more that I love!
Anyone recently returned from PAX West? I was able to attend for the first time this year, doing a day pass to try things out. Though it was my first time at PAX, I’m no stranger to conferences and conventions. On arrival, my excitement was only heightened by sights of many fantastic artistic cosplayers obliging photo ops, the distant booming of emceed tournaments and competitions, and enthusiastic bustle surrounding me.
The lines at the expo’s sprawl of game demo booths were behemoth in size. Due to the time commitment required to persevere through these long lines as a solo attendee, I only played one console demo in this area. The many upcoming titles available at the demo tables spanned from the highly anticipated, adventurous Silksong to the beloved horror platformer Little Nightmares 3 installment (got to play this one!) Just in time for Halloween!
When it comes to Exhibitors Hall and Artists Alley both, I’m the research-it-beforehand type of congoer. Like a kid circling desired toys in a printed store catalog, I write down or screenshot catalogued booths of interest in advance. Anyone else try to see as many as possible, window-shopping style, then circle back to booths of interest afterwards? While exploring a sea of tables, the artwork of a game or other wares usually reels me in further to check things out. The artist vendors on the floor had some amazing work!
During my time at PAX, I was happy to discover Black Voices in Gaming, a collective whose mission is uplifting Black game developers through events, resources, community, and other avenues.
Dames 4 Games was also featured at the same booth, a collective fostering diversity and innovation in games. While at the booth featuring them, I got pretty invested in playing a demo of one of the video games. Along with these opportunities and informative booths, I’d also recommend checking out this area of PAX for the tabletop games library!
At the end of the day, only being able to be in one place at once means I missed out on a bunch of the awesome in-person events that were recommended to me. And sadly, I don’t know how to fly, teleport, or build an android to wait in long lines for me. In all seriousness, I think I got a lot out of my one-day pass and will be keeping an eye out for more of these kinds of collectives and events of interest!
One more thing- as an artist, I can’t resist sharing more art. Featuring pieces from Interactive Art Collective’s traveling museum exhibit The Art ofNintendo Power, with some awesome pieces on display at PAX. Maybe they’ll come to you next!
