Clip Studio Paint 2.0 introduces new 3D referencing tools

Celsys has released Clip Studio Paint 2.0, the first major update for its popular digital illustration app that introduces new 3D referencing tools, brush effects, and additional language support.

Some of the most notable additions for the update build on the app’s existing support for 3D models, which can be imported into the app and used as drawing references. Version 2.0 of Clip Studio Paint introduces a customizable head model within the 3D section of the Material palette that can be freely positioned to find the desired angle. There are nine preset faces to choose from that cover realism, anime, ultra-masculine superhero, and more. Head size, shape, lighting, and facial features are all adjustable.

Clip Studio Paint 2.0 is available now across all supported platforms (Windows, macOS, iPad, iPhone, Galaxy, Android, and Chromebook), with a price starting at $0.99 a month if you’re using it on a single mobile device. Choosing how to buy the software is now easier said than done, though, as pricing has become confusing and rather convoluted following the company’s decision to drop its beloved one-time purchase model.

Celsys provides two tiers for Clip Studio Paint 2.0 — Pro for everyday illustrators (starting from $4.99 a month for one tablet or computer) and EX for animators and comic artists who need more export options and multipage support (similarly starting from $8.99 a month).

Each tier is available as either a monthly or annual subscription or a one-time purchase, which then requires an annual Update Pass subscription to receive future updates. Celsys also offers upgrades for users who had already purchased a one-time license for Clip Studio Paint 1.0. You can read the full breakdown for each pricing model and membership tier on the Clip Studio Paint website.

Gripes with V2’s pricing aside — for those of us that loathe drawing hands (guilty), a Hand Scanner tool has been added. It uses your device’s camera to scan and track your own hand, mirroring its movements on a 3D model in real time. Other helpful tools new to Clip Studio Paint 2.0 include an adjustable fisheye perspective ruler, which distorts an image as if being viewed through a fisheye lens, and Align/Distribute layers to evenly line up or arrange objects and drawings.

For illustration-based updates, a new Perceptual Mixing mode for brush tools that provides more realistic color blending has been added to the Ink section of the Sub tool detail palette. Perceptual Mixing mode includes five brightness correction levels that can be used to adjust how colors blend across every brush type. Clip Studio Paint 2.0 also introduces a new Shading Assistant that automatically adds shadows to your work using a draggable “light” source. Two shading styles are available — Smooth Shading for a blended look and Cel Shading for solid, comic-style contrasts.

Finally, the app is now also available in four additional languages: Thai, Brazilian Portuguese, Indonesian, and Simplified Chinese (though the latter isn’t available for Windows or macOS). There are other small but still useful features included in Clip Studio Paint 2.0 that we’re not going to list here, but you can find the full breakdown of what’s new in the release notes.