Hello! My name is Liz Staley and I’m a long-time user of Clip Studio Paint (I started using the program back when it was known as Manga Studio 4!). I was a beta-tester on the Manga Studio 5 program and for Clip Studio Paint, and I have written three books and several video courses about the program. Many of you probably know my name from those books, in fact. I write weekly posts on Graphixly.com and on CSP Tips, so be sure to come back every week to learn more Clip Studio Tips and Tricks from me!

Clip Studio Paint Version 5.1.0 has introduced the ability to replace default heads on 3D body models with Head models, allowing for much more customization to create illustrations and comics with these assets.

In this article we will cover the following topics:

Replacing a Default Head

Hiding the Head on a 3D Body

Saving a Model as a Material

Let’s get started!

Replacing a Default Head

We’ll need to start off with a 3D model, of course. Pick your favorite one and add it to a canvas (posing is optional!).

Now let’s choose a head to replace the default head with. You will find these in the Materials library under the “Head” category. I want to replace the head on this body model with the “Cute anime” head, so I’ll add that to my canvas as well. Make sure that while you are doing this that the already existing 3D model layer

Now that we have a 3D body and a 3D head, we need to make the head model a “child” of the body model. To do this, make sure one of the 3D models is selected (you can do this by choosing the “Object” tool under the Operation category and clicking on one of the models). Then open the Advanced Tool Settings by clicking on the wrench icon at the bottom right of the Tool Property window.

In the Advanced Tool Options window click on the “Object List” option.

In the Object List window you will see a list of all the current 3D models on your canvas. To group the head model to the body, click on the name of the head model in the object list (in my case it’s “Cute anime”), then drag the head model name up to the name of the 3D body model. You will see a red box around the name of the body model when you have it in the right spot.

Release the head model to complete the grouping. Clip Studio Paint will automatically hide the default head and set the Attachment Point to “Head” while moving the head model to the end of the neck. 

Now you can click on the head and resize or reposition it if needed.

Hiding the Head on a 3D Body

The newest version of Clip Studio Paint also has an option to hide the default head on a 3D model as well. This is especially handy if you have a tricky pose where you need to see the anatomy structure behind the head as you’re drawing. 

To do this, select the 3D body and then open the Advanced Tool Settings window. On the left side, click on the “3D Drawing Figure” category.

Uncheck the “Show” checkbox below the Head settings.

To show the head again, simply click the Show checkbox.

Saving a Model as a Material

If you’re going to be using this combination of body and head model often, it’s a good idea to save it as a Material to save time! To do this, open the Material Library window and make sure that your Layers palette is also visible. 

Click and drag the layer with the 3D models on it into the Materials Library. 

Your model will show up at the top of the Materials list. 

To change the title and add tags, click on the “Show properties” icon at the bottom right of the Materials palette. In the Material Properties window you can type in a name for your model, change the save location, and add tags either from the list of tags or by clicking on the “Add” button in the Tags window and typing in your own.

Click OK to save your settings!

Now whenever you need this body and head model combination again you can simply drag-and-drop to your canvas from the Materials Library.

Conclusion

Being able to combine body and head models easily gives so much flexibility and honestly solves a very time-consuming issue. I love seeing this option and how easy it is to use!

For more information on CLIP Studio Paint, please visit https://www.clipstudio.net/en  or https://graphixly.com