For those who don’t know the tool: Clip Studio Paint does illustration, comics, and 2D animation on desktop and mobile, and sits alongside the wider Clip Studio app and its cloud and asset ecosystem.

Version 5.0 is about speed and control

Celsys puts Clip Studio Paint 5.0 on iPad, iPhone, Android, Windows, and macOS as a new major release, updating drawing performance and workflow comfort, with new tools aimed at getting cleaner results without constantly switching modes.

If you spend your day in line work, the headline feature is Smart Shape. You draw with any pen or brush, then long press to tidy a line, curve, or shape without jumping to a separate figure tool. That idea reads small, but it targets the exact kind of micro friction that adds up over a hundred panels or a long day of design passes. It is also the kind of feature that can change muscle memory, so plan a short retraining window before you bet client work on it.

The 5.0 feature list also calls out faster rendering with large brushes using a new setting that trades quality for speed, and improved rendering speed for thick watercolor edge settings. Stroke previews can help reduce brush lag when you draw with high stabilization. The blur tool and brushes with Running Color also change blending behavior, so colors outside the brush cursor or selection stop blending in that mode.

Smart Shape wants cleaner lines without a new tool

Smart Shape lives in the same place as your usual brushes, and it tries to keep you there. Instead of switching away from your current drawing tool, you trigger the cleanup by holding your stylus down at the end of a storke, then let the app resolve it into a cleaner result. That matters most when you bounce between sketchy exploration and precise technical marks, where changing tools can feel like slamming the brakes every few seconds.

On the settings side, Smart Shape can be toggled in Preferences under Tool. That makes it easy to turn on for inking sessions and turn off when you want raw, messy exploration, without building separate workspaces just to keep it from interfering.

The update also introduces velocity as a new brush dynamic, with a velocity graph added to Pen Pressure Settings and Tilt Settings as an option for brush size and opacity input dynamics. In plain terms, you can push values higher the faster you draw, which is useful when you want quick flicks to behave differently from slow, controlled marks.

3D gets hands, fog, and more paintable surfaces

On the 3D side, Clip Studio Paint 5.0 adds a hand model to the 3D materials, positioned as a reference tool for drawing hands. The tool includes adjustable hand shapes, and it works with hand pose materials and a Hand Scanner for quick posing. That puts a dedicated hand reference directly in the same scene where you already stage characters and props, instead of forcing a second app or a browser tab for reference.

The 3D feature list also expands where you can draw directly on 3D objects, including UV mapped vertices plus 3D primitives and 3D drawing figures. It also adds the ability to group multiple 3D models into a folder and move or rotate them as one, which fits the way artists actually block scenes, especially when you want to keep a kitbash cluster behaving like a single prop.

Fog gets a specific upgrade too. You can set Fog type to Height on a 3D layer and define fog based on the height of the 3D space, including whether it starts from above or below. It is a simple knob, but it can help with depth cues in backgrounds, quick lighting mood boards, and concept paintovers.

For internal workflows, the EX edition gets batch export textures on 3D layers when you select them with the Object tool. That lets you export all textures of a custom material or model at once, which sounds mundane until you are the person who keeps getting asked to deliver “all the textures, please” five minutes before a handoff.

If you follow concept art workflows, the net effect is less time fighting reference and more time iterating on design.

Layer ops and UI cleanup aim at real work

A production painting app lives or dies by small operations, and 5.0 targets a few that show up constantly. Tonal correction commands can now apply to multiple layers at once, applying color corrections to each selected layer. That is useful when you keep values separated by material, pass, or shot element, but still need consistent global tweaks without flattening.

The Fill tool also gets a speed and accuracy improvement, pitched as faster processing with more accurate results. If your pipeline includes lots of flat color blocking for comics, animation layouts, or stylized game art, faster fill behavior is the kind of quiet win that saves real time.

Interface changes focus on reducing terminology and palette friction. Sub Tools get merged into Tools, and tool icons can pop up with related palettes. The Material palette gets a new History folder to show recently used materials, plus easier search and sorting.

In 5.0.4, image materials and template materials, including 3D hand model materials, can sync to the Clip Studio cloud and publish to Clip Studio Assets. That is a practical detail for teams, classrooms, or anyone jumping between machines, as long as you are comfortable with the asset management implications and you test your sync behavior before relying on it in a deadline week.

Licensing and

Celsys lays out multiple ways to get 5.0, depending on whether you subscribe or buy perpetual on Windows and macOS.

New perpetual licenses list at 63 Dollars for Clip Studio Paint PRO 5.0 and 277 Dollars for Clip Studio Paint EX 5.0 on Windows and macOS. Discounted perpetual upgrades from 4.0 to 5.0 list at 29 USD for PRO and 83 $ for EX, with a PRO to EX discounted upgrade to 5.0 listed at 243$

Update Pass pricing for 12 months on Windows and macOS lists at 11$ for PRO and 32$ for EX. Active subscribers and Update Pass users can update to 5.0 as part of their plan.

If your daily setup includes a pen display, a few of these changes will feel less like “new features” and more like fewer tiny interruptions between you and the canvas. Test Smart Shape with your usual brush presets, stabilization settings, and tablet drivers. Test the new blur behavior on the exact kind of painterly blends you rely on. Test 3D grouping and paint on model workflows with the kinds of assets you actually use, especially if you share files across machines or collaborators. New tools and innovations should be tested before use in production, even when the change looks small.

https://www.clipstudio.net/en/dl/release_note/latest/

https://www.clipstudio.net/en/news/202603/11_01/

The post Clip Studio Paint 5.0 with 3D hands first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Celsys has officially announced Clip Studio Paint 4.0, the forthcoming version of its acclaimed digital painting and 2D animation software, scheduled for release in March 2025.

Improved Finishing and Processing Features

One of the standout additions is the Puppet Warp tool, allowing users to pin specific areas of an image and manipulate them as if controlling a marionette. This functionality simplifies the process of adjusting character poses and other elements, making it as easy as pulling strings—minus the tangled mess.

The update also introduces improved filters, enabling real-time previews and comparisons during color correction and refinement. Notably, there’s a new filter designed to extract line art from images, and another that simulates camera lens blur effects. It’s like having a mini photography studio right inside your software, without the need for extra lighting.

Additionally, the Convert to Lines and Tones function has been revamped for more intuitive use. Users can now save frequently used settings as presets and select brush shapes for lines when working on vector layers. Think of it as having your favorite tools always within arm’s reach, without the cluttered workspace.

Enhanced 3D Features

For those integrating 3D elements into their 2D projects, CSP 4.0 offers the ability to draw directly on 3D primitives and drawing figures. This feature facilitates painting on 3D objects and creating guide lines or patterns for various angles and poses. It’s like turning your 3D models into interactive canvases—just don’t let them get a big head about it.

The software now supports casting shadows from 3D objects onto other 3D objects, aiding in the creation of cohesive scenes with accurate shadow placement. Additionally, STL file support allows for the import of 3D files commonly used in CAD applications, while BVH file support enables the import of motion data for pose references. For those working with 3D characters, VRM facial expression file support offers customization of facial expressions, adding another layer of depth to character design. It’s like giving your digital creations a full range of emotions—just hope they don’t develop a penchant for drama.

Improved Tools and Usability

The introduction of Object Snap enhances precision by allowing snapping when moving or transforming vector layers, rulers, text, and more. Users can snap to grids, guides, rulers, canvas edges, and the canvas center, facilitating quicker and more accurate object placement. It’s like having a magnetic personality, but for your design elements.

Selection tools have been improved to snap to content on the current layer or reference layers using the Lasso tool, streamlining the selection process. The Tool Sliders palette in Studio Mode now includes sliders for adjusting brush size and opacity, similar to those in Simple Mode, providing a more unified user experience. Additionally, the Tool and Sub Tool palettes have been revamped for better navigation, with merged tool groups and revamped brush shape presets that include traditional mediums. Frequently used tools are now more accessible, and users can select multiple tools for simultaneous export, deletion, or registration. It’s like having a well-organized toolbox—no more rummaging around for that elusive wrench.

Improved Export and Animation Features

The watermark feature has been enhanced with a noise pattern to better protect works uploaded online, and it now functions during batch exports. The timelapse function has also been improved, offering a file size prioritization setting to keep file sizes manageable. It’s like having a personal assistant who ensures your work is both secure and efficiently packaged.

For animators, CSP 4.0 introduces features requested by professionals, such as the ability to color code layers and cels within the Timeline palette and improved file naming settings for better organization. These enhancements aim to streamline the animation process, making it easier to work like the pros—minus the coffee-induced jitters.

The update also facilitates the creation of short-form videos by allowing the import of sound recordings as an audio layer, even on mobile devices. Users can add subtitles and hand-drawn illustrations to filmed videos and export them for online posting, bridging the gap between traditional animation and modern content creation. It’s like having a mini production studio in your pocket—just don’t sit on it.

Pricing and Availability

Clip Studio Paint 4.0 is slated for release in March 2025. The perpetual version (one-time purchase) for Windows and macOS is priced at $58.50 for the PRO edition and $258.00 for the EX edition. Owners of the Ver. 3.0 one-time purchase license can upgrade to Ver. 4.0 at discounted rates: $24.99 for PRO and $71.99 for EX. For detailed pricing information and upgrade options, visit Celsys’s official announcement.

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As always, while these new features are designed to enhance your creative process, it’s prudent to thoroughly test the software within your workflow before full integration. After all, even the most promising tools can have quirks—much like that one colleague who insists on using Comic Sans.

The post Celsys Announces Clip Studio Paint 4.0: A Feature-Rich Update first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.