I'm Totally Using This - Blog Posts

andy-lup

3 months ago

What kind of brushes would you recommend to use when trying to mimic isat's artstyle?

Oooh! Oooh!!

I'd love to answer this one, cause it actually took me a while to get it down!!

The program I use (Medi Bang Paint Pro) is pretty limited in terms of brush functions. If you use something like Clip Studio, I'm sure you can find a brush that suits your needs.

However, through trial and error, I ended up making my own.

The main key is anti-aliasing.

Picture of two dots.

One of them is marked as "anti-aliasing on", and it looks soft and round.

The other is marked as "anti-aliasing off", and it looks pixelated and edgy.

Using Bonnie's laughing sprite from the game "In Stars and Time" as an example

Lines around their finger and eye are highlighted.

Text reads "looking at the lines in all of ISAT's art, you can see they are jagged, right? That's from Anti-Aliasing"

Mirabelle's sprite used as an example. Red highlights lines at her bow, which are jagged and clean.

Green highlights her hairline and ear, which are more blured.

Text reads "Sometimes the lines are clean, pixely and sharp. USUALLY they are slightly blured. (I am sorry if tumblr compression ruins the showcase-)"

Text reads "I encourage you to lower your correction/stabilizer lower then you're used to, to add to the wobbliness of the lines!"

Under the text there's two showcases. One at correction 15, with clean smooth lines, the other at correction 2 with more uneven wobbly lines.

Text pointing to the second lines says "this is not worse, simply a different vibe!"

Text above reads "As for HOW I simulate the brush-"

Two dots are shown. One is round and soft, the other is harsh and pixelated. Text reads "A hard brush was too harsh."

Another pair of dots are shown. Both look see-through and extremely soft. Text reads "An airbrush was too soft."

And the last pair of dots are shown. One of them has a smooth transition from the outside in, and the other has some minor blured edges. Text reads "Something in the middle, like a watercolor or maker brush was just right."

Under all of that, there's a sprite of Siffrin smiling, and next to them a quick copy with the proper brush.

QUICK NOTES I DIDN'T DRAW:

1. NO PEN PRESSURE SENSITIVITY, TURN THAT SHIT OFF, The ISAT artstyle majorly uses round flat brushes (and maybe changes the size for detail accordingly.) 2. The sprites in game experience some corruption (if it's from program corruption or intentional choice on the dev's part is up for debate) 3. There in minor inconsistencies in the style and shapes. You're not gonna get Isa's face shape right, Sif's eye is probably gonna look off, Odile's hair is gonna be too poofy- that's okay. And even if your brush of colors aren't perfect that's okay. 4. The main important thing for ISAT's artstyle is the vibes, and there is no formula to that. Just try to find your own place within those vibes. My last comic, I actually halfway through just stopped trying to imitate the artstyle, as much as I was just trying to express myself within that style's minor guidelines. 5. I also HEAVILY RECOMMEND looking at Tawny's guide on expressions, it's super helpful for GETTING those said vibes

Text reads "The ISAT style is simple, and inconsistent (/pos), so there really is no true brush or formula to the art-style.

Don't overthink it!
PERFECTION IS NOT THE GOAL!

Just go wild and you'll get there!"

A quick doodle of Nille and Bonnie sleeping together, curled up in a blanket.

Nille has one arm over Bonnie, and the other resting in her lap. She is snoring and drooling, leaning her head on Bonnie.

Bonnie is swallowed in the blanket, only their closed eyes showing, very cozy. Their little boots are poking out of the blanket.