Leo Martínez
Paint Tool SAI is a graphics editor that has become popular among Manga and Anime comic artists. It offers a range of tools that can be used to create comic panels, including the Two-Point Perspective Grid, Layer > Outline, and Straight Line Drawing Mode. While SAI does not have a native guide tool, artists can use the Two-Point Perspective Grid to create panel designs by first creating a New Linework Layer and then using the line brush to create borders of their desired thickness and size. Artists can also use the Straight Line Mode to create freehand panels by selecting the symbol for Straight Line Mode and drawing their lines by clicking and dragging. For a more relaxed style, the Straight Line Drawing Mode is a good choice.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Planning the layout | The first step in creating a comic |
| Native guide tool | PaintTool SAI lacks this, unlike Photoshop |
| Two-Point Perspective Grid | The ideal tool for generating comics on a simulated grid |
| Layer > Outline | Makes it simple to outline already created artwork |
| Straight Line Drawing Mode | The ideal choice for a more relaxed, freehand style |
| Creating straight lines | Hold Shift while drawing |
| Creating straight lines in a different spot | Click+Shift+Click |
| Creating straight lines in another way | Click in one spot, move the cursor, and click again while holding Shift |
| Creating straight lines in yet another way | Click in one spot and then Shift+Click in another spot |
| Creating panel borders | Make a New Linework Layer, choose the line brush, and create borders with your desired thickness and size |
| Inking the panels | PaintTool SAI is only good for this |
| Overlay painting | Use this to get a glow effect |
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What You'll Learn
Using the Two-Point Perspective Grid
Paint Tool SAI 2 has perspective rulers and grids, including a Two-Point Perspective Grid, which is ideal for creating comic panels on a simulated grid. This feature, along with Layer > Outline and Straight Line Drawing Mode, can be used to replicate guides and create comic panels.
To begin, launch Paint Tool SAI and load your document. In the layer panel, choose the perspective ruler icon. Next, you will want to move the black crosshairs on your horizon line by holding Ctrl and clicking the left mouse button. The vertical position is more important than the horizontal position, as the latter does not seem to matter much. You can rotate the crosshairs by holding Alt and clicking the left mouse button to create a slanted horizon line.
Now, move the light blue dot either above or below the horizon at the front or back corner of an imagined box/room. The scene you draw can be larger than the box you are sketching out. Then, move the green dot to the side corner of the box. This determines your first vanishing point, where the green line crosses the horizon line. The closer the green dot is to the blue dot horizontally, the closer the vanishing point will be, and the further away your scene will look.
You can adjust the position of the dots later if you are not happy with your perspective. The red dots move together and indicate the vertical vanishing point. Placing them above the box will give you a worm's eye view, while placing them below will give you an overhead shot. Once you have everything set up, you can draw straight lines following the ruler on a normal layer.
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Creating straight lines
Another method is to hold down Shift while drawing either horizontally or vertically with your brush. This will create a straight line. You can also click once, move your cursor to another point, and click again to create a straight line between the two points.
Additionally, you can create a straight line in a lineart layer and then merge it with a normal layer. To do this, put your normal layer below the linework layer with the straight line and click 'merge down'.
Finally, there is a tool specifically designed for creating precise straight lines, which can be found here: http://www.silver-islands.com/images/2lineartlayer.jpg.
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Using Layer > Outline
PaintTool SAI does not have a native guide tool like Photoshop, but you can use the Two-Point Perspective Grid, Layer > Outline, and Straight Line Drawing Mode to create comic panels.
To use Layer > Outline, first, launch PaintTool SAI and load your document. In the layer menu, choose the layer or layers with your comic panel. For this tutorial, we will be adding outlines to the top three panels of the document. Select Outline under Layer in the top menu. An outline dialog box will pop up. You can change the width of your outline stroke using the Width slider. You can also choose where you want your outline to extend using the Position settings. You can apply your outline to the inside, centre, or outside of the pixels you've chosen. If you want to add a stroke to the canvas edge, select the "Apply to Canvas Edges Too" checkbox.
The outline feature can also be used with a pen tool, so you don't always need to use a selection tool.
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Drawing panels freehand
To draw panels freehand, first, launch PaintTool SAI and load your document. In the layer panel, choose the perspective ruler icon, then select 'New 2 VP Perspective Grid'. Your perspective grid should now be visible on your canvas. Adjust the grid to your canvas size by holding down 'Ctrl' and pushing the corners to the edges of your canvas.
Right-click the Perspective Grid Ruler and select 'Properties'. Here, you can set the values for your grid divisions. Enter figures between 1 and 100 in the slots marked 'Division for G Axis' and 'Division for B Axis'. Press 'OK' or 'Enter' on your keyboard. These grid divisions will be used to organize your panel designs.
From the drop-down menu, select 'Snap' and then choose 'Line'. Now, when you draw your lines, they will automatically snap to the G and B axis lines. To draw straight lines, hold down 'Shift' while drawing. Continue drawing your lines freehand to create your panels.
Once you have created your panels, you can outline them using Layer > Outline. Simply select the layers you want to outline and choose 'Outline' from the top menu. You can adjust the width of your outline stroke and the area to which it extends using the Position settings.
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Using the line tool
Paint Tool SAI does not have a native guide tool, but you can still create straight lines and comic panels using the line tool in the vector layer option.
To create panel borders, start by making a New Linework Layer. Go to the layer toolbox and click on the icon that looks like a pen poking a piece of paper. Then, choose the line brush and create borders with your desired thickness and size.
You can also use the Straight Line Mode to create iconic comic panels freehand. First, select the symbol for Straight Line Mode, then draw your lines by clicking and dragging. To create straight vertical and horizontal lines, hold down Shift while drawing.
Another method for generating comic panels is to use the Two-Point Perspective Grid. First, launch PaintTool SAI and load your document. In the layer panel, choose the perspective ruler icon, then select New 2 VP Perspective Grid. Your perspective grid should now be visible on your canvas. While holding down Ctrl, click and drag the grid's corners to align them with the edges of your canvas. Right-click the Perspective Grid Ruler and choose Properties. Enter a figure between 1 and 100 in the slots marked Division for G Axis and Division for B Axis, then press OK or Enter. These grid divisions will be used to organize your panel designs. From the dropdown menu, select Snap, then choose Line. Your lines will now automatically snap to the G and B axis lines.
Additionally, you can create straight lines by clicking in one spot and then Shift+clicking in another spot.
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Frequently asked questions
Paint Tool SAI does not have a native guide tool, but you can create panels using the Two-Point Perspective Grid. First, launch PaintTool SAI and load your document. In the layer panel, choose the perspective ruler icon, then select 'New 2 VP Perspective Grid'. Adjust the grid to your canvas size by holding down 'Ctrl' and pushing the corners. Right-click the Perspective Grid Ruler and select 'Property'. Set your desired values, then select Snap and Line from the drop-down menu. Now, when you create lines, they will automatically snap to the G and B axis lines.
Launch PaintTool SAI and load your document. In the layer menu, select the layers with your comic panels. Choose Outline under Layer in the top menu. You can adjust the width of your outline stroke using the Width slider and choose where your outline will extend using the Position settings.
Select the symbol for Straight Line Mode. Draw your lines by clicking and dragging. Hold down 'Shift' while drawing your lines to create straight vertical and horizontal lines.
