Creating a Custom Brush for Digital Inking in Manga Studio Pro

I’ve spent the last 3 weeks using Manga Studio Pro for digital inking. I find the program to be superior to Corel Painter for that specific task.

My workflow has shifted. I begin with a sketch, using Sketchbook Pro.

Next, I bring the sketch into Manga Studio Pro for digital inks.

Finally, I export the inked line art from Manga Studio Pro to color and finish in Adobe Photoshop.

I’ve been experimenting a lot with the Manga Studio brushes. I haven’t found the perfect brush yet, but I do have one that comes close.

I wanted to share my favorite brush settings in the screenshots below:

I ink with vector brushes – specifically the ‘G’ brush. Depending upon what my needs are, I either keep the Stroke-In and Stroke-Out options on or off. (The Stoke-In and Stroke-Out options will cause the line edge to taper at the ends). The Correction option lets Manga Studio Pro “massage” the line – so a somewhat shaky line that’s drawn is automatically smoothed out. I use this from time to time – it works particularly well when drawing large arcs or rounded shapes.

As for the brush itself, I have settled on a square brush with a slight angle, as shown below.

Maybe this will help out other cartoonists who have Manga Studio Pro. Give me some feedback. If you have the program, what are your favorite brush settings? Please share them in the comments below!

–Krishna