Coloring In PhotoshopTable of Contents
-Cel Shading
-Soft/Painterly Shading
-Tips and Tricks
-Hair-
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg156910#msg156910-Rain-
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg159322#msg159322-Basic Color Choices for Cel Shading-
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg159873#msg159873-Removing White Backgrounds/Coloring Lines
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg161862#msg161862-Quick and Easy Texturing
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg162743#msg162743-Skies
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg169030#msg169030-Doing Flats the Painless Way
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg169309#msg169309-Cuts, the American Comic Coloring Style
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg182778#msg182778-Angie's Big Overall Guide on How to Make You a Better Colorist
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg195330#msg195330-Tips For Coloring Professionally
http://entervoid.com/board/index.php?topic=9939.msg204844#msg204844I'm going to cover 2 different ways to color as well as some quick tips that I use to make life easier. Don't have a tablet? That's okay, I will be covering ways to color with or without a tablet.
This tutorial requires a basic understanding of Photoshop and knowledge of how layers work. If you do not understand layers, please read my Introduction to Photoshop tutorial.First we need some lineart.
http://img102.imageshack.us/img102/3695/deelineartky5.jpgthis image was drawn by
http://entervoid.com/member/3814 and is being used with his permission. Typically you want to be working at an even higher resolution but for this tutorial, it's okay. There are some stray pencil lines, but that's okay, if you read the cleaning up tutorial you know what to do with those.
CEL SHADINGFirst we need to make a bunch of layers. Make sure that your lineart is the very top layer and is set on Multiply. It really helps to name your layers so you can keep track of things. Now, if you have a tablet, get to filling in each object. It really helps to zoom in to 200% so you know that you are staying in the lines. If you're using a tablet, it really helps to fill in the background with a solid color so you can make sure you're doing everything okay. If you do not have a tablet, use the polygonal lasso tool that I have highlighted to the left, and proceed to fill in your selection with the paint bucket tool. I actually prefer this method over using just a tablet since I spent about 7 years of my life coloring with a mouse, so to me it's much easier. Get each layer filled in? Awesome, let's move forward.
First things first, lock the transparency of the layer you're going to be working on. This prevents you from going outside the lines and will make it much easier to get smoother shading. Next, if you are using a tablet, simply choose a hard edged round brush and go at it. If you are not using a tablet
simply use the polygonal lasso tool to select where you want to be shaded. It takes practice but is well worth the results. You can get much better results by using the pen tool but the pen tool pretty much needs its own tutorial and I'm not very good at it so polygonal lasso tool+paint bucket it is. Do this on each layer, remembering to lock the transparency and you should end up with something like
Some things to remember on shading, for the darker shade, it should be less saturated so the whole thing doesn't end up looking all blown out and crazy colorful.
Now create a new layer on top of the lineart layer and with a solid round brush, add in some eye shine. If you would like to give your coloring a little extra shine, create another layer right below the lineart layer and set it on Screen or Hard Light, whatever looks best to you. And go along where there's shading with a light color and a soft brush to create some secondary/reflective light.
You should have something like this
Remember this isn't really how light works but it looks nice.
PAINTERLY STYLEIf you would like to do a more painterly style instead, this time start with the colors you want to be the darkest and if you're using a tablet, get out the Airbrush Pen Opacity Flow brush. It's a brush that Photoshop has by default and only works if you have a tablet. If you don't have a tablet, you can get a similiar effect by choosing a hard edge brush and lowering the opacity. There unfortunately is no easy way to do it without a tablet, you're just going to have to bear it by using the mouse.
Work in reverse and gradually add more light. You can do this the same way you did the cel shading by adding dark to light, but this is how I personally do it. It's really up to what you're more comfortable with. You should end up with something like
It's pretty much the same thing, for little details like making a fur texture, just make your brush smaller. I typically use this method of coloring for all my backgrounds.
TIPS AND TRICKS-If you would like to add a texture to your piece, find a high resolution texture on
http://deviantart.com or any other site that offers free textures, and paste it into a new layer on top of the colors. Set the layer on Soft Light or Overlight. It helps to make the image black and white (CTRL+SHIFT+U) first.
-NEVER EVER TOUCH PHOTOSHOP FILTERS. Just forget things like blur, lense flare, etc. exist. It is possible to use them successfully but if you're using a tutorial for Photoshop, obviously you're not ready to use them. The best use of Photoshop filters are ones you can't see.
-If you're having a hard time figuring out how to do the color for shading, look at cartoon/anime screencaps and grab colors off of them.
-The [ and ] keys are your friend, they change the size of the brush that you are working with.
-Burn and Dodge aren't the end all be all in coloring. Don't touch them.
Help Needed
Theakon
@ 8:41 AM Mar 28th