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Cell Shading



This page shows the basics of how to use a technique called "cell shading". Basically, it is a way to digically colour very neatly to make it look as affective and well-coloured as possible. If you following the tutorial below you will find it very easy to repeat this technique for alot of pieces.



Step 1: Clean
Make sure you clean your line art by either using my other tutorial (Outline Cleaner) or by just rubbing out some of the mess around the outline. Basically the neatler the beggining the better result you get in the end.

Step 2: Mulitply
It is important that you set your layer style to 'multiply' as it is a major part in cell shading.

Step 3: Luke, use the wand
Next use the wand tool to select the are you are planing to colour. Also you can add in other bits on the drawing you want to include which makes the whole process quicker. After you have selected the bit you want go to "select - modify - expand ..." and then expand it until it is over the lines.

Step 4: Drag
Now you can make a new layer and call it something appropriate such as 'hair'. As you will notice the selection you had used the wand to get will still be there. You can then fill that with the colour you want. You can use the feature 'adjustment - variations', this means you can get the perfect colour. After this you can drag your new layer under the line-art so that you can see it again.

Step 5: Keep it going ...
Repeat this method until you have coloured everything. After this the hard bit begins.

*Do not attempt unless confident*

Step 6: Shading
Dreaded shading - or not now. It's easy simply hold the ctrl key and which select the area you where doing before. Now simply select areas which you want to be darker and use the 'adjustment - variations' technique again.

Step 7: Finished
Once you finished shading the bits you want feel free to add some effects by using 'filter - ...'. After that, your done.   



Go or return to:
- Erestor's Tutorials