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Page name: Dar's New Color Tut [Logged in view] [RSS]
2006-12-28 00:50:16
Last author: stuffAEAmade
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<img:stuff/darcgban.gif>

[stuffAEAmade]'s New Color Tutorial




I have a new way I CG now, the old way I did (A Method of Coloring) takes longer than I like, and makes things a little too smooth for my tastes. :P

I have Photoshop Elements 2.5 and a tablet, but this should work on most programs. Just adjust the pressure/opacity on whatever brush you're using to about 70.


Step one as always is setting up your lineart. I open up my scanned .tif, duplicate the line layer and set to multiply. Delete the old layer and you're ready to begin.

<img:stuff/darcg01.jpg> Isn't he adorable? ^^


Okay, now we lay in our flats, the base colors for each area. Usually I make a separate layer for each, because I am a messy artist. With this piece, some things can be clumped, to make going through layers easier. Mine are as follows--
ink
hat/belt
hair/pants
shirt
beater
skin
The eyes will be placed in as I get farther along. :D
Also, don't worry too much about little white spots near the lines. We'll cover them as we paint.

<img:stuff/darcg02.jpg>


Pick an area, and start shading. I tend to just use the Airbrush drop shadow brush unless I'm trying to create a texture.
I start with lowlights, and then do the highlights. I also create a little pallatte with the tones I use for easy refrence. :)

<img:stuff/darcg03.jpg> And just keep on with all your layers.
<img:stuff/darcg04.jpg>


Alright, I've got everything but the shirt rendered, but I'm going to do his eyes now. Make yourself a layer and zoom in really, really close.
Then lay in you base color.

<img:stuff/darcg05b.jpg>


Now, airbrush in lowlights and highlights. We want these eyes to shine!
On the lowlights, I paint around the outer edge of the eye, and around the pupil. I removed the black and put in the darkest blue I used instead.
For highlights, lighten the area of the iris between the pupil and edge.
You can also add shineys and any other little effects you like. I draw a dark cresent around the pupil on many of my eyes.

<img:stuff/darcg06.jpg>


Okay, now everything is painted. Now I go through and clean up the lines and make any additional adjustments to the image.
Basically just smoothed areas where white blips were still showing.

<img:stuff/darcg07.jpg>


Now we need some manner of background.
Just slap in something with gradients and patterns, and viola! instant pin-up. :P

<img:img/drawing/22011_1155271473.jpg>



<img:stuff/star6.gif> Using soft-edge brushes and a low opacity will allow for a lot of blending.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Painting is good. Try to use color, not just dodge and burn.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Paint big, if your computer can handle it. Things will smooth out with the resize, and you don't have to go in with such tiny brushes.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> 300 dpi is good.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Save often. It hurts when you loose hours worth of coloring.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Going to test something? Make a back-up layer first, especially if you won't be able to undo all the changes.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Make sure your lines are closed, and convert them to pixels using threshold. Flatting becomes a breeze.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Whenever you find yourself in front of a mirror, study the way light and shadow wrap around things.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Experiment. Happy accidents happen. But save often.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Don't expect people to tell you exactly how to paint your image. Use your imagination.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Warm light, cool shadow. Cool light, warm shadow.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Backlighting + secondary light sources. Try it.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Warm up a bit, and relax. Take a break every now and then. Keep your wrists loose.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Save. Like every 7 minutes.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Avoid pure white and black. Everything has some color to it.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Start with the background, if applicable.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Practice, practice, practice. Mad skillz don't show up overnight.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> Learn from your mistakes.
<img:stuff/star6.gif> And remember to save.



See what happens when you practice?

<img0*150:img/drawing/22011_1155271473.jpg> August 2006 <img0*150:stuff/darhugpainting.jpg> December 2006


<img:stuff/star6.gif> Elftown Tutorials. Good stuff.

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2006-08-21 [stuffAEAmade]: It's just a toner pattern tinted blue and set to multiply with a gradient on top... or was the gradient set to multiply... Hmmm. =/
But, that's all it is. :)

2006-08-22 [eyes of frost]: ...But I'm still confused... T_T

2006-08-22 [stuffAEAmade]: Next time I CG something, then, I'll write a simple bg tut. :)

2006-08-23 [eyes of frost]: Woot! *licks*

2006-08-27 [*(.Randi.)*]: nifty!

2006-12-25 [Erubeus]: I got a question. What if you don't have adobe to color the picture with?

2006-12-25 [Zab]: Then you use another art program, like Gimp or Open Canvas or Paint shop pro.. x) *let's DKS answer more*

2006-12-25 [stuffAEAmade]: Pretty much. I stick to Photoshop because I'm familiar with it, but you should be able achieve the same look with those programs too. 
Takes a little bit to get used to each program's interface and/or particularities.
And I have all of those programs too x3

2006-12-25 [Zab]: I want to try Paint shop pro..x)

2006-12-25 [stuffAEAmade]: I sketched a piece in it, but I couldn't figure out how to turn on my tablet's pressure sensitivity. I love it for initial art cleanup, lettering, and making banners and gifs and the like. :)

2006-12-25 [Zab]: I've never tried it..I don't even know how it looks..XD I'd probably never use it even if I got it:P

2006-12-26 [stuffAEAmade]: The interface is pretty similar to most other paint programs I've seen.
Just takes a while to figure out which effects get clumped under which tabs.
And I only use three of my paint progams of a regular basis anyway... Need to figure out that Comicworks program, though. =/

2006-12-26 [Zab]: Heh...I only use Photoshop..O__o
And OC; the few times I make hair and want it to look good..x) I'd probably use it more if I had gotten it before Photoshop and was forced to get used to it:P

btw I love the texture you manage to get on everything with this method:) And I had to strain myself to not ask how you did it..x)
And I use MS Paint! XD

2006-12-26 [stuffAEAmade]: Large-ish brushes, and messy stroke-work. I think I used the rounder brushes, with a harder edge. And one of the 'natural' kinda speckle-y brushes on the pants.
I wasn't too particular about anything, just figured the main light source out and painted. What happened, happened. =3
I drew something in MS Paint the other day with a mouse. It was pretty decent. :P

2006-12-26 [Zab]: Ah:P
hehe..MS Paint is good when you just want to draw something and not care too much..x)

2006-12-27 [stuffAEAmade]: Or when you get bored on a computer that doesn't have any other painting programs. :d

2006-12-27 [Zab]: yeah..I remember that..xD

2006-12-27 [stuffAEAmade]: =3

2006-12-28 [stuffAEAmade]: Added some things, since this is still pretty close to how I paint things. <img:stuff/dand-gif.gif>

2006-12-28 [Zab]: Nice:P

2006-12-28 [stuffAEAmade]: Thanks :)

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