thank you so much!! :’) here’s a tutorial of my process:
1) i like sketching on off-white backgrounds (*´∇｀*) for this softer style i avoid black lines because they can blend into muddy colors or stand out too much (but for bold, poppy art i think crisp black lines look really great!!)
i usually choose a warm color and make it darker/less saturated so that it’s less likely to clash
2) on a layer below the sketch, i use the lasso tool to create a quick base. (it’s better to color manually because paint bucket can leave some white lines, especially if you’re using chalkier brushes.) then i can just lock transparency and color without worrying about missing edges or leaving gaps!
3) i start coloring the skin! there are some hard edges (like the eyes) but i’ll also use a soft brush to add a darker gradient to areas like the cheeks and fingers. it’s a simple way to add some life to a character
the image on the left is for photoshop users! i marked the tools i’ll talk about later
4) the color choosing part is mostly just a lot of intuitive trial-and-error but i have a few tips! when i shade, i make the color darker but also move it towards a different hue to prevent things getting dull/flat. my coloring is pretty subtle (orange -> red, blue -> purple) but some artists make really exciting shading using combos like complimentary colors! the techniques will depend on the mood of your piece
you can use a white-black gradient map to check your color values. it should be readable both ways!
also, solid color (the “color fill” layer in the image) is great for photoshop users that resize the canvas a lot!
5) gradient map is one of my favorite techniques!! it’s on a layer above the drawing. i think it makes things look a little more cohesive. sometimes there’s a reason to make it 100%, but i usually tone it down
6) finishing touches: i make a copy of all the layers except the background, merge, and then render/clean up! make sure to preserve some textures though
then i’ll tweak it with vibrance and curves and some other neat photoshop techniques i’ve talked about here :D
first hide the layers of everything you don’t want to put the effect on and make a new, blank layer over everything else
then press command+alt+shift+E to make a merged copy of those visible layers. double clicking that layer will make the “layer style” window pop up, and you can deselect the G and B channels
use the command+T hotkey and your arrow buttons/mouse to move the top layer and get the effect! you can move it as much as you want (here i moved it farther to the right)
Anonymous says
eneriables says
