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COLORING
FLATS,
METHOD #1
| Step 1:
Find a picture you want to color. For this tutorial I've chosen
one I've drawn digitally but I'm going to treat it as if it's
scanned. |
Step 2:
Open the picture in the program you've chosen to color it in.
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Step 3: Now
the lines need to be modified so that you can color underneath
them. There are two ways to do this:
Way 1: Select everything, cut it, and paste it into a new
layer (Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+A, Ctrl+X, Ctrl+V).
Then change the mode of the new layer to "Multiply"
Way 2: Select everything and cut it
(Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C). Then create a new
layer, which can be done by going to Layer >> New >> Layer,
clicking the new layer button, or using the keyboard shortcut
Shft+Ctrl+N.
Fill this new layer with black using the paint bucket tool.
Now change to Quick Mask Mode. To do this you can click on the
button to switch to quick mask mode or use the keyboard shortcut
Q.
Now that you're in Quick Mask Mode paste the lines
(Ctrl+V). The picture will look weird, with a black
background and colored lines.
Switch back to Standard Mode by clicking the button right
next to the one you clicked for Quick Mask Mode or using the
keyboard shortcut Q. The whole picture will appear black with
marching ants going around the areas that're supposed to be
white.
Hit the delete button to get rid of all those areas that
aren't supposed to be black.
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Step 4:
Your picture is now ready to get some actual colors. To do this
you'll need a new layer for the colors to go on. If the layer
appears above your lines make sure to click and drag it so that
it's underneath the lines layer.
Then use the brush tool to color to your heart's content,
putting each color on a different layer. Make sure to label all
the layers so you don't get them confused. I also like to fill
in the background layer with a color other than white because it
makes it easier for me to see the areas of color against
something other than white.
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Step 5:
The last step before shading and highlighting is making sure the
layers are locked. This means
making it so the only place you can color is where there's
already color. It keeps the sometimes random and messy act of
shading and highlighting inside the designated areas. To lock
the layers select them one by one and push the button to lock
them.
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