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Adobe PhotoShop ™ is a more advanced art program than what normally comes with your computer; to use it effectively, you need to have an idea of how it works. Knowing multiple methods of coloring, sketching, filling, outlining and shading (all detailed in the steps below) will ensure your artwork is something you're proud to show off.
Note: If you don't own Photoshop, other free programs such as Gimp are compatible with this tutorial.
Steps
Method 1
Method 1 of 7:
Creating a New Document
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1Open up a new document of course, so you click "FILE", "NEW" and you set the dimensions.
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2Set the width and height dimensions, here you see 500x500 pixels, but you choose whatever you would like.Advertisement
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3Make a layer. Once you have your canvas size the way you want, you create a new layer. First, you have to click "layer" "new" "layer." And name your layer. Name it "white"
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4Fill in the new layer with the color white.
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5Create a new layer. Now you will start to sketch out what you would like to draw. Click on the colors and pick one.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 7:
Sketching
Method 3
Method 3 of 7:
Outlining
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1Outline it. Now that you have your sketch you need to outline it to make it neater. Create a new layer. Click the pen tool, and click "freeform pen tool"
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2Outline one of your lines. Since the pen tool smooths your line, you may need to erase and redraw it. (not the whole thing only the line, don't worry)
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3You have a line. Now you need to stroke it. Right click and click "Stroke Path" and then
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4Set to paintbrush or pencil
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5You should have this now.
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6Delete the rough sketch. Delete the old line by doing this. Right click and select delete path.
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7Repeat for all the rest of the drawing. Here we see this:
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8Clean up. You don't want the yucky blue lines right? You do this:
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9You have this.
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10Look at the lines. Some are thick and misshapen what we need to do is taper.
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11Grab the eraser and taper the lines by erasing the edges of the line.
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12Do it to the rest of the lines.
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13Add color.Now it is time to add color.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 7:
Coloring Method 1
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1Go to the colors and pick one that you would like. Create a new layer Okay, now you color it!
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2Move the "lineart" layer above the "color" layer.
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3Continue to add more color. (but make sure you're still on the 'color' layer)
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4Use the magic wand. Now the lines are all out of the image right? That can be easily fixed. Click the "magic wand tool"
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5Click on the line art layer and use the wand and click the canvas. This should happen:
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6Go down to the color layer and hit "delete on your keyboard, extra coloring is gone
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7Click ctrl+D. Okay. So repeat until all your coloring is finished.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 7:
Coloring Method 2
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1Create a new layer, and block off any open areas, such as the hands and torso. (Temporary)
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2Return to your color layer. Select an area you wish to color with the magic wand tool, and color it in. The magic wand will not let you color outside of lines, so you need to select each area you want to color.
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3Delete the "capped" layer and you should end up with this. You may also want to return the "lineart" layer to above the "color" layer, so the lines aren't distorted.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 7:
Shading
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1Shade and highlight Create a new layer Click the airbrush and set it to 10% opacity at the top, and pick a color darker then your original. Wherever you think there is shade go over with your airbrush.
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2Keep going with the body.
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3Now pick a color lighter the your original color and where you think there's light, highlight it! Add details like the eyes.
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Community Q&A
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QuestionWhich combination of quick selection is best?Phoenix FeathersCommunity AnswerI presume you mean in order to select a part of the outline to color? For that I'd say that it's the magic wand tool, however if your lines don't meet, you're probably going to have to use the magnetic lasso tool. Make sure that you select the lines on the layer with the outline, but then fill in the layer you want the color.
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Warnings
- Layers are highly important in this process so you can delete one step without totally restarting. Don't mix them up.⧼thumbs_response⧽
- Staring at a computer screen for long periods of time is not healthy, look away for twenty seconds every twenty minutes.⧼thumbs_response⧽
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Suggested Supplies
- Adobe Photoshop (Gimp or other free programs would be acceptable, but not Paint).
- A drawing tablet (Makes the sketch much easier, but not needed).
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