👨‍🎨 HOW TO COLOR YOUR DRAWINGS using cel shading

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through the process of coloring your drawings using cel shading techniques, inspired by anime styles. Cel shading simplifies the shading process by using distinct blocks of color rather than smooth gradients, creating a vibrant and stylized look. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced artist, this step-by-step guide will help you achieve eye-catching results in your artwork.

Chapter 1: Understanding Cel Shading

• Difference Between Shading Styles:
  • Traditional shading uses smooth gradients to create a 3D effect.
  • Cel shading employs two to four flat colors to define light and shadow.
• Key Components of Cel Shading:
  • Shadow: The darkest area where light does not reach.
  • Mid-tone: The base color that sits between the shadow and highlight.
  • Highlight: The lightest area where light hits directly.
  • Terminator: A transitional zone between shadow and mid-tone, often used for added depth.

Chapter 2: Preparing Your Workspace

• Start with Clean Line Art: Ensure you have a clear and refined line drawing as your base.
• Layer Management: Create separate layers for shadows, mid-tones, and highlights to keep your work organized.
• Color Mock-Up: Fill your silhouette with a flat color for each section (shadow, mid-tone, highlight) to visualize your color scheme.

Chapter 3: Adding Shadows

• Select a Light Source: Decide where the light will be coming from (e.g., the side).
• Create a New Layer for Shadows: This keeps your work organized and allows for easy adjustments.
• Applying Shadow Colors:
  • Darken the base color by 20-30% to create your shadow color.
  • Use the lasso tool for precise selections, or paint directly with a brush.

Chapter 4: Incorporating Mid-tones

• Mid-tone Application:
  • Create a new layer for mid-tones.
  • Apply mid-tones considering the light direction, filling in the areas exposed to light.
  • Use a clean, compressed approach to maintain the cel-shading style.

Chapter 5: Adding Ambient Occlusion

• Purpose: This technique adds depth to shadows by darkening areas that light struggles to reach.
• Layer Setup: Use a soft brush on a new layer, adjusting opacity as needed.
• Application:
  • Select areas that would naturally be darker, enhancing the illusion of depth.

Chapter 6: Introducing Color

• Base Color Application:
  • Use the paint bucket tool to fill in your shadow and mid-tone layers with their respective colors.
  • Color pick mid-tones and create darker versions for shadows, adjusting saturation and hue towards cooler tones (more blue).

Chapter 7: Adding Highlights

• Highlight Application:
  • Create a new layer for highlights, applying them to reflective surfaces like skin, hair, and eyes.
  • Keep highlights minimal to maintain the cel-shaded appearance.

Chapter 8: Final Touches and Polish

• Layer Effects:
  • Use layer styles like outer glow on highlights for a soft light effect.
  • Apply inner shadow on mid-tones for smoother transitions.
• Optional Terminator Effect:
  • Add another inner shadow for the terminator if desired, adjusting settings for subtlety.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can effectively create vibrant cel-shaded artwork that captures the essence of anime styles. Remember to keep your layers organized and experiment with colors to find what works best for your subject. Don't hesitate to revisit your layers for adjustments, allowing for creative flexibility. Happy drawing!