Coloring Tips For Paint Tool SAI
LINES! Okay first off I feel you don't need to have super clean lines To have good art, its whatever you like. and whatever you want in an image that makes you pleased with your work and your style.
MAKING FLATS! I start by first Selecting off each chunk using both the magic Wand tool and the manual Selection and Dis-selection options to cover the holes that the magic wand cant get, I do this to set Flats of color so that I can't color outside the lines, as well as make the coloring process faster and to better visualize the tones and colors I want, (sort of like a masking layer with colors you can change later by setting a clipping layer.)
COLOR SETTING! Once I have all the flats made you can go in and play with the colors of each object to see what you may like best, this can be done by making a new layer over top and making it a Clipping group (this will put a pink line next to the layer), this helps me decide The tone and the feeling for the image that I want to make.
SHADING! (Important part), Shading helps to make things feel more like they are real (giving it a 3D illusion) Giving your eyes the feeling of depth even when its not there, It's also best to know your point of lighting when making your shading so you can make the shading in the right spots that light would be blocked from, (Even when doing the chibi cute Tiny Cartoonist Types Of drawing they still fallow the physics of Light and shadowing)
NOTE: I use a custom brush "Hair",
link on how to make it { http://fav.me/d3je51a }
BLURRING AND MIXING! When Mixing Colors I like to use the Ol Water Brush tool Because it mixes colors with a texture and actually blends them together rather then just Blurring and smudging lines, I HIGHLY suggest not using the Blur tool cause it can make your coloring job look really chunky and smudgy.
NOTE:The color you have Selected when Mixing will effected the blending your doing when using this tool, so when doing shading make sure you use the same color to mix with or it will erase your shading, also instead of using the eraser tool to tone down shading use the Ol water tool with your base color selected.
LIGHTING! After making and Blending the Shading make a new layer over top for the lighting, you do this by taking the base color and moving the color value up to make it SLIGHTLY brighter, (Keep in mind when using the Ol Water brush tool the color picked with effect the blending/mixing of the color your Blending), so when doing lighting I take the color of the shade or the base color to mix with so that the lighting does not over whelm the Image (using the light color to blend with can spread the lighting, covering up all the shading).
NOTE: To bring out more of the lighting if you take away to much use the lighter color (same color as the lighting) to blend over, To bringing some of the light back.
OVER SHADE! After I do Lighting I like to go back over and Add a very small amount of darker outline shading to the edges, this makes it stand out more, (I do the same process of shading and blending as before only with a darker color).
NOTE: Make sure to do this on a new layer as well
LIGHTING MATERIALS! When adding lighting make sure you know what material you are making the object your coloring, (such at metal will have a stronger lighting then cloth would).
SHADING MATERIALS! This also Goes for when shading, (Metal will have a sharper shadow then cloth would).
SETTING AN OVER TONE! This can help set a color tone to appeal to the eyes that match's the color Scheme of your image, this helps to better set up the felling of the image, (Making it more welcoming) this does not always have to be done.
RIM LIGHTING! after I get my colors shading and lighting all done I like to go back and judging on where my light source is add a rim light, This is not much of a common thing you have to put in when coloring (and best used when having a sourced light in the image instead of an imaginary one{EX. my Lantern}), Depending how strong, light, and thick the rim light is can tell the viewer how close or far the light source is.
NOTE: again when doing this step always remember what direction the light is coming from, also this step is used a lot for metal even when there is no source lighting, it helps tell the viewer of the image that it is a more solid reflective object.
LIGHTING DIRECTION! this stage comes after you got your shading and lighting done, This is helpful and better used when you have a light source in the scene(it can also be used with out one) in my case I have a lantern, so on a new layer above the line art) use the matching color OR WHITE and take the Air brush tool, then lightly go over objects that catch the light (AGAIN remember the direction of your lighting), after you have brushed it all in it's best to use the Ol water brush again to dim and spread the edges of the the lighting, it makes it look more like lighting instead of a block of dimmed color thrown on.
Note: since this is used to over lay everything you can use the same color as the lighting or the color white, this will not take any of the color out of the image. (you can as well play with the Opacity of that layer)
(ALSO IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SOURCE OF LIGHT Moon, sun, lamp, ect. THIS STAGE IS NOT REALLY NEEDED BUT CAN BE ADDED,)
LAYER EFFECTS! Don't be scared to play around with changing the effects and overlay of the color layers (you can find this on the left (or right depending on your sai set up) under the Paint effects options) .
ADDING TONES! Don't be shy to add an over all color tone to you image that can really set the mood, this color can be anything even a color that you wouldn't think of adding for example My tree leaves are Orange and the color tone I used is Purple.
NOTE: you can do this to each color flat in your scene by putting the flat, shading, light, and over shade in one folder and Clipping a new layer over the top of the folder.
SETTING A BACK GROUND! A back ground is what makes your photo pop more you can do anything with your back ground from a simple solid color and shape to an elaborate detailed back drop.
My Background is a simple night sky that really brings out the photo making it fell more in depth and fitting to the scene I wish to display for the viewer to see.
ADVANCED LIGHTING! Add an over tone and change the paint effects to really help bring out the lighting of your image, this helps to also bring out the color and really set the feeling and tone of the image.
NOTE: this dose not need to be a clipping group, but by changing it to an Overlay it with clip to your image cutting out the white that will not be effected (make sure you do this under your line art)
OVER ALL TONE! Setting the over tone for the image can really settle in the colors and sell the image, as well as make it become more welcoming to the eyes.
COLOR LINES! This doesn't always have to be done, but you can take a new layer and clip it to the line art making the lines be come like a mask (when doing this some lines you may still wish to keep black simply don't color over them and if you do by mistake you can always eraser the color of the clipping layer), keep in mind that it is best to you a similar color to your object but make it darker then you shading so you can still sort of see it.
(sometimes you can also use a lighting color depending on what kind of image you wish to create)
NOTE: DO NOT DO ANYTHING TO THE ACTUAL LINE ART LAYER UNLESS YOU SEE SOMETHING YOU WISH TO ADD OR TAKE AWAY!
FINAL IMAGE!
Don't forget to Sign your work so no one steals it <3
This is fan art I made for the show "Over the Garden Wall"
I highly Recommend this show it's cute, short and very interesting
it can be found on Cartoon network.
Thank you for Reading :D