For newbie digital artists such as myself, what advice would you give when they want to make characters using the coloring book sheets?
TIPS AND TRICKS WHEN WORKING WITH DIGITAL LINES
Want to make your colouring page see-through? Simply change the layer’s Mode. I would recommend Multiply in this case.
Do you want to colour the lines of a page that’s not transparent? Then you first need to mask and cut out the lines onto a new layer like THIS. Then all you need to do is lock the layer. Now when you draw your brush will only affect the already existing lines.
Have you found a colouring page you like but the quality is bad or subpar? Throw it into Google image Search and see if you get any hits for the same image but better.
Don’t want your lines to be pixelated? Increase the size of your image/canvas. (My personal default settings below)
Got a page with quality loss due to image compression? Pump up the values for WHITE and add it to your line-art layer. In the .gif below I use the Adjustment Layer “Selective Colour”, change the settings, duplicate the layer (for double effect), and then Merged all layers into one.
Keep forgetting to keep something in mind while editing? Make a check-list which you can use as you go along. I myself have things like “light source?”, “incomplete lines?” , and “save document” on the side.
Don’t feel like you have to use just one colouring page. This is the perfect opportunity to practice editing since you only have to worry about b/w lines.
Trying to recreate your OCs but want to avoid what I call “Belle’s sister” syndrome (when it’s super obvious what character you have used as a base)? Either find your inner Dr. Frankenstein and stitch together different features from several characters, or draw over the page with new lines while tweaking every single feature just enough to not be identical.
It’s okay, you are allowed to trace. By tracing you practice your muscle memory, teach yourself to mimc specific art styles, and refine your brush-stroke skills.
If you play around with several pages in one, keep in mind anatomy and proportions! It’s easy to get “spoiled” when someone else has already done the line-art and silly anatomical mistakes can slip under the radar. My biggest mishaps are too big hands and heads, crocked eyes, and ears placed on weird positions on the head.
There is no right or wrong way to colour digital line-art, only methods we either like/dislike or did/didn’t about about. It took me months if not years to find the comfort zone I’m in today, and I hope that I will continue to thrive and improve.
Wether you want to practice a specific skill, or you cant draw, or because you are bored, or because it’s calming, or because you simply like it; don’t feel like you are being childish for enjoying colouring pages. Colouring on it’s own is a creative outlet, one that helped myself stay sane while suffering from clinical depression. There is no shame in finding joy in the simple things in life.
INSPIRATION + COLOURING PAGES GIVE-AWAY
tangentwithtanner
snowghoul
turnnoffyourmind
prguitarman
origamiaround
