Here is a Link to the full sized picture.
While I am far form being a master of the pixel craft I wanted to impart some wisdom to new base users.
Pair One-
No: Solid color, outline showing, eye in front of hair, and scalp showing. All of these things seem to be common. This does not look like hair, it looks like weird body paint and maybe some plastic stuck on the head. Avoid doing these things.
Yes: Outline is darker than base color, covers whole head, looks like hair. It’s not shaded but something simple like this is very passable.
No: Black outline, unfinished outlines, body/skin lines showing, solid mass of black. Unless they are wearing body paint shirts do not look like this at all. Look at yourself and your own t-shirt. Black outlines do not go on something with colored outlines. Do not use solid black like this, unless you know how to use white lines to break it up AND it fits with the rest of the base.
Yes: Again, dark outline, lighter base color, some minor wrinkles to show how the shirt is hanging on her and it is not clinging to the body. The skirt likewise follows these rules. Again no shading yet but still very passable as a basic flat color work.
No: Do not do this, do not ever do this, don’t. Just dropping the color wheel up and down slightly usually does not make for good shading. Putting the colors together like this with no real light direction is also bad. Do not use pure Overlay or Dodge/Burn to shade. It does not look good.
Yes: This is what would be called Simple Shading. It only has one color and is well..very simple looking. It does not take a whole lot of effort but for quick projects or ones made to look simple it’s fine.
No- Do not use what I have dubbed “gradient shading” on hair in this way. I have seen it in more than one place now. Other things to remember not to do are use scribble lines for hair lines, and to quite honestly avoid most things you see in anime unless it flows/matches the rest of the base.
Yes: I got a little carried away here I admit. But the secret? Lines. All of that is nothing more than lines. Different colored, but in the same “group”, lines. Study your own hair or hair in pictures, look at how the strands flow or overlap. Try replicating it as best you can and go from there.
I went ahead and finished her up a bit, adding some skin shading and what not.
Well this has been the first part of Basing Basics. This little from time to time series will also include some tutorials. Either made by myself or as a shout out to other artists!
