Dan Fergus Design > Student
Resources > Syllabus > Line Art Colorization
Project: Line Art Colorization
Assignment:
Use the Photoshop paint tools to add color, volume and texture to a piece of line art.
Specifications:
- Print Size: Size of original line art (see recommendations below).
- Resolution: Resolution of original.
- Color Space: RGB, North American Prepress 2.
- Due Date: Beginning of week 5.
- Deliverables: Upon completion, I need the following:
- The digital photoshop file (include all layers). Don't forget your name.
- A print-out in black-and-white, with your name on it.
Procedure
- Find some line art (black & white). You have three options:
- Use one of theses line art examples: 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14
- Find a piece of line art on your own.
- Draw something yourself & scan it at 300dpi.
If you decide to find your own piece of line art, it should be at least 1000 pixels square, preferably closer to 2000px. Get my approval before you proceed.
- Launch Photoshop and open the line art.
- Convert the document to RGB (choose Image > Mode).
- Save the file yourName_colorization.psd. Always a good idea to save early & often!
- Begin by painting the base colors.
- Add a new layer to the document above the background. Decide what part of the piece you plan to paint on this layer and name it accordingly (for example, "skin," or "hair," or " armor," etc.).
- Select an area to paint. You could use the magic wand, lasso, quickmask, or a combination of several—whatever it takes. Make you selections as accurate as possible.
- Open the Color Picker and choose a base color.
- Make sure you're on the layer on which you wish to paint (see step a). Choose Edit > Fill. The paint may cover over some black lines—that's okay.
- Change the layer blending mode to Multiply; any lines that had been covered should now be visible.
- Use the paint brush and/or eraser to touch-up edges, parts that got missed, etc.
- Repeat steps a–f for all other areas of the piece. You can opt to create a new layer of every color, or put them all on one. The more layers you have, the larger the file size; if you plane to use a lot of colors, it may be best to combine them on one layer.
- Add shadows.
- Once again create a new layer above the base color(s) and call it "shadows" (if you put your base colors on separate layers, you may want to put your shadows on separate layers too).
- Set the blending mode of Multiply.
- Grab a paint bush with a soft edge.
- Set the flow to around 15.
- Using the same color as you used to paint the base color, paint shadows. If you're not sure where the shadows should go you may want to look at a photo for reference or refer to your drawing text book.
- Add highlights. Follow the same steps you used to paint the shadows. But this time, set the blending mode to Screen.
- Add deep shadows. You may want darker shadows in some of your areas; if so, create a new layer (or layers) with a Multiply blending mode, choose a darker version of your color and paint.
- Apply other techniques. You can use techniques & methods I've show you in class, methods you learn from tutorials or books, or techniques you develop yourself.
