Post by toonMom on Jan 13, 2004 13:11:29 GMT -5
I did this in Photoshop 6.0, I also used a Wacom tablet.
Step 1: The Scan
Scan your line art in b&w at 300 dpi
Step 2: Prep the Scan
To get the scan ready to colorize:
Select (from the menu) Image>Mode>Grayscale
Then Select Image>Mode>RGB Color
Reduce to 72 dpi at this time also.
Go to the Channels palette and create a new Alpha Channel.
Ctrl+click on the picture beside the blue channel. (This will load your selection)
Now Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse the selection.
Fill your selection with white (alt+bksp)
You should have the line art in white on a black bg in the the Channels palette. Don't de-select yet!
Step 3:
Go back to your Layers palette and add a new layer.
Name it "Line Art".
Fill your selection with black.
Add another layer under your Line Art layer and fill it with white.
Name it "Background".
At this point you don't need your original scan anymore.
Note: My scan had a few little black dots above the car, I went in with the Eraser at this time and cleaned them up.
Step 4: The Photo
I like to use a good reference photo. I usually do an image search at Google. I look for a picture that closely matches my line art. I then download the image and open up in Photoshop so I can look at it for shadowing and highlighting.
Step 5: Setting up your layers
Add a new layer, name it Color - this is where you will put all of your base colors.
At this time you can also add a Shadow layer and Highlights layer. (the order of your layers should match mine)
Step 6: Coloring
Select an area to start coloring.
I started with the mirror.
Select the Magic Wand tool.
Click on your Line Art layer, and click inside the mirror.
(You might have to add to the selection if you don't get all of it.)
Go up to your Menu>Select>Modify>Expand (1 px).
If you want to save the individual areas you select, go into the Channels palette, create a new Alpha Channel and fill it with white.
(I saved all of my selections on different alpha channels)
Click on your Color layer.
Pick out a base color for your car (you want a midtone color)
I used: 239, 55, 55 (I also saved this color in my swatches)
Fill your selection with your color (Alt+Bksp)
Step 7: Shadowing
Pick a shadow color.
I used: 196, 45, 45 (don't use black, use a darker shade of your base color)
Click on the Airbrush Tool
I use these settings: brush - 21 (soft), mode - normal, pressure - 6%
Looking at your reference photo, Airbrush in the shadows.
Your shadows should be subtle, not too over powering.
Continue coloring all of the red areas in this manner.
Make your selection (if you use the Magic Wand, don't forget to expand your selection), make a new alpha channel for your selections if you want to save them for later.
Make sure you put your base color on the Color layer and your shadowing on the Shadows layer.
And use your reference photo!
Note: When using the Airbrush Tool this way (with low pressure) every pass you make will make your color a little darker. The colors will be somewhat transparent.)
Step 8:
Now move onto the chrome areas (bumpers, grill, headlights)
Don't do the rims yet!
I used: 204, 204, 204 for my base color.
Shadows: 102, 102, 102
At this time I also touched up any areas that didn't get selected with the Magic Wand tool earlier ( I used a small paintbrush for this.)
I did the rubber on the tires at this time too. I used the Lasso tool to select the areas that needed color, I used my shadow gray color to fill them.
Step 9: The Rims
Using the Lasso Tool, make a quick selection of the rim.
Fill with your chrome base color.
Make a new layer named Rims
Choose a blue color, I used: 77, 177, 223
Select an area of your rim, on the Rims layer and using the Airbrush Tool, paint some reflections of the sky.
Add in some shadows (using the darker gray chrome color) at this time too (on your shadow layer).
Note: You may need to change your brush size, just make sure you use a soft brush.
This step is pretty random. Just darken the area towards the top of the rims, and add some blue to the lower area.
Step 10:
Add some reflections of the ground.
I used: 140, 76, 34 for the darker brown
and: 255, 204, 102 for the golden color
Step 11: Adding Highlights
Using your photo as a reference, go in and add some highlights (do this on the highlights layer).
Use a lighter shade of your base color, not white.
I used: 255, 204, 204
Step 12:
Go in and add your final highlights. Use white for this step and another layer. Put this layer right below your Line Art layer.
Take a "less is more" aproach to this step. Add just a few areas of white.
I used the Airbrush Tool with a 5 (soft) brush, and a pressure setting of 15%.
Final Notes:
That's it!
You can add a background to it, do some more touch ups, whatever you like from here.
Step 1: The Scan
Scan your line art in b&w at 300 dpi
Step 2: Prep the Scan
To get the scan ready to colorize:
Select (from the menu) Image>Mode>Grayscale
Then Select Image>Mode>RGB Color
Reduce to 72 dpi at this time also.
Go to the Channels palette and create a new Alpha Channel.
Ctrl+click on the picture beside the blue channel. (This will load your selection)
Now Ctrl+Shift+I to inverse the selection.
Fill your selection with white (alt+bksp)
You should have the line art in white on a black bg in the the Channels palette. Don't de-select yet!
Step 3:
Go back to your Layers palette and add a new layer.
Name it "Line Art".
Fill your selection with black.
Add another layer under your Line Art layer and fill it with white.
Name it "Background".
At this point you don't need your original scan anymore.
Note: My scan had a few little black dots above the car, I went in with the Eraser at this time and cleaned them up.
Step 4: The Photo
I like to use a good reference photo. I usually do an image search at Google. I look for a picture that closely matches my line art. I then download the image and open up in Photoshop so I can look at it for shadowing and highlighting.
Step 5: Setting up your layers
Add a new layer, name it Color - this is where you will put all of your base colors.
At this time you can also add a Shadow layer and Highlights layer. (the order of your layers should match mine)
Step 6: Coloring
Select an area to start coloring.
I started with the mirror.
Select the Magic Wand tool.
Click on your Line Art layer, and click inside the mirror.
(You might have to add to the selection if you don't get all of it.)
Go up to your Menu>Select>Modify>Expand (1 px).
If you want to save the individual areas you select, go into the Channels palette, create a new Alpha Channel and fill it with white.
(I saved all of my selections on different alpha channels)
Click on your Color layer.
Pick out a base color for your car (you want a midtone color)
I used: 239, 55, 55 (I also saved this color in my swatches)
Fill your selection with your color (Alt+Bksp)
Step 7: Shadowing
Pick a shadow color.
I used: 196, 45, 45 (don't use black, use a darker shade of your base color)
Click on the Airbrush Tool
I use these settings: brush - 21 (soft), mode - normal, pressure - 6%
Looking at your reference photo, Airbrush in the shadows.
Your shadows should be subtle, not too over powering.
Continue coloring all of the red areas in this manner.
Make your selection (if you use the Magic Wand, don't forget to expand your selection), make a new alpha channel for your selections if you want to save them for later.
Make sure you put your base color on the Color layer and your shadowing on the Shadows layer.
And use your reference photo!
Note: When using the Airbrush Tool this way (with low pressure) every pass you make will make your color a little darker. The colors will be somewhat transparent.)
Step 8:
Now move onto the chrome areas (bumpers, grill, headlights)
Don't do the rims yet!
I used: 204, 204, 204 for my base color.
Shadows: 102, 102, 102
At this time I also touched up any areas that didn't get selected with the Magic Wand tool earlier ( I used a small paintbrush for this.)
I did the rubber on the tires at this time too. I used the Lasso tool to select the areas that needed color, I used my shadow gray color to fill them.
Step 9: The Rims
Using the Lasso Tool, make a quick selection of the rim.
Fill with your chrome base color.
Make a new layer named Rims
Choose a blue color, I used: 77, 177, 223
Select an area of your rim, on the Rims layer and using the Airbrush Tool, paint some reflections of the sky.
Add in some shadows (using the darker gray chrome color) at this time too (on your shadow layer).
Note: You may need to change your brush size, just make sure you use a soft brush.
This step is pretty random. Just darken the area towards the top of the rims, and add some blue to the lower area.
Step 10:
Add some reflections of the ground.
I used: 140, 76, 34 for the darker brown
and: 255, 204, 102 for the golden color
Step 11: Adding Highlights
Using your photo as a reference, go in and add some highlights (do this on the highlights layer).
Use a lighter shade of your base color, not white.
I used: 255, 204, 204
Step 12:
Go in and add your final highlights. Use white for this step and another layer. Put this layer right below your Line Art layer.
Take a "less is more" aproach to this step. Add just a few areas of white.
I used the Airbrush Tool with a 5 (soft) brush, and a pressure setting of 15%.
Final Notes:
That's it!
You can add a background to it, do some more touch ups, whatever you like from here.
