Computer Colouring
Bek_Kodosi
I was wondering if an artist out there could give me a hand with
something. I'd really like to learn how to use the computer to colour
hand-drawn pictures. At the moment I hand draw and colour my pictures
and then scan them in, but computer colouring looks really good and I'd
like to learn how to do it. If there's anybody reading this who draws
pictures and computer-colours them, could you tell me a few things?
Firstly, what program do you use to do it? I use Paint Shop Pro
to scan and clean up my drawings, but it's not a very co-operative
program (full of damn bugs) and my attempts at using it to colour
haven't been all that successful so far...
Secondly, can you give me a basic method? I could probably teach
myself in time, but I don't have much patience ;=8)
Anyway, thanks loads to anydrac who can help,
--
Bek Kodosi,
Born of frustration that gave the leapard spots and taught the birds to sing.
**Willing member of the Carestaff team**
Just when I was getting used to yesterday, along came today.
http://www.gatekeeper.demon.co.uk/two/dragons.html
DC.D/W f s-- h+++ MR w/g /- a++ $ (m) (d) WL++* Fr L* BSmFC e++++! g- i! U-
Targaff - "Toast always lands buttercream egg."
Have you ever been at some place,
Recognising everybody's face,
Until you realised that there was no-one there you knew?
Where would we be without food? Probably out looking for it.
Bleudrgon1
I cannot stress its glories enough. I used it in my Computer art classes, and
have a version(Photodeluxe, also v. good) on my comp. One of the nicest things
is that u can take a colored pic, turn it into a b+w, and tint it any way u
want. It keeps the shading and highlights intact, which makes it look rteally
nice. The only downside is that Photoshop is v. expensive. Photodeluxe was a
free program that came with my scanner(God I love that toy!!). My advice would
be to goto a local computer store and ask their opinion(make sure they're not
on commission!).
bleudragon
];--8D
"C'est la vie, mais la vie est belle."
Tarpan
>If you like photoshop you might try PSP (Paint Shop Pro 5) its made by
>Jasc and is truely the most awesome program out there for the money. I
>own both PSP and Photoshop 5 and use PSP for most of the work I do
>although when it comes to seps there is nothing better that Photoshop
>Give it a try you will probably love it.
Can anyone tell me the cheapest they could find PSP for? Just curious... I
already got it, but I just wanna know what price I shoulda payed for it...
--
The Lady Unicorn Tarpan (remove mystical beast for email)
DC.U f--- s df+++ Cg^K a(u+++ h-) $--- WL++ Fr-^ e+++ i-- U-
"Man did not weave the web of life, he | Suicide's Note
is merely a strand in it. Whatever he | The calm,
does to the web, he does to himself." | Cool face of the river
~Chief Seattle | Asked me for a kiss
| ~Langston Huges
http://www.nwinet.com/~tarpan/
Dalcya T. S. Drake
if this get through i hope it will help. i'm like you in the sense that
i draw and color then scan but i have discovered that Paint shop pro 5
is extremely good for coloring scanned pics. it is acutely set up to let
you do this. i cant really offer any tips though as like i said i'm new
to this.
I would however suggest that you talk to Jag cus he know a lot about
this kind of thing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dalcya Tachiaona Scoron Drake (Teia)
DC2.Dragon shifter Gf a++ L* w pLFW BV f-- r+++! S+++! Fr U+++ I h+++
$- m+ e! Csp
Pet peeve Sana
DC2.Peeve Gf a++ L--- w PFL Bany f- s+++! Fr- u+++ df i+++! H++ $
m+++ o<3> e! Cgs
e-mail~ dal...@home.com
ICQ# 38527518
Soul Brother Shard Soul Sister Zacara
Clan Magicsky
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tephra Adularia
You can do the same thing with PSP. And if you are having problems with PSP
getting Photoshop won't help. Photoshop is by far harder to learn (I do own
both). PSP 5 does just about everything Photoshop does (it even uses
Photoshop plugins) with the added advantage of multilevel undo. PSP works
great with both EyeCandy and Kai's Power Tools as well.
Now for tips on computer coloring I have one word, LAYERS. Learn about
layers, masks (particularly inverse masks), and the wonder of the magic wand
tool. Use your program of choice a great deal, play with things just to see
what they do. I couldn't even start to figure how many hours I've used PSP,
hundreds, maybe thousands, of hours. Even though I've tried many ways (some
arguably 'simpler' for coloring images I still use the same basic technique I
used from my second attempt at coloring:
1. Clean up and adjust the contrast of your black and white line art until you
have dark lines on a white background.
2. Create an inverse luminesence mask from the image. (this removes the white
and leaves the black lines)
3: Add a new layer under the mask, fill it with white or other high contrast
color.
4. Add a new layer between your lines and your white layer and start coloring
solid blocks of color with the airbrush tool set on full hardness. (I find
that I tend to do one color or a few colors that don't touch each other on one
layer and then add more layers for other colors)
5. After completing the flat coloring use the magic wand to select areas to be
shaded on one of your coloring layers. I generally select all the areas of
the same color at once by selecting one then holding the shift key down and
selecting the other areas. If the layer only has one color I select the blank
area and then use the selections menu and select 'invert.'
6. Create a new layer and make it the active layer. Do not deselct your areas
from the other layer! This is what will keep your edges clean when you shade
in the next steps.
7. Set your foreground color to your highlight color and your background to
your shadow color. Using the air brush tool block in your highlights with
left clicks and your shadows with right clicks.
8. Switch to the touch up tool (also known as the smudge tool). Set it to
'soften' and adjust the opacity and density. For big areas leave them set
full strength, for smaller areas you might want to weaken the tool.
9. Soften the shadows and highlights by going over them with the soften tool
until they are blended the way you like them. You can touch up with the
eraser to remove spots where the colors are too strong or add more color with
the airbrush in faint areas.
10. Switch to the magic wand and deselect the areas with a right click.
11. Repeat steps 5-10 with your other color layers.
Optional next step: Add a background by using layers under your bottom most
coloring layer and over the white bottom layer. Or just use a gradient or
pattern fill in the white layer.
That's my typical coloring technique, take a look at my art galleries if you
like. http://www.sector13.org/~tephra
--
Tephra Adularia
Mate of Scholari
Owner of Tephra's Treasures (RL)
Owner/Proprietor of The Alternative Dragon (a.f.d)
DC.D f+ sRL sVR+ h--- Civory? a $ m++>** d+++ WL+*+ Fr++++ L60t40 Bpyro
To remove the spamblock: replace the X with the 'unlucky' number.
Jaggath
<bek_k...@gatekeeper.demon.co.uk> wrote:
>Hey all,
> I was wondering if an artist out there could give me a hand with
>something. I'd really like to learn how to use the computer to colour
>hand-drawn pictures. At the moment I hand draw and colour my pictures
>and then scan them in, but computer colouring looks really good and I'd
>like to learn how to do it. If there's anybody reading this who draws
>pictures and computer-colours them, could you tell me a few things?
> Firstly, what program do you use to do it? I use Paint Shop Pro
>to scan and clean up my drawings, but it's not a very co-operative
>program (full of damn bugs) and my attempts at using it to colour
>haven't been all that successful so far...
> Secondly, can you give me a basic method? I could probably teach
>myself in time, but I don't have much patience ;=8)
>
>Anyway, thanks loads to anydrac who can help,
>
Hiyas,
I do a lot of that kinda thing :), What you might want to do is a get
a really good graphics proggie, I would recommend Paintshop Pro 5.
first off it's shareware and it's cheap enough to purchase like $69USD
and has quite a few professional features. I myself use my mouse and
the airbrush too to do a lot of coloring hand drawn scans for work, I
do photo editing and desktop publishing.
John Gory
-
Jaggath
>1 word: PHOTOSHOP
>I cannot stress its glories enough. I used it in my Computer art classes, and
>have a version(Photodeluxe, also v. good) on my comp. One of the nicest things
>is that u can take a colored pic, turn it into a b+w, and tint it any way u
>want. It keeps the shading and highlights intact, which makes it look rteally
>nice. The only downside is that Photoshop is v. expensive. Photodeluxe was a
>free program that came with my scanner(God I love that toy!!). My advice would
>be to goto a local computer store and ask their opinion(make sure they're not
>on commission!).
>bleudragon
>];--8D
>
>"C'est la vie, mais la vie est belle."
Hi Bleu,
If you like photoshop you might try PSP (Paint Shop Pro 5) its made by
Jasc and is truely the most awesome program out there for the money. I
own both PSP and Photoshop 5 and use PSP for most of the work I do
although when it comes to seps there is nothing better that Photoshop
Give it a try you will probably love it.
John Gory
-
Weyfour WWWWolf (Urpo Lankinen)
<bek_k...@gatekeeper.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> Hey all,
> I was wondering if an artist out there could give me a hand with
> something. I'd really like to learn how to use the computer to colour
> hand-drawn pictures.
...
> Firstly, what program do you use to do it? I use Paint Shop Pro
> to scan and clean up my drawings, but it's not a very co-operative
> program (full of damn bugs) and my attempts at using it to colour
> haven't been all that successful so far...
I use GIMP (http://www.gimp.org/) - well, if you're unhappy with PSP's
bugs, you'll hate GIMP/W32. UNIX version 1.0, on the other paw, does
work nicely and is very stable. (I've heard some Adobe support people
recommended GIMP for UNIX users who ask them silly questions like "Is
there a port of Photoshop for Linux?")
The cool side is that it's completely free, you'll even get the source
code. The other alternative, I'm afraid, is to pay some heavy money
for Photoshop. But hey, just borrow Debian GNU/Linux CD from someone
or get one from CheapBytes. Much cheaper, plus, you'll get a stable OS
as a bonus. =)
> Secondly, can you give me a basic method? I could probably teach
> myself in time, but I don't have much patience ;=8)
One word: Layers.
Layers are cool. Layers are the Key to Everything. Layers make the sun
shine and grass green - well, at least in the pictures. Layers can
divide the image in many overlapping parts that can be changed
independently, moved around and used in different operation modes.
These days, I usually open up a 1600x1600 picture, and add one
transparent layer on it. That's for sketching (hey, I have a graphics
tablet, so I'm allowed. Don't try that with a rodent in home, kids.)
I use reasonably thin brush, pencil tool, and black color. The
background layer is white, as it has been since the beginning of the
time.
When I'm done with the sketch, I set this layer on 30% transparency
(so when it appears over white background, it appears light
gray). Then, I'll add another layer, and ink the drawing. With GIMP
1.0, I use thick brushes, brush tool, and black color. GIMP 1.1.x (the
unstable version) has Ink tool that also knows a thing or two about the
tablet's pressure sensitivity.
To color inked and scanned pictures, I get the picture on a new layer,
Contrast Auto-Stretch (possibly Threshold and tiny bit of Gaussian
Blur), add layer mask, copy image on it, invert the mask, and have
just the black parts of the image on the new layer. We're back in the
same step...
Now, I'll just hide the sketch layer, and stand in front of my
disssssss-gusting picture. (Truth to tell, I'm not that good at drawing
yet - but people say nice things about my coloring...) I will add
another layer underneath the inked layer. This will be the coloring
layer.
Now, I just... color it. =) First, rough coloring with brush tool and
large circular brush, then detailed coloring with the Airbrush tool
(this needs to be done with care...) I tend to keep some parts of
picture (in distance order) on different color layers.
Some common effects I've found useful:
- Save often. =) Sorry, I forgot to say this before.
- Gradients are *very* interesting. Playing with FG-To-Transparent
gradients over other gradients can prove very interesting, especially
if you try different modes. Also, simple light tricks can be
surprisingly easy with gradients, and they don't even look cheap
- For random variations, try rendering some Plasma, desaturating it,
and giving it some colors.
- Layers are your friends, but Layer Masks are your *best* friends.
(Not to be confused with the Bump Map Plugin, its name is sacred
and it must be spoken aloud, it's so cool.) Anyway, if you need
subtle color changes, there's nothing you can't do with some
clever use of two layers and then editing the layer mask normally.
- For lighting effects, get the appropriate plugin from the Registry.
(Photoshop, or so I have heard, comes with such thing already.)
I plan to publish one animation that shows one of my pics phases
soon. That would clarify some parts. You can also E-mail me if you
want to see it right now, and I will send you it soon.
All I can say: Experiment. Good combination of gradients, masking and
careful erasing will make things rule. <GURU MODE>Don't neglect a
single pixel, find the harmony between different color by using the
Eye and do whatever looks good, but do nothing that looks
bad.</GURU MODE> Don't ask me for too much details - I was Enlightened
(kind of) about the color mixing the moment I saw the tools, and by no
means I expect you to do the same. But if you have questions, mail me
and I will try to go into my usual Voluminous Detail about the inner
essences of some tools.
--
Weyfour WWWWolf (a.k.a. Urpo Lankinen), just another lupine technomancer
<www...@iki.fi> <URL:http://www.iki.fi/wwwwolf/> ICQ:4291042 -==(RGRNCA)==-
Dalcya T. S. Drake
(munch)
psp 5
as i said. you can get a free download for it. ask Jaggath, he knows the
location
yaya maybe this will show up today
Jaggath
<tarpan...@geocities.com> wrote:
>Jaggath imparted the wordS:
>>If you like photoshop you might try PSP (Paint Shop Pro 5) its made by
>>Jasc and is truely the most awesome program out there for the money. I
>>own both PSP and Photoshop 5 and use PSP for most of the work I do
>>although when it comes to seps there is nothing better that Photoshop
>>Give it a try you will probably love it.
>
>Can anyone tell me the cheapest they could find PSP for? Just curious... I
>already got it, but I just wanna know what price I shoulda payed for it...
I can get for about $70US
John Gory
-
Tephra Adularia
I got my copy for $60US I think, on BuyDirect with a $10 off coupon. At the
time Jasc was asking $99 for it I think.
cymric
>a really good graphics proggie, I would recommend Paintshop Pro 5.
>first off it's shareware and it's cheap enough to purchase like $69USD
>and has quite a few professional features. I myself use my mouse and
>the airbrush too to do a lot of coloring hand drawn scans for work, I
>do photo editing and desktop publishing.
Okay, now I've got a question. Does anybody out there use Corel Draw? I
currently am using Corel 4, but I have Corel 8 on CD for when I finally get
a pentium. I also have a pad and pen, but I can't hook it up yet until we
get an adapter. I created my logo with Corel 4 and a mouse. It took me
about 6 months to get it to look right. Then when I exported it to a .gif
all my lovely shading went out the window...grin. Oh well. If you want to
look at my logo here's the addy:
http://www.feist.com/~cymric/personal/dragon/
Thanks-Holly
Karenji
>
> Hey all,
> I was wondering if an artist out there could give me a hand with
> something. I'd really like to learn how to use the computer to colour
> and then scan them in, but computer colouring looks really good and I'd
> like to learn how to do it. If there's anybody reading this who draws
> pictures and computer-colours them, could you tell me a few things?
> to scan and clean up my drawings, but it's not a very co-operative
> program (full of damn bugs) and my attempts at using it to colour
> haven't been all that successful so far...
> myself in time, but I don't have much patience ;=8)
>
Hi Bek,
I'm no artist, but there are two things I recommend highly (actually
three, but one's kind of a cheat)
1) Photoshop! It's a MARVELLOUS program, and not too hard to learn. You
can also import straight into it from the scanner.
2) Graphics Tablets! Another MARVELLOUS tool, and so much easier to
manage than the mouse. Once you've tried using one, you'll never go
back. With a GT you wouldn't need to draw then scan - you can draw on
the screen as easily as on paper.
3) For very simple work, I use the paint program that came free with
windows. Only very basic, but good for cartoons because of this.
--
oo
oo
}\ o /{
}\\ \^~^/ //{
}\\\{@ @}///{
--------------------o0o-\"/-o0o--------------------
| Karenji's Dragon Code (beta version) |
| DC2.D Gf a(d- h) L2.5m1t CSwTirridescent w+ |
| pWLF Bsoapbubbles f-(pref.chocolate) r-- s+ |
| Fr-- U-- i--! h--- $- m e? DPT 50% |
| Karenji - writer, dreamer, doer (well, sometimes!)|
| Please note:my E-mail address for replies is |
| karenji'at'labyrinth'dot'net'dot'au NOT |
| whatever's shown at the top of the screen |
---------------------------------------------------
Cerulean
>Okay, now I've got a question. Does anybody out there use Corel Draw? I
>currently am using Corel 4, but I have Corel 8 on CD for when I finally get
>a pentium.
I've been using CorelDraw for years. I'm currently making do with
Corel 6. What would you like to know?
--
___vvz /( Absurd Notions is on! -> http://cerulean.st/absurdnotions/
<__,` Z / ( | Cerulean= | DC.D/? f s+ h++ Gm CB^P a $ d+++ l* g- e! i
`~~~) )Z) ( | Kevin Pease | FDDmp4adwsA+++$C+D+HM+P-RT+++WZSm#
/ (7 ( o6u!oq--c'aJay+ hpoqhue aJay+ s! `u!>s ay+ heme 7aad noh jI
cymric
>>currently am using Corel 4, but I have Corel 8 on CD for when I finally
get
>>a pentium.
>
>I've been using CorelDraw for years. I'm currently making do with
>Corel 6. What would you like to know?
>
for their graphics program...
Holly