Learning To Color

CMF_Fatal

<div class="IPBDescription">Need Help</div> Well im pretty good at photoshop, some people say really good, but i dont think i can be great in my mind until i learn to color. i have MANY great colorers here and am asking for advice. most people come in here and ask for tutorials. i personally dont like tutorials, i like to make my own style. So what im asking for is maybe a non-colored picture i could use to start with, or maybe a PSD file with layers of someones work. You guys are amazing and it looks really fun. i am specificly asking delta-snipe and kylie girl. help from you guys would give me so much motivation. Thank You for your time.
FATAL

kyliegirl

hmm well ill see if i can give ya a pic to colour if ya like, id definately layer it for ya for adobe ps 7.0 , well see how ya go with it, ya gotta show me the finished product, and i could maybe give ya some colouring tips.. gimme a few hrs to draw it cus (atm working on my current pic) i am sorta busy, but i can get the pic ready for ya soon enough. nothing overly hard and detailed <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif' /><!--endemo-->

CMF_Fatal

wow, its people like you that can really get people going in the right direction. i didnt really think youd even reply to this...but thank you, thank you alot. the fact that you also have a consideration for people getting started multiplies my respect for you times a thousand.

kyliegirl

heh <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo--> id rather encourage more artist than discourage.

ok here it is like i said, sorry for the wait, it actually only took about 20 mins to draw.. did it only with mouse,,

has 3 layers. a white bg layer, the rough sketch of the pic (thought youd might like to see how it looked before the final drawing) , and the final drawing which you can colour im sure you know how to create layers etc to colour .. the white bg was more or less to help me sketch the thing, and itll help ya see the sketch.. have fun with it

link below. its in a zip folder. i was gonna compress to .rar but not many ppl have it.

<a href='http://www.opticpower.com/kylie/req.zip' target='_blank'>Click to download</a>

CMF_Fatal

alright thx alot. of course i know bout layers <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo--> im really good w/ photoshop as i stated before. the things i really know bout coloring are : use multiplay mode, and burn and dodge tools. anything else really? oh, and to stay away from the fill tool...

edit: omg, that picture is beautiful, and well designed for a beginner to use. any idea on color scheme, im thinking of an aqua blue for the dragon. for the bird maybe eagle colored. any tips on making a feather texture? i can do hair, just not feathers..

CMF_Fatal

well, i worked for about 15- 20 min and didnt get very far... mostly experimenting w/ different stuff. it think it looks pretty good so far... color sheme good?

CatCop

Mmmm.
Well, I say thats FANTASTIC for a first try!
I sure wish I asked for help when I was new, Wait I still am... But I can figure things out now.
Anyways,
Yeah,
Thats great!
-Dan

CMF_Fatal

really?! cause thats pretty much my first time EVER trying to color.. and took like 15 min. man, now i feel good. imma go work some more just for you guys;) thx for the encouragement!

CMF_Fatal

small update. another 20 min of work. once i learn to use everything more maybe it'll be a little quicker... its still got some rough edges but it will together soon enough..

CatCop

Nice, Now time for suggestions.
*whaps kylie <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->* Make us a tutorial for hairy thingies
*taps new guy* Good job, Just try to shade it a TAD more (Not brighten, Thats fine, Shade!)

CMF_Fatal

double postage. ouch.

CatCop

Okay. (Fixed links)
Heres my 'Hands on' help.
(Green=Highlighted Red=Burned)
<img src='http://pearce.no-ip.com/deltasnipe/delta/sd1e.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />
Actual Image:
<img src='http://pearce.no-ip.com/deltasnipe/delta/sd1.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

kyliegirl

Very nice so far <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

ok tips on fur and feathers with dodge and burn.. usually with feathers i use burn at 13-20 level , with a one pixel tool, just use streaks, very faint lines,,

usually the same with fur, just more frequent wavy random streaks, and use dodge after at faint levels.

its best to experiment the different level pressures of dodge and burn to get the right effect. its all more or less about experimenting with the tools and getting to learn the right style for you. so it varies.. myself i am always very conciencouse with the dodge and burn tool, usually starting at 13-30 levels with any pic i do to give a more faint real effect. because you can make gradual shading instead of straight up shading, which makes it easier if you want to add in muscle tones or fur tones etc.

also sometimes its good to add a few different shades of colours in the pic .

CatCop

Woah, Woah, Woah, I was mentioned in the same paragraph as Kylie? (Is getting a new quote in his sig)

CMF_Fatal

gah. sorry for double postage... my interent was burping. thx for the hints. ill do that when i get back on. i was working on it, just ran outta time. i got the generalness of whated in tho. btw, hows the sky? thats just a quick render clouds, bas relief... oh, i can give ya some really great tips on hair when i get back. its really not thast hard... brothers time now :\

kyliegirl

here is an example of hair, feather and bone effects. all done with 1 pixel dodge and burn for the finer lines, then after add a larger pixel size like 12 , the faded brush not the hard brushes as they seem to cut to fine when shading, then just stroke over layering ina way until it gives a desired 3d sort of effect.. simple really once ya practise a few times.

20 min job

<img src='http://www.opticpower.com/kylie/Demo.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

CatCop

It looks so simple, Yet it's suprisingly hard.
(or... Well.. Lengthy)

CMF_Fatal

aye, more stuff to try. thx. i like the shading under the dragons head... ive thought about using dode and burn for stuff like the bones. thats works well. the make up on the dragon gives it a nice touch though im likely to leave that out. im plannig on making blood on the area where the talons scratch the flesh. also, im pretty good at making grass, but should i go with grass or mud for the ground?

you know, we make a good group. this is fun :o

edit: btw, no school for 4 days. imma get this mostly finished by then... i hope.

JakDaRipper

here's a lil something that i am just starting on you can color it i guess and see how it turns out i really have had any time to work on this but as you know it's only a start

CMF_Fatal

hey, thats really cool looking. would you happen to have the file not already started?

CMF_Fatal

eh, just alittle more. i tryed at some grass. didnt finish it tho, didnt wanna spend a long time on sumthing then it not look right... what do youi think? also i shaded the dragon more and got it bout right but still needs tweaking. the beak and horn are just the base layer, i gotta try the whole bone thing kylie did. so, what do you think? grass or mud?

CatCop

Dont forget the claws and are going somewhat in to the skin, Add some shadows there so it looks like its actauly on the skin.

CMF_Fatal

^^wow, i made into a signature. maybe ill quote your signature from you and use it it as mine! then youll be in my signature! and it goes on forever!

btw: bump, i hate clicking to page 2...

CatCop

The point is I was in the same Paragraph as Kylie, Thats alot to me <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

CMF_Fatal

well i asked my freind what he thought the bird creature was, he said it looked to him to be a fireish bird, so i decided on fire colored fur. note this is still VERY rough and needs to be highly tweaked. the actual picture itself looks alittle than it does here, as i had to reducew the wuality to make it under 120k. i took out the grass,as i have a better idea for the ground. the shador was a quick one. made a new layer. ctrl+ clicked the fur layer to get its selection. took it back to the new layer, and filled w/ black. set opacity to 25% and then free transformed it to the place i liked and skewed it to perspective. if anyone knows a better way it would be appreciated. meh, i dunna if i like it but i guess i owe you guys an update to show i havent given up

also: the chinese on the dragon says "Peace"

ThePhilips

I have no idea how you people manage to do that. If you use some secret option in photoshop or whatever you use. I'm really impressed.

CMF_Fatal

yus, delta and kylie are very talented, along with some others here. maybe some day ill join their ranks <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif' /><!--endemo-->

CatCop

Nice but, You can totaly tell your using the grass brush.
Think of a tree there is NOT a tree that spurts straight up with one leaf on the tippy tip top pointing STRAAAIIIGHTTT up.
Things branch out in directions, It doesnt just all apear straight up, Although I do agree thats a nice little effect, Its just used wrong.
You have to make things fit.

CMF_Fatal

well i made a custom brush for it. but your right, i should find a better way for it. ill work on it when i get a chance.

Crono5

I've always wanted to learn how to color...
I was inspired to try and color it out of the pure ownage of the picture, so I hope no one minds if I try? If there's a problem, I'll stop.

Btw, Fatal, that looks really nice. I like the grass, presonally.

kyliegirl

go right ahead, anyone can try and colour it if they want.. <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

edit: if ya want a custom im sure ill have a bit of time to make it for ya <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html//emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->