TUTORIAL
OH BOY, A LONG LONG MANGA TUTORIAL. let's get it get it!
From this to
Using Soul Eater, obvs.
I'm starting with a so-so scan (largeish, but kind of meh quality) to show this can be cleaned!
Running levels with settings similar to this, but modified for the image in question, cleans up a lot. We get rid of the artifacts, brighten the white, darken the black, etc.
Now we clean more. Use Dodge on highlights (set to maybe 50%) and gently clean off tone.
Now use Burn on shadows at 50% to darken the black. Set image to multiply, make new layer under it.
Use your magic wand tool to get as much of the skin as you can. This saves time. Once you've selected everything closed, go to Select > Modify > Expand & expand your selection 1-2 pixels, depending on how thick the lines are.
Use bucket tool to fill in with a nice skin color. I used #fed8c1. For what wasn't filled with the marquee tool, just carefully color in with a hard-edged brush.
Make a new layer over your base skin. Pick your light source & color. I used #b66045, set to opacity of about 40-50%. With the light source in mind, color in shadows. After the preliminary shadows are finished, set this layer to Multiply, and take down the opacity to 70% or so.
The girls don't have much nose to speak of, so I'll illustrate on Isshin & Ichigo how to color noses that aren't ... dots.
Same rules with light source apply, but I shape the nose, and add shadows underneath the nose.
Using a darker color ... such as #7f4b3a, I make darker shadows under the nose. (I also jumped the gun & colored the line art, but this was for illustrative purposes. Ignore for now :D)
Do the same on Liz and Tsubaki. Shadows + very minor bits of darker shadows. You can see in different places where I added each -- under the neck, the tops of eyelids.
Ok, this is subtle. Make a new layer, set between your shadow layer and your base color. In CS2 & up, you right-click on the layer and select "Create Clipping Mask." Set this layer to multiply/opacity to about 30% and drag a gradient, #b66045 to transparent, coming from the opposite of your light source. The gradient set-up should look like this:
Blush time! Marquee like so. Make a new layer above all skins, set to Multiply, 50%. Drag another gradient with a reddish-pink color. Then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, blur 1.4-1.8. It should look something like ....
This. I went ahead and colored in their eye whites with an off-white, added some grey for shadow & filled in the eye colors, on a regular layer above all color layers. Little white highlights are optional, but cute.
Bright BRIGHT peachy color selection. Make this layer -- again -- a Multiply. Color under each eye like so.
Now. Blur. BLUR. Either with the Filter, or the blur tool. Take down the opacity of the layer to 40% or less.
Color in hair base on new layer. Use marquee trick if applicable.
A tip for blonde hair? Do not use yellow. A mellow, yellowish straw color will work well.
Lock this layer, as shown.
Using your lasso tool, make some hair texture shapes. Get a nice purple-red, around #7f5252, and using the gradient tool, set the mode from normal to "linear burn". Make sure it's very light opacity. Drag your gradient upwards from the bottom of hair on the locked hair layer. Voila!
Highlights (optional) are made using smaller shapes, the base color (instead of a red-purple) & mode set to "overlay"!
Fill in Tsubaki's hair with blue & a little dodge.
Coloring Liz's clothes. I go from the light source, on a new layer above color layers. Using a combo of low opacity soft brushes & a hard edged eraser, I begin to color in her shirt. For non-white clothes? Fill in the base, make a Multiply above it. Use the same method with darker color.
Grey for Tsubaki's clothes.
Sound effects look cute when colored in. Nice way to add more pops of color to a .... coloring.
At this point, I usually color the line art. I didn't for these, b/c the lines are so thin, but were I to? This is how:
Before.
After.
Make new layer set to screen over the line art. Set to 40% opacity at most. Create clipping mask like earlier. Now color over the line art. I used #b66045 for the skin, #bd2909 for Ichigo's hair. Do not color over the eyelashes and be sparing around the nostrils.
Back to the girls! Paste your shrunken, cropped image into a new file and adjust coloring to taste. I keep about 20 PSDs I made on hand. I can share some if you like :)
>>
The possibilities are endless!
I hope this was helpful/enjoyable. Or not confusing at the least. Any questions? Send em in a comment! o/
From this to
Using Soul Eater, obvs.
I'm starting with a so-so scan (largeish, but kind of meh quality) to show this can be cleaned!
Running levels with settings similar to this, but modified for the image in question, cleans up a lot. We get rid of the artifacts, brighten the white, darken the black, etc.
Now we clean more. Use Dodge on highlights (set to maybe 50%) and gently clean off tone.
Now use Burn on shadows at 50% to darken the black. Set image to multiply, make new layer under it.
Use your magic wand tool to get as much of the skin as you can. This saves time. Once you've selected everything closed, go to Select > Modify > Expand & expand your selection 1-2 pixels, depending on how thick the lines are.
Use bucket tool to fill in with a nice skin color. I used #fed8c1. For what wasn't filled with the marquee tool, just carefully color in with a hard-edged brush.
Make a new layer over your base skin. Pick your light source & color. I used #b66045, set to opacity of about 40-50%. With the light source in mind, color in shadows. After the preliminary shadows are finished, set this layer to Multiply, and take down the opacity to 70% or so.
The girls don't have much nose to speak of, so I'll illustrate on Isshin & Ichigo how to color noses that aren't ... dots.
Same rules with light source apply, but I shape the nose, and add shadows underneath the nose.
Using a darker color ... such as #7f4b3a, I make darker shadows under the nose. (I also jumped the gun & colored the line art, but this was for illustrative purposes. Ignore for now :D)
Do the same on Liz and Tsubaki. Shadows + very minor bits of darker shadows. You can see in different places where I added each -- under the neck, the tops of eyelids.
Ok, this is subtle. Make a new layer, set between your shadow layer and your base color. In CS2 & up, you right-click on the layer and select "Create Clipping Mask." Set this layer to multiply/opacity to about 30% and drag a gradient, #b66045 to transparent, coming from the opposite of your light source. The gradient set-up should look like this:
Blush time! Marquee like so. Make a new layer above all skins, set to Multiply, 50%. Drag another gradient with a reddish-pink color. Then go to Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, blur 1.4-1.8. It should look something like ....
This. I went ahead and colored in their eye whites with an off-white, added some grey for shadow & filled in the eye colors, on a regular layer above all color layers. Little white highlights are optional, but cute.
Bright BRIGHT peachy color selection. Make this layer -- again -- a Multiply. Color under each eye like so.
Now. Blur. BLUR. Either with the Filter, or the blur tool. Take down the opacity of the layer to 40% or less.
Color in hair base on new layer. Use marquee trick if applicable.
A tip for blonde hair? Do not use yellow. A mellow, yellowish straw color will work well.
Lock this layer, as shown.
Using your lasso tool, make some hair texture shapes. Get a nice purple-red, around #7f5252, and using the gradient tool, set the mode from normal to "linear burn". Make sure it's very light opacity. Drag your gradient upwards from the bottom of hair on the locked hair layer. Voila!
Highlights (optional) are made using smaller shapes, the base color (instead of a red-purple) & mode set to "overlay"!
Fill in Tsubaki's hair with blue & a little dodge.
Coloring Liz's clothes. I go from the light source, on a new layer above color layers. Using a combo of low opacity soft brushes & a hard edged eraser, I begin to color in her shirt. For non-white clothes? Fill in the base, make a Multiply above it. Use the same method with darker color.
Grey for Tsubaki's clothes.
Sound effects look cute when colored in. Nice way to add more pops of color to a .... coloring.
At this point, I usually color the line art. I didn't for these, b/c the lines are so thin, but were I to? This is how:
Before.
After.
Make new layer set to screen over the line art. Set to 40% opacity at most. Create clipping mask like earlier. Now color over the line art. I used #b66045 for the skin, #bd2909 for Ichigo's hair. Do not color over the eyelashes and be sparing around the nostrils.
Back to the girls! Paste your shrunken, cropped image into a new file and adjust coloring to taste. I keep about 20 PSDs I made on hand. I can share some if you like :)
>>
The possibilities are endless!
I hope this was helpful/enjoyable. Or not confusing at the least. Any questions? Send em in a comment! o/