Seeing How Painting Practice Applies to Coloring Drawings
January 8, 2015 in ART
ART – Seeing How Painting Practice Applies to Coloring Drawings
I had to take some time away from my color studies to color a header drawing made for my perspective lesson post over at my other site The Drawing Website.
In the post I show the process I went through to draw the line work. Here though, I thought I’d write about the coloring process.
The reason I’m doing so is because I took the opportunity to color the drawing using a lot of the techniques I’ve been using in my color studies. Turns out, the processes are complimentary.
That should be obvious of course, I just didn’t know how complimentary they would be.
In general, I think the final colored drawing came out okay. I didn’t really have a vision for what it should look like going in. I was making it up as I went.
I’m not entirely sure that was the best approach.
I colored it all without reference. I was made up the colors and values shapes. I began with the shadow colors and then added in the colors in the light.
I also used two different programs to color this with. Not out of choice. I simply didn’t have access to the program I began coloring the drawing in.
The programs I used where Photoshop and Manga Studio 5. The character in pink with the big afro, I colored using Photoshop. The rest of the drawing I colored using Manga Studio 5.
It was an interesting experiment. Using Manga Studio 5, I used the “oil paint,” simulator option. It was a bit awkward at first to use it. Little by little, the more I used it, I began understand it. By the time I was done with the coloring, I loved the tool.
Too bad there isn’t a brush in Photoshop that’s like it. From now on, if I get a chance to color in Manga Studio 5, I’ll use it every time. I diffidently want to try doing some studies with it.
In the end, my take away from coloring this drawing:
- A preliminary color thumbnail might be a good idea.
- Painting techniques apply easily to coloring line art.
- The Manga Studio 5 “oil paint” tool is pretty cool.
- Coloring a drawing like a painting takes long time.
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