Tazl's Coloring Tutorial

Please keep in mind that most of this tutorial (unless otherwise noted) is in a 1/5th view of the image. ;)

1 : PSP
This is our starting out inked image. I scanned it at Full-Color 300 DPI and then reduced the colors in the following method.
Color Reduction: Colors --> Adjust --> Brightness/Contrast. (Brightness 20, Contrast 40)
Colors --> Adjust --> Gamma Correction (all bars farthest to the left side)
Colors --> Decrease Color Depth --> 2 Colors (Grey Values. Nearest Color. Weighted)
Colors --> Increase Color Depth --> 16 Million Colors

It sounds complicated, but it's really quite easy, just a lot of clicking buttons (plus, the next time you go back all your options will be saved!)

2 : PSP
Now all the flat color is down. I simply used a flood-fill and at times a 2-pixel paintbrush to clean up the lines.
Nothin' to it really.

3 : PSP
Just another two-minute task; floodfilling in the outlines the appropriate color.
Always make sure the outlines are a much darker color than the fur of the creature.

4 : PSP
Save the file as a .PSD file.
File --> Save As --> (scroll down two slots until you find Photoshop, and click it) --> Type File Name
(in this case it's called KoaTrot.psd)

(from now on files will be seen at 25%, it's just easier in Adobe)

5 : Adobe
Go to Adobe Photoshop Elements (or whatever you have. That's just my version.)
Open up the file.

6 : Adobe
Paste the drawing onto Layer 1.
Select the background white color, and press Ctrl-X to have a transparent background.
You can put a white background in as well, or whatever suits your fancy. It's just temporary.

7 : Adobe
Select with the magic wand tool all the areas you wanna shade first.
Use the following settings up on the top bar for the Magic Wand.

(Lol). It'll just get messed up if you do otherwise.

8 : Adobe
Two rounds of shading ^_^ Used the airbrush on another layer, and simply just used a darker-red-brown to shade.
I also added a small Gaussian blur when I was finished.
The following are for Airbrush settings (I also used a size 21 and size 65, but, yeah)

9 : Adobe
With a size-65 brush I did some highlights on another layer,
however, these ones I made an opacity of 68% to lessen the shine a bit =P

10 : Adobe
Repeated step 8 on all the other colors (or at least the bigger areas) ;D
*is a lazy bum when it comes to shading* Anyway.. Lol. I didn't bother to
make a new layer for the other shading, so it's on the Flat Color layer still. Yadda yadda.

11 : Adobe
This bit's a little tricky. What you have to do is press Ctrl+A on the Flat-Color layer,
which selects all the content, then Ctrl+C to copy it.. Then, create a new layer on top of all
the others, call it Backlighting. Paste the contents that you copied before (Ctrl+V).
Then change the Floodfill's Tolerance to 255 and press somewhere on the creature's
body. This should turn it black. ;D *can see you screaming that your beautiful work is covered up*

12 : Adobe
Dun worry, that didn't last long. Now make sure the little drop-down box thingie says
"Screen" in it (making all the black be transparent), and that the first Lock box is checked.
That's so the paint doesn't go outta the layer.

13 : Adobe
Go on your Flat Color layer, and copy ALL the outlines with the Magic Wand, Shift+Clicking
on all the darker lines. ;) Then make a new layer on top of everything, called TopLines. This'll make sure your
outlines don't get overwritten by backlighting.

14 : Adobe
Fwee, using the mouse and a 19-pixel white brush, I did some backlighting.. generally
coming from the bottom left. They're a little bright, though.. adjust the Opacity to your liking.
(I put it on 55% on the real version).

15 : Adobe
Airbrushed in a very simple background and her shadow.
Now all we have to do is flatten and resize!
(Save as a different version if preferred (ie, KoaTrotSmall.psd)
Layers --> Flatten Image


16 : PSP
Yup, PSP! *lol* Open it up in Paint Shop Pro. Resizing instructions:
Image --> Resize --> Percentage of Original: 65% of Original --> Resize Type: Bilinear Resample
Image --> Resize --> Percentage of Original: ___ (I used 35%, depends on image) % of Original --> Resize Type: Smart Size


17 : Adobe
Signed it and added some snow in honor of the 2-8 inches that's to come down tonight =D!!