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B a s i c c o l o r i n g T e c h n i q u e s

Kyle Runciman / July 19, 2012utorial created in SketchBook Pro 2011, 5 Ser iesechniques are useul in any version o SketchBook Pro.

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Tools for the Job

Airbrush (standard)

Sot Eraser (standard)

Hard Eraser (standard)

Paintbrush (standard)

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Tools for the Job

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1. Pencil HB (Based on Preset 2 > Brush 3)2. apered Airbrush (custom)

3. apered Hard Eraser (custom)

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Tools for the Job

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4. apered Sot Eraser (custom)5. apered Paintbrush (custom)

6. apered Felt ip Pen (custom)

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Coloring Start Point

Getting StartedTe most important step is the rst step.Create a new layer. Tis will insure your sketchthroughout the process.Once youve added a new layer, position itbelow the sketch layer (Background).

Prepare a sketch.

First Paint Layer

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Lock Layer Transparency

Airbrushing Form

Prepare the Fill

At this point, you can use a bunch o layers tobuild up orm with shading and highlights.But to keep things quick and easy, Lock theransparency o the Layer.

With the Layer ransparency locked, only the painted area o that layer can be edited.So take a big airbrush and go to town with darker shades near the bottom and lightershades up top to start giving the region shape.For this exercise, well stick with a basic top-down light source.

Tere are several ways o going about coloringa sketch. Tis is just one technique.First, the standard paintbrush is used to out-line the main region o the sketch.

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The Almighty Erase Back

Keep Layers Organized

From here, there is a procedure combining layers, airbrushing and erasing that some call Erase BackIt allows you to paint without worrying about staying in the lines, and ocus on building orm.Create a new Layer on top o the Original Paint Layer.Trow down a darker shade with a large airbrush. Feather back certain areas with a sot Eraser.And clean up areas entirely with the Hard Eraser set to 100%.

Te Erase Back technique can do wonders to your layer stack quickly.o prevent time wasted looking or specic layers later, merge the ones youknow are solid and are condent with.

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Highlight Layers Trick

Hinting at Refection

Creating a glossy/satin look requires somehighlighting nesse.Start with a big swipe o a white airbrush.Create your highlight edge by erasing backwith a small hard eraser.

Put down a temporary layer with a contrastingbase color underneath to see where you wentwith the airbrush. Tis makes or a cleaner lelater on.

Tere are many ways to deal with glossy n-ishes and reections.Without stressing over photo-realistic results,you can carve a horizonline out o a dark airbrush stoke, and removeall the extra above.

Like so.

Get rid o any white in areas that dont need it.(You can avoid all this with layers built on topo these highlights, theres a million diferenttechniques)

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Wrapping up the Body

Base Coats

Now use a solid white brush to loosely build a reection coming rom the oor.Fade the top o that layer back with a sot eraser.

When youre happy with all the diferent layers o shading and highlight,Merge all the layers and add a new layer underneath to repeat the process.Tis can be tedious at rst, but practice and tweaking can make this almost brainless work.

You might think o this technique as similar toa real paint job.Laying down the base coat and adding coatso candy and clear to nish.Keep the diferent base colors on separate lay-ers to keep things easy.

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Lighting and Top Highlights

Ground It

o create glow rom headlights or strong highlights, add a layer above the sketch.

A simple way to plant the subject down in an environment is to drop a solid color at the bottom o thestack.Tis is where that light-source can really makes the piece pop.

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14Textures

Add a layer on top o the background color.Lay down some white aggressively with the airbrush under all the sketch layers.Hit the lower corners and upper regions with some black.

Bring in an image with a desired texture.File > Add Image.Make sure this is done on a resh layer, or thatthe [import into a new layer] option is selectedin Preerences.Otherwise, you will lose any work underneaththe imported image.

When the image is brought in,youll see the Layer Navigationpuck.Use this to scale, position androtate the texture initially.Select the area you need or eraseaway everything you dont.

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15Finish

Build up the nish with shading and highlights using the same steps as earlier.Essentially that s it. You can take an image as ar as you like this way.Te only limitations being patience and time.

Sign it.