Colorful Shading

This tutorial was written in Adobe Photoshop CS4.
It's likely this can be pretty easily translated into your graphic program of choice provided it offers layers.

In this tutorial you will see how I use colors for more vibrant shading as in the example below:

First, I hope that you have drawn your dollie with each item on it's own layer. This is very important because it makes fixing things much easier =)

Here I've added a new layer right above my base body layer and using a purple I pulled from her outfit, I went through and added shadows that would be cast by her hair, her clothes, etc.. If you are using a program that does not have a brush tool that offers the more painterly effect you see here, use your smudge tool, blur tool, or liquify tool to get a similar effect. The most important thing here is to use colors that you are pulling out of her clothing or environment!! This ties the image together and creates unity and continuity through the whole image.

Then in your layer palettes options, lower the opacity of the layer to around 50. You may want to play with this number until you see something you like =)

On a new layer, use an opposite or near opposite color from her attire to shade the opposite side of what you just shaded. Below I've chosen a green from her leaf skirt.

Again, lower the opacity of this layer until you see something you like =)

Now, go to your base body layer and use your magic wand tool to select the area around your base body. Then go back to your purple shadow layer and press DELETE to remove any shading that occured outside of her base body. Repeat this on the layer with the "green" shadow. You want to do this because any shading outside your base body will result in transparency issues.

Now we are going to add the same shading to her hair. Just repeat the same steps we did above. A new layer for the purple shadow and lower the opacity, then another layer for the green shadow and again lower the opacity.

Don't forget to go to the layer with your hair on it and use your magic wand tool to select the area outside of your hair. Then go to the purple shadow layer and choose DELETE and then to the green shadow layer and choose DELETE again.

Now add a new layer above all the others and using the same "purple" shade, make it much brighter and using your pencil or pixel tool, go in and add shadow along the very inner edge of the right side of your dolls hair, skin and clothing. Next add another layer and using a brighter shade of your "green" add shadow along the very inner edge of the opposite sides.

And you're done! Which do you like better?

I think the vibrant colors add something personally. Like a soft depth or something, I don't know hehe.

I hope you enjoyed the tutorial!

 

~Link Hearts Enchanted~

Links are definitely appreciated! Please feel free to right click to save one of these images to your hard drive and link them back to:
http://www.heartsenchanted.com

Thanks for your support!

Home