It’s not unusual to see a stupendous pencil or ink drawing that’s been butchered beneath a number of layers of poorly constructed digital colouring. Textured brushes are designed to copy real-life brush, pencil, or ink marks, so why not utilise the facility of these actual marks which have already been laid down on the paper?
On this tutorial, you’ll have the ability to comply with together with my colouring course of, see which brushes I take advantage of to imitate my drawing and shading, and learn to keep helpful data, corresponding to line high quality, shading, textures, and imperfections, whereas elevating your piece digitally.
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1. Separate the unique scan into a number of layers
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
The very first thing we’ll must do is about up our scanned drawing able to be labored with digitally. Cut up it into at the very least two layers, most significantly, the topic layer and a background layer. If the topic is fairly effectively contoured however there are further parts of shading exterior the topic traces, embrace these within the topic layer. To keep away from harsh edges whereas separating the picture into layers, use the Feather choice at 2-3% to melt the choice’s edges, then Lower and Paste. I additionally use the Multiply Mix Mode for the topic layer.
2. Use layers as fast choice instruments
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
The principle motive for Step 1 is to have a fast technique to choose the topic and begin colouring. Do that by going to the topic layer and clicking on it once more to immediate extra choices to pop up. Click on the Choose button to decide on the entire contents of that layer, then create a brand new layer whereas the choice remains to be energetic. Lastly, use Procreate’s ColorDrop choice (dragging and dropping the color from the Shade Wheel) or a brush to dam in a brand new layer within the form of the topic. Any more, we’ll use this layer for colouring and shading.
3. Resolve in your line-up of fundamental brushes
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
Let’s put together the essential brushes that we’ll use all through this piece. For the final colouring, I selected Salamanca, for mixing, I chosen Eaglehawk, and for erasing, I picked a fundamental laborious airbrush with a bit further Fall Off on the ends. I want my erasers to have a clear, laborious edge that I can at all times texture in a while with the mixing device. Lastly, my mixing brush leaves a textured look with out smoothing out the unique brush an excessive amount of, so I get a pleasant pairing and variation while not having to redo the brushes.
4. Add color textures and variation from the start
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
I prefer to get some enjoyable textures into the bottom color as early as potential to maneuver on from the essential block color as shortly as potential. Utilizing the painterly brushes, punch up the sunshine and shadow values from the pencil layer to spotlight what’s already there. Subsequent, add some color bleeds to once more punch up the darker spots within the drawing, in addition to across the silhouette. With the fast addition of 1 further color, you create the impression of subtle colouring simply by the gradation and mixture of the 2 colors used.
5. Make the background dynamic
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
I usually go away the backgrounds round my figures as clean destructive area. This impact works effectively with pencil sketches, the place loads of the lacking parts are implied environments. Nonetheless, on this case, I wished to construct on what was already there and wanted a drastic change so as to add a brand new focal point that also highlights the principle determine. So, with a chunky brush, I blocked in a darkish background form, with the destructive area now damaged up right into a midground and background so as to add a delicate dimension. I additionally launched a 3rd color to the determine, ochre, and tied it with the background within the type of tough flowers and leaves. The black form cloaking the character was additionally expanded, and the color temperature of the pencil was adjusted to be a contact extra blue.
6. Create a brand new layer for the small print
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
The following step is to start including and refining the general element. I usually add 5 or 6 element layers for various functions: one to refine roughed-in shapes, one other to check out design parts, one other to check concepts for lighting or textures, and so forth. These layers are not often flattened, because it’s crucial to have the ability to management and revise as we go. On this step, you could possibly additionally add a clean-up layer like I used to work on the flower tattoos on the topic’s arms, in addition to some highlights within the face and eyes to make them seem supple and dewy.
7. Dig out some depth
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
At this level, I used to be pleased with the course of the piece and determined to check out some floating parts so as to add one more foreground element and barely increase the depth. The floating ribbon is colored in such a approach that it overlaps itself, and the identical goes for the floating ovals. Any small variation provides to the general impact of depth and class, even when it’s a delicate contact. Such particulars are playful and essential in having the determine really feel suspended in its surroundings; a dance between fantastical design and what’s actual.
8. Take note of particulars
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
Zoom in and handle small notes as if with a magnifying glass, as digital screens may be misleading when zoomed out. Pay further consideration to particulars on the face, as a result of any delicate additions will drive the viewer’s eye proper to that point of interest. We are able to flip highlights into designed shapes to tie all the pieces collectively.
At this level, make certain the lighting is punchy however with out preventing the unique lighting of the pencil sketch. The tattooed flower outlines in my piece weren’t working, so I used an eggshell white ink brush to invert the traces and switch them into gilded jewelry. This remoted aspect attracts delicate consideration to itself.
9. Use invisible particulars for visible results
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
What I name ‘invisible particulars’ unify all of the totally different layers, particularly the digital and pencil parts. All through the colouring course of, periodically throw in a little bit of chromatic aberration (not more than 2-3%) in addition to blurs on sure background parts and color blooms. These results break up areas that seem too excellent, which is a trait of digital artwork, into areas of color offsets and features that go out and in of focus.
The aim isn’t to attract consideration to those results however to mix all the pieces collectively. Solely do these on color and element layers and don’t contact the pencil sketch. Above, you may see how the color aberration seems within the colouring of the eyes, which have a blue/yellow tint.
10. Refine the background parts
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
Subsequent, I refined the background leaves. I went with ginkgo leaves, as a result of their form is so recognisable, at the same time as silhouettes. The aim is to ensure that, because the leaves are being refined, they don’t overpower the small print of the determine. To keep away from that, I made positive the road work of the leaves is nearer in worth to their base yellow. The define is nearer to the inverted define of the flower tattoos, however doesn’t have the identical inverted impact, because the leaves’ define is mixed into the color layer.
11. Contact up the tones
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
Typically altering pure white or pure black parts to totally different shades with cool or heat undertones can add sophistication to the general look – a giant distinction with a seemingly minor adjustment. In my picture, I modified the tone to a darkish magenta that paired effectively with the blue tone of the pencil sketch. I additionally added a magenta color that bleeds onto the arms and fingers, in addition to a number of the ginkgo leaves, to additional unify the assorted layers.
12. Deal with any suggestions
(Picture: © Eliza Ivanova)
Within the closing photos, I needed to push the colors and additional enhance the blues and yellows. I added some extra chromatic aberration to the highlights this time, as I felt they had been trying barely underbaked in comparison with the remainder of the picture. This had the bonus of including a magical, technicolour impact that felt nostalgic. Lastly, I created some blue ginkgo leaf outlines as design parts to fill a number of the cleared area. The blue tones had been requested, which is why I added them all through.
Every bit has its calls for for colouring, and a few require a heavier digital go than others. With that mentioned, my basic setup is just about an identical to this one, and it’s a matter of how a lot or how little I lean into colouring and boosting the unique. The one time my course of can barely differ is once I create a digital sketch from scratch, although even then, the layer setup largely finally ends up being near this one.
