Coloring?

[FonzHom]

I'm making my comics and I need advice on coloring. I just finished the drawing and inkings on bristol..but i want color. What should I use to give an even balance of color without unevenness. thanks.

[James]

As I think this is a big topic, and I feel a little large for the advice thread, I'm moving it to the workshops.. a redirect may drag passer bys along.

It's a good subject and a LARGE one.

The best advice is to use CG. It's the best to keep things crisp and even. If not CG, then drawing inks. They are vivid and take some time getting used to. I have a new set I've not really tried. Problem is, you really need to stretch the paper - even Bristol, which if you are used to working on a drawing board like me, presents a problem.

There seems to be virtually no tutorials on ink colouring on the net which sucks. Photoshop is everywhere, and while there are different colouring methods to advice, best is to just get stuck in after reading a few online tutorials.

If anyone has any drawing ink advice, I'm all ears as well!

[Artimus Gigan]

I found that Digital Character & Painting by Don Seegmiller is a very informitive book on digital coloring. It gives full color pictures and very detailed step by step guides and FAQS.


I have the Photoshop CS Edition, so there could be other versions as well

I also had this good tutorial that had to deal with drawing with colors(drawing/painting with no black line art aside from some highlights) that I saved as a JPEG. but it's too big of a file to be uploaded. But it may still be out there if you look.

[Easily Amewsed]

I remember using some Doc Martins colors long ago - eye poppin stuff it was :) ...part of the success came from the order in which I did the illio. I did the colorwork BEFORE I did any of the inking. Since Inks aren't really textural, the black ink rode on top fairly smoothly and covered quite well. Using illustration board is also preferable since it's not going to buckle unless you are doing heavy, numerous washes. If the work is on 4 ply or better grade bristol like Strathmore then it might survive conservatively applied water media.
I used Higgins Black Magic at the time. Nowdays I prefer FW & pigma pens and I would reccomend those cause ithey're WATERPROOF. If you didn't use a waterproof ink..then ditch the idea of water media.
Another alternative is to use markers. Better ones like Copic can make very flat, even color quickly. Prismacolor markers aren't bad either..they are cheaper, but they can streak a bit on very smooth paper types. They seem to fair better on paper with a bit of tooth, IMHO.
Anyway, my 2 cents..happy coloring. ;)
EA

[Bic]

I remember when I first started doing coloring it was with Prismacolor watercolor based pens and colored pencils. I'd make multiple photocopies of the original work and then go to town on them, sometimes doing various choices on different copies until I liked what I had chosen. Then, I'd use that choice on the original image or a photocopy on thicker paper. Now I use the computer for all of the coloring and inking for all that.

First you must decide even before coloring if you want to keep the original artwork. If so, then CG or a photocopy with thicker paper may be the way to go. I suggest doing a color rough on a copy or layer, just plotting your colors down. Also, mood and setting play a huge part on your color choices as well. Another thing is create a color template or pallete for you characters which will save you a lot of time in the long run.

Well I have some examples of color proofs from Joe Choido from Cyberforce from the nineties. He used Prismacolor markers and pencils for his proofs which were in turn used by the CG team to duplicate in the computer.

http://www.bicworks.com/graphics/conv/clr-cyberforce2.jpg
http://www.bicworks.com/graphics/conv/clr-cyberforce3.jpg

Hope that helps and good luck!