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WhiteHowler7 — Basic Coloring Tips - A Text
Published: 2011-02-02 21:09:20 +0000 UTC; Views: 57824; Favourites: 1089; Downloads: 1800
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so, lately ive been getting (almost daily) notes from deviants asking on coloring tips. and while i never mind helping others and thats one of the biggest foremost reasons im on dA, i find that im repeating a lot of the same basic tips. so i thought it might be helpful to some of you if i were to just make some of this general knowledge public and...whatnot.so first thing i always get are people asking me how i pick colors?
first thing i always say is, color theory! en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_th… colortheory.liquisoft.com/ and www.colormatters.com/colortheo…
that last one has a good little mind blowing point there. see the one showing the plant? "A color scheme based on analogous colors" a lot of people want to use just a lighter shade to color, or a darker one, sometimes using white or black (or burn and dodge, shame on you! lol) but the colors there are a more blue green through a yellow green, it changes shades and doing so makes it much more believable, and in the end makes a much more pleasing and interesting painting.
and also it helps by starting out with pulling up a real photo and using color picker here and there to make palettes, and see just WHERE on the color picker those colors are. especially on skin, you'll notice the colors are almost always generally on the left side of the color picker. with the choice of infinite colors and values and hues, people can get a bit lost.
people have a real hard time figuring out what colors to use when they're starting. knowing color theory really is a big big part of all of this.
second part of the advice i find myself using constantly, nearly every time, is lighting. people that are getting frustrated with their pictures and want help the most seem to be people that are failing to even try lightsources. im seeing lots of pieces that lack really any lightsource. they're hitting walls, because ambiguous lighting doesnt work hardly anywhere.
so i'm usually saying, try light sources. find things to color with one drawn in, or make one! think about it before you start throwing down shades. i notive this a lot because of the prevalence of pinup art here with no backgrounds on it. just the character, and all white with no lines around it. easy, quick for beginners, but not great at teaching.
aside from color choice, lighting is the most important part of a picture. pick the greatest colors in the world, but unless you have effective lighting, its going to fall flat every time, literally.
sometimes i will actually go as far as to recommend that people try recreating a photograph. that can mean anything! even cache2.asset-cache.net/xc/8983… something simple.
also, this doesnt hurt www.photoworkshop.com/pages/li… a light cage to help you along, because guessing is never good.
thats my last point. lots of artists start using references with they're learning to draw, but few really do this sort of thing when they are coloring. using real life or photos as your guide is every bit as effective in learning to color.
Hope it helps!
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Comments: 199
well whether they listen or not, it's going to save me a lot of typing.
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Do the work once and do it right and you don't have to do it again. That is my kind of laziness
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I try to explain all of this over at my tut site - [link]
People just don't listen lol
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maybe they are clouded by the fact they have to pay
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lol education isn't free. hosting almost 30 hours of video tuts is expensive (not to mention paying the artists).
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i havent paid for any tutorials, or gone to art school ever
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congrats u r the exception that prove the rule.
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I guess I'm an exception, too.
I did go to an art school, but it was for 3d modeling and animation. I never took a class in digital painting, but was able to teach myself by studying color theory, light logic, and watching lots of free tutorials on YouTube on my own.
The free resources are abundant and pretty easy to find if you just do a simple search on Google or YouTube. In fact, the best tutorials I get are just by watching other artists via LiveStream.
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3 things. 1. if you sign up to the tut site you are still learning ON YOUR OWN. what you are paying for is the fact that I have organized it and hosted it for you and unlike other artist my time is worth something to me and the time the other artist put in doing tutorials is worth something to them. 2. you are still paying for the tutorials on youtube, livestream and dA just not directly. they get their money from ads and "Premium memberships" so its the same thing just not directly from you. 3. This is one reason why artist get paid the least. No other industry gives away as much as artists and that's why we are low on the totem pole when it comes to money. You can't learn open heart surgery (and get hired to do it) from livestream or youtube (or a 10 dollar pay site lol). If more artists stop doing it as a hobby and started doing it as a true source of income they would understand. But it depends on which side of the table you are on. If you are an artist looking for work then you prolly don't care about free tutorials and stuff but if you are the owner of a company it becomes an issue. For example I don't have to pay your commission fee for your work since there's another artist that colors like you do - that you probably taught for free - that will do it for half the price. What a lot of artist don't get is that they are creating their own competition/replacement and getting nothing for it. A tutorial is a tutorial. You can learn something from anyone whether you pay for it or not that's not my point.
I wish artists would take the "industry of art" more seriously. For some its a hobby and for others it's a source of income and the fact that people don't feel the need to go to a formal school or want to pay a small fee is why teachers and artists are losing their jobs. Everyone wants stuff for free but they don't understand the larger impact it has.
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2. you are still paying for the tutorials on youtube, livestream and dA just not directly. they get their money from ads and "Premium memberships" so its the same thing just not directly from you.
Right, but you see, you're viewing time and money as the same form of currency. But they're not. Some people have more time and less money (or vice versa). I can afford to sit though an advertisement or close a click-away ad, because I have more 'time' currency than I do 'money' currency. I've also never needed to purchase a premium membership for tutorials or YouTube.
For some its a hobby and for others it's a source of income and the fact that people don't feel the need to go to a formal school or want to pay a small fee is why teachers and artists are losing their jobs
That's a problem with the teachers and the artists. If they are going to use archaic business practices and attempt to make a living off of a payment system that doesn't coincide with the demands of the modern consumer market, that's their fault. Not the consumers. People need to learn how to properly market their work, and constantly shift their marketing strategies. That's why you see advertisements for YouTube tutorials; if the consumers won't pay for the goods, make somebody else pay you. Or get a new job.
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If everyone who was a teacher decided that they weren't making enough money and went to get another job we wouldn't have teachers. I agree that there has to be shifts in marketing and ways to make money that keep up with the times. What I never understood is why charge for commissions if you give away how to do the commissions for free? It's like if I went to a mechanic and he tells me that it's gonna cost me $1000 to fix my car so I just ask for the instructions for free go home and do it myself. No other industry but art would accept. That's what hurts me the most. I want the world to see art as more than just something you do because ur bored (or not good at science or math) and I hate the fact that only artist understand that.
I value your time. I respect you as an artist. If I ask you to do something art wise for me then you will be paid or some type of barter. Simply because I'm an artist I know how much love goes into our work but that doesn't mean we don't have rent to pay, kids to feed etc. I guess it's a personal thing. I'd rather do a free commission than give a free tutorial. Teach a man to fish I guess....
Comictutorials is our youtube and livestream account name too. And one reason I started the site is because a 10 minute speed painting (usually without instruction) is hard to learn from. I wanted to give people full length instruction with all the files they need all in one place. Now I started CT before livestream came along so it's gotten better.
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You know, you are wrong when you say that art is the only industry sharing its "secrets". I know at least IT is the same.
There are tons of tutorials out there to teach you how to code, what the proper methods are, how to keep your code clean, even how to have a team work on the same piece of code at the same time without hampering each other down.
You say you don't get why people charge for commissions yet share their methods for free ? That's because knowing how to do things won't make you as good as a pro without some serious effort, and most people aren't involved enough to do just that.
Maybe your mechanic can tell you what to do to solve your specific $1000 problem. But how are you gonna guess you have the same problem next time? And what if you're wrong?
My point is : whether you can do something good is not only relevant to your knowing how to do said thing. That's the philosophy of Free software, btw. Whether your product code is freely available or not will not really change your customer base if you have the skill to build something. one that just copies or mimics won't cut through the chase, because eventually they'll appear as skill-less, except if they make effort...
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yeah come to think of it I did learn everything I know about web design from the interwebs for free but I think what upsets me is that if I were to actually hire a web designer it would cost a whole lot more than hiring an artist. and I think art should cost more. I can learn code a whole lot easier than art. as an artists we create the world but barely respect ourselves enough to ask for a decent wage. and then yell/argue with people who actually want to make a decent living at art. and there's no real definition of "pro" for artists. if you have the talent a specific company is looking for and get hired then you're a "pro" but that doesn't mean there's a specific standard in the industry. If I wanted to teach Algebra I'd have to know Algebra. It's a solid state of education. there are different levels and layers of art even if it's a specific field like watercolor for example. ANYTHING can be considered "good" art. you just need to find the person who will pay for it. so technically if you have ever been paid for a piece of art you can call yourself a pro. lol what's funny is that artists look down on other artists. like some corporate/marketing artists don't respect comic book artists. i'm telling you it's the field itself that's messed up.
i agree with you that collabs are better than doing it alone but that still doesn't mean it has to be free. Hence me collabing with a lot of other artists for the tut site. as for for the mechanic - if the car has another problem ill take it back to him since i know he'll teach me how to fix it again for free.
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I can't really tell, I don't consider myself an artist.
However, in France at the very least, what we call "graphistes" or "creative people" who are basically the ones who design the visuals, whether it's a site's style or short flash animations, 3D renderings and stuff like that, well these people make a better living than those of us who are "coders", even though we studied the same period of time (around masters level most of the time).
In the gaming industry, I know artists are also better paid than programmers, because they simply are more rare. You can get ten decent programmers by kicking a bin, nowadays. It's a lot more difficult to find decent artists.
Well, all I wanted to say was that I agree with you. It must be the field that's messed up. In IT, we have plenty of work, despite the fact than anyone can learn to do it by themselves. However, I can tell you it takes practice and experience to be a good, efficient programmer.
I guess the same holds true for artists.
To me, this is this efficiency that clients want. Sure, knowing your tricks they could maybe copy how you do things, but it would take them forever when it would take you, say, one hour. And time is money, so the industry is living.
Besides, companies would rather some experienced guy than a nobody who happened to learn one or two tricks. I'm pretty sure it takes a good portfolio to get hired, and if people can get a good portfolio by themselves and using the interwebs to get free education, I fail to see why that would be a problem for already in the field artists. Except it said artists are less good (or worse? I don't really know :/) than the newbies. And then it's their problem, not the newbie's fault...
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here's a little bit of what im talking about in a nutshell - [link]
as an artist we get such little respect that people want to pay us in "exposure". it's the field that's messed up and the fact that artist have come to accept it and expect it without changing it. so I agree with your view on it but the number of angles and ways artists get screwed seems to be growing everyday. I'm just trying to play nice and yes, get my fair share lol.
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Oh, yeah, I read that news. I guess I didn't get the point.
Truth be told, I'm not arguing about whether or not you should get paid for what you do, I was just saying that artistry is not the only field giving away knowledge for free ^^
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yeah when you talked about the IT industry it did remind me that the art industry isn't the only one.
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im sure there are lots of people out there like me. its about knowing where to look and actively seeking it out, and of course knowing what to study.
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true true but after you learn it, it doesn't mean you have to give it away for free. I asked a contractor who was working on my house once why he charged so much since he wasn't going to be there for long and he said "You aren't paying me for the actual work you are paying me because I know how to do it in such a short time." It was his 20+ years of expertise I was paying for not the hour he was at my house. That was such revelation to me because I had been giving away my experience in another area for too low a cost.
It really saddens me that places like dA and livestream make millions off of artists and all they give back is some llamas and pageviews. I am trying to create jobs and opportunities for artists. 10 bucks isn't a lot of money for what I offer and I have had plenty of artists thankful that they could pay their rent for doing a tutorial or two for me. I'm all for helping out the community and I do some free tuts myself from time to time. Nothing wrong with that but if I had your followers I would be able to not only help out the community more but other artists in need of work these days.
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oh i forgot something.
ive been on da for a very long time, as well as a bunch of other artists. and ive learned so much here, SO much. and being here learning, growing, and pushing myself, well, ive started my career here man. and you know if there's one thing i know for sure if it's not just dA's founder saying so at the 10th anniversary party, it's that hundreds of other artists have done the very same. so you cant say that all dA gives back is pageviews and llamas, because it gives back knowledge, fellowship, jobs, and a sense of community as well. you only get out what you put in.
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dA didnt give u anything the community did. so if i charge 10 bucks but turn it into a community tut site you'd feel better about it? because ill do it!
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dA IS the community, they provide the space for everything. and work very hard at making it work on such a grand scale.
i think there should be an optional free section and community aspect to it, yeah. and a paid option if you want it, just like dA, i think they have the right idea bout that.
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i agree and am in the works on that (we will be expanding the free section this year) but dA is still evil and yes I see the irony in the fact that I use it!
If I knew I could still do all the things we did last year (give away 3 Wacom tablets, 4 copies of Photoshop, pay people, host the massive site, donate to people) on just ads alone I'd switch but I can't float the site waiting for enough people to stay on the site for ad revenue to kick in.
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lol there are many different opposing views on this site, one is the side that dA is evil and wrong, and the other side acknowledges that it's really just misunderstood
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It is a biblical principle to bless your place of hardship so I will no longer say that dA is evil. I will only speak good of it. And I appreciate our little talk here. It has given me much to consider. Many thanks.
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haha, good discussion, always appreciated ^__^
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well see that really does depend on some things. i didnt pay money for this knowledge, and most of the early basic techniques like i state here, i got somewhere else from the internet, freely. so the way i look at it, who am i to turn around and charge for it. but with advanced techniques or techniques i developed on my own, that may be a completely different story. for one i myself wouldnt be too keen on giving away techniques i developed on my own. but i cant justify charging for something i got for free from somebody else giving it away. and i dont think it would be right for somebody to take this tutorial, or this knowledge, and charge for it either.
but i dont look down on what you're doing at all, im just saying there are alternatives. there should always be alternatives too. there is a wealth of knowledge and helpful artists paying it forward by giving freely of themselves when they've also been given such gifts by other artists. it's a fellowship of sorts. drawing the line and charging for it because you think they should charge for something they were given in such a way, i dont agree with that at all. thats more or less why i didnt take you up on your offer.
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i can respect that (now if you ever find yourself hurt for money or looking for work don't be afraid to hit me up).
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haha, you know it! i might be willing to exchange some advanced techniques for food money
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its what turned me away from the site. Lots of freebies and some free info but being a casual hobbyist with little disposable income it wasn't something i could justify playing for. Not that the person should get something for their time, but for me, i cant afford their time.
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not to mention there are great free resources everywhere if you just dig a little
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This really gives me a lot of good things to think about.
And thank you so much for uploading here! *adds to tutorials collection*
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Thank you for taking the time to give us this information. I appreciate it and I'm sure anyone who is seriously trying to become an artist appreciates it as well.
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Color theory is hard to learn at first but it gets easier.
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can I recommend you Matt Dixon's book? It is full of so much info, but it is said in so few words and so many pictures, that it is so easy to understand. Including basic color theory.
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I will check it you, thanks.
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yeah for sure, i think as soon as somebody can train themselves not to just use lighter or whiter shades it becomes loads easier.
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Yeah, I have noticed that I like building up the colors a bit more than just using screen. I am having trouble adding natural light and making it look natural though. I guess thats something on my part.
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i use layers in a variety of layer modes for that with different colors, it's quicker
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I dont wanna feel like I am copying though. But I am a beginner.
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copying? im not saying copy something and display it as your own original work, do it as a teaching experience, not as trying to be all artsy fartsy and create your own masterpiece. lots of beginning artists refrain from using reference because they feel it is copying or they feel it's cheap, but they're trying to learn too. and in my honest opinion, that mind-set is a ridiculously stupid one to take on and follow. you're only holding yourself back, because once you learn through reference, you dont have to keep using it and you're free to create whatever you want effectively because you've already learned and you're NOT GUESSING
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Makes sense. But by copying, I meant I dont want my work to start looking like someone elses. I want it to have uniqueness. Which I figure is something that will happen the more I practice and keep doing it.
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ah, thats why i said photos, or real life. im not talking ripping somebody elses paintings.
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