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Final Results
Here is an example of a comic strip panel with the final results. In the tutorial I will be using Photoshop CS6, but the tools are available in previous versions.
Step 1
Open up your black and white artwork, making sure the line art is on a separate layer than the background layer, as seen in the example. This method works best with simple comic-style artwork, but can be adapted to other styles. We'll be adding the color to the bottom layer, so make sure it's selected.
Step 2
With the background layer selected, pick the Magic Wand tool (W). Make sure the settings are: Tolerance: 0, Anti-Alias: Unchecked, Contiguous and Sample All Layers: Checked.
Step 3
Now don't fill the area with color yet! You will notice the marching ants are inside the boundaries of the line art. We want the color to fill a slightly larger area. To fix this, go to Select > Modify > Expand and pick somewhere between 3-5 pixels. This will ensure there's no white left when we fill.
Step 4
Fill the area with your desired foreground color using Opt + Shift + Del (or Alt + Shift + Backspace for Windows).
Step 5
Now for the shading. Pick the Lasso Tool (L) and create a shape that will become the shadow. You want to give the object conjure and shape, so make sure the selection gives that impression, as seen below:
6 comments on “Quick Tip: Easily Add Cartoon Color and Shading to Lineart”
Wow! Finally seems that i find a simple, great and cool shading tutorial! I´ll try. Shade is not my friend lol. Thanks
Getting all of the shadows just right has always been an issue of mine. I will have to keep practicing!
It's a great tutorial...love it!
Absolutely super collection.
very impressive ! love this post! keep up!
You saved me a lot of time! Thanks!