#userokkotsus

before we start 

all of my colorings are done in photoshop 

i have a psd that i personally made for my colorings, so the tutorial will already have the psd on top. i personally like to color with a psd on and then make adjustments as i go along.

these are tips on how i personally like to color. the process is different for everyone, so take it with a grain of salt ^^

#1 - Base Colors 

self explanatory, just fill in the base color of your character

ooo la la 

#2 - Tips for Shading

my shading is broken up into two major parts

1. soft shading 

2. hard shading

Soft shading

i like to do soft shading whenever i want my coloring to look slightly more realistic and for the base color to look less flat. other times i skip it altogether if i’m coloring something cute or chibi-like. If you’re like me who has difficulty sometimes imagining where the shadows/light should be, i highly suggest looking at references to get a general idea! here is just one example.

❗reminder that each step requires new layers! color everything on different layers so you can make changes in the future if you need to!! ❗

Hard shading

next, I like to add hard shadows to my colorings for more details. these are the shadows where i don’t blend into the skin. the areas where i almost always focus are 

Under the hair

Neck

Ears

Under the eyebrows

but again, the hard shadows can also heavily depend on the angle that the character is in. like always, if you struggle with that, references will be your best friend!! i’ll show you a reference that i used for this coloring! :) 

Tip: set your shading layer to multiply and then adjust the opacity to your liking. mine is set to 80% here

#3 - Tips for Blush 

not everyone includes blushes in their colorings, but i personally like to add it because i feel like it adds a lot of life to the characters (and i find it cute 🥰) 

 #4 -  Lighting/Color Details

another tip to make your coloring stand out is to add lighting! this is one of my favorite process as i really enjoy experimenting with different colors and seeing which one works best. you can use as much layers as you want until you get a result that you’re satisfied with. 

here is my result after i add more colors to the shadows and Aki’s face. i also colored in the eyes and added some pale colors to his lips because i know aki uses his chapstick 👑💅💁‍♀️ 

#5 - Brightening the Line Art

right now, the lines that we have are black, but i would prefer to brighten it up a little more. here, i will set a new layer above my manga cap, and choose a red or orange shade to add some colors to it

if you want a more vibrant effect, use a more vibrant version of those colors, or vice versa. you can also adjust the colors using your selective coloring tool

#6 - Finishing Touches

now that i’m nearing the finished product, i will begin to add some final details to it. are there areas that should be brighter or colors that should be less saturated? are there any areas where i should add highlights to? here is where i fix minor things until i’m satisfied with the outcome. i will also adjust my psd as well if i need to!

and finally, here is my result! :)