[1] Color blocking

First I’ll block out the colors to separate each part before painting.

In the color blocking stage, I create a layer folder and create new layers inside it like for the line art.

I’ll make a new layer for each element or part.

 

Since there are a lot of small items that I’ll paint different colors, I separate them into different layer so that the colors don’t overlap.

I also separate the different colors on the character’s clothes.

 

For the color blocking, I used the [Fill] tool → [Refer other layers].

“Refer other layers” fills color by referring to information on all visible layers.

I also use the [Pen] tool > [Mapping pen] for small areas.

 

I start by coloring the character.

I hide all layers except for the layers with character lines so I can fill the colors more easily.

 

For color blocking, I don’t choose the color I want the picture to be at the end. Instead I use bold colors such as pink so that I can make sure there are no missed areas.

 

These are the layers I use for blocking the character, bear, and balloons. After I finish each layer, I lock the transparent pixels.

 

[2] Color scheme

After color blocking, I’ll decide the color of the skin and clothes. At this point the color scheme becomes roughly fixed, but I may change some parts later.

For each color-blocked layer, I use the [Edit] menu > [Tonal Correction] > [Hue/Saturation/Luminosity] and change the values to adjust the colors.

 

Hint: Tonal Correction: Hue/Saturation/Luminosity

Using the [Tonal Correction] > [Hue/Saturation/Luminosity] feature, you can change the color of a layer using sliders for hue, saturation, and luminosity, three integral properties of color.

Select the [Edit] menu > [Tonal Correction] > [Hue/Saturation/Luminosity] to open the [Hue/Saturation/Luminosity] dialog box.

Adjust the color of the image by changing the [Hue], [Saturation], and [Brightness] sliders in the dialog box.

 

・ Hue

This refers to the color tone. The slider adjusts the tone of the color, such as red, blue, and yellow.

 

・ Saturation

This changes the vividness of the color. The higher the value, the more vivid the colors become. Lower values make the colors grayer.

 

・ Brightness

This changes the brightness of the color. The higher the value, the brighter the colors become. It becomes completely black at -100 and completely white at 100.

 

I use [Tonal Correction] > [Hue/Saturation/Luminosity] to change the pink skirt to a navy shade.

I thought that pink was also cute, but decided that navy suited the overall illustration more.

 

I color block the objects behind the character in the same way, then adjust the colors while checking the overall balance.

Although time-consuming, I repeatedly paint the colors as I imagine them, then adjust the color scheme.

 

I make the colors in the [Color Wheel] palette. I first pick roughly the color I’m imagining, then make slight adjustments until it’s what I want.

 

I don’t like the saturated colors in the upper right corner of the color picker, so I tend to choose colors from slightly above or to the left of center, or slightly down and left.

 

Depending on my idea, I try to make sure small parts aren’t standing out too much, and that the color scheme is well-balanced overall.

 

For now I’ve finished the color scheme.