Shading Tutorial
The first step is to get an image to color. I will be using this image of Arisa from Fruits Basket:
Open your image in a new document. You want it to be a layer, not the background. If it is, double click on where it says "Background". A pop-up should appear that says "Layer 0". Click "OK"
Now that that's all ready, we can approach this with two diffrent methods. Coloring over the image or coloring under. I'm going to color under, since it requires less precise erasing. For the diffrences between the two coloring methods, refer to my tutorial here.
Since we're coloring under, set your image to either Linear Burn or Multiply. I tend to go with the former. Now it's time to get coloring!
Hair
I always begin with the hair, but that's just a prefrence. Anyway, first we are going to color a 'base' color. I chose #e7e28c. On a layer under your base, color her hair.
Make a new layer on top of the color. Set this to Linear Burn. Keep the color the same: #e7e28c
Color where you think shadow should go. It helps if you define a general light source, but I never get too specific. Sometimes the image itself can give you clues, so I just tend to go along with those.
Here it is without the base so that it's easier to see. It doesn't have to be perfect.
Now, that doesn't look like very 'natural'. But luckily, Gaussian Blurs are your friend. How much you blur will depend on what you are shading, so play around with it. I set it to 7.5 pixels here.
Time for another layer! Set this one to Soft Light. Using the same color (#e7e28c), color where you think shine would be.
Here is just where I colored:
Blur again. I set this one to 4.3
If it's still not shiney enough for you, you can add on more layers of shine.
Now we're going to add some 'highlighting' to the hair. Make a new layer, and set it to Screen. Using the same color once more, color sparingly where you think the hair would be lightest.
Blur this! I set it to 8.2 pixels.
Now's the troublesome part. Erasing all that. I merge all my hair layers into one, and then erase where the color shouldn't be. All that gaussian blurring gets colors out of lines. You can do this as you go, but I like doing it all at once.
And that's it for hair!
Skin
Under the hair layer (make sure the hair's set to Normal!), make a new layer for the skin. I put it under the hair since we have the hair perfectly erased and colored, so we can be a bit lazy with the skin. In fact, I always like to be lazy with skin, so the clothes will go over it.
I chose to color her skin with #fff0e1.
See? I said I'd be lazy. This is actually how I normally color; I just erase like hell.
Now like for the hair; make a new layer over our base and set it to Linear Burn, keeping the color. It really helps if you know the basic skeletal and muscularstructures for shading (especially the face), since we have to take in account parts under the skin.
Now just shade where and how light would fall, according to the structure and light source. Keep in mind hair, clothing, and anything else that would cast a shadow.
And now we--you guessed it!--blur. This time I used 5.8
I always like to add a bit more shadow, with diffrent depths. So just make each additional Linear Burn and it'll be darker wherever the shadows overlap.
Time for more depth to the skin. Make another layer, this time setting it to Screen. In the same color you've used previously, sparingly brush where it would be lightest. I tend to keep a lot of this off the face, as it tends to make it look shiney. Otherwise, it adds a sense of 'roundness' to the skin.
And we blur it! This time it was 6.5
Merge your skin all into one layer, erase where you need to, and there you go.
Eyes
In the image, Arisa's eyes are very dark, so not much shading (if any) will be required. So we're going to take a short break from her and work on a lone eye.
So here's a new eye:
It doesn't matter who it is. But you may be able to tell who.
Alright, I slapped on some base color (#ead664).
New layer, Linear Burn, same color. Add some shadow farthest away from the eye shine. Blur it (3.0)
You may want to add a bit more shading.
Now for some hightlight. Same color, new layer, Screen and blur (1.9)
Merge, and erase where you need to
And that's it for eyes!
Clothes
Alright, time to get back to Arisa!
Above the skin, but below the hair, make a new layer. In #a2bbc7, color her clothes.
The skin doesn't look nearly as messy now, does it?
New layer, set it to Linear Burn. Using the same color, color the shadows.
That looks pretty weird now, but we'll blur like crazy next!
Gaussian Blur, 23.3 pixels. I told you we'd blur a lot.
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You might want to add on a bit more shadow; you know, for depth. If you're doing more specific placement of shadows, you might want to lessen the blur amound on it.
Now for some highlight. New layer, same color. Set it to Screen.
And blur it (23.3 pixels)
Merge all the clothes layers and erase where needed...
And that's it!
