Project #14: Colouring Line Art

1. The first thing we need to do is convert our graphic from a bitmap into Lab Color. From the Image menu, select Mode and then Grayscale, just click OK when the ratio requestor appears. Go back into the Image menu, select Mode and this time select Lab Color.

2. Before we begin colouring our little dog, we need to make the default 'Background' layer into a floating layer. Double click on the Background layer and rename it Outline. We are going to add the colour onto separate layers so we can place them behind the outline (makes it look tidier).

3. Because we are going to move the color layers behind the original outline, we need to get rid of the white areas and just leave the black outline. Select the Magic Wand tool and click on a white area. Next, from the Select menu choose Similar. This will now make the Magic Wand tool select anything that is white in our image. Press the Backspace key to delete all but the black outline. We are now ready to start colouring.

4. With the Magic Wand tool, select the tongue. When you have the selection, create a new layer and rename it tongue. Select the Fill tool (the bucket) and select a bright red colour and with the tongue layer active fill in the selection. Don't remove the selection just yet. For now, press CTRL+ H key to hide the selection so that it isn't in our way.

5. Get your paint brush and select a soft edged brush. I used a brush size of 45. Using the eye dropper, select a darker red from the color swatch. Carefully draw round the edges to add the shadow. You should end up with something similar to the image opposite.

   If you make a mistake, remember you can use the History palette to backtrack and then redo the shading. With you keeping the selection mask active you will notice that you don't paint over the black outline. You can do similar to this by checking the Preserve Transparency box on the Layers palette.

6. Now for the area around the mouth. Click on the Outline layer to make it active and use your Magic Wand to select the area. When you've got your selection, create another layer and name it Fur1. Fill the selection with a light brown/beige colour. Get your paintbrush again, hold down the ALT key to activate the Eye Dropper and select a dark brown from the colour swatch. Add some shadows as you did to the tongue. Select another brown a couple of shades lighter and add some more. Put shadows where you think they need to go. When you have done all this, select the Smudge tool.

7. At the moment our colours for the shadows look too sharp and heavy. By carefully using the Smudge tool, blend the colours together. Now go over the same areas again, but this time with the Blur tool.

8. You should now have some idea about adding shading etc. Repeat steps 3 thru 7 on the rest of our little friend.

   When you have coloured everything, click on the top most layer and then combine all the layers using CTRL+E making sure you leave the final layer still floating.

9. You can apply the above technique to almost any clipart etc you have, so have fun!