Walrus Droppings

5/30/2007 - Kids vs. Trolls color tests

Been working on coloring this illo that I've been working on for months (It's hard to find time when you have a beautiful baby boy at home!)

Here's how I layer the layers in Photoshop to get an easily modifyable color comp: I separate the shadows out into a different layer from the hilights so that I can change their colors seperately. I have a depth layer, and the magic leyer you saw before. Add in dozens of layers for the colors of everything else in the scene and you get this:

But of course, with all of those colors all on their own seperate layers, I'm in no way limited to my first haphazard color choices. So I go into layers, command-U (adjust Hue/Saturation) and change up the colors, and come up with radically different color scemes... especially when I change major colors like the fog or the magic. Here are some test. I will no doubt come up with several more before I decide on one.

Ignore the funny numbers - I tried some earlier ones that I wasn't happy with. And nubmer 6... well, we shant speak of the sorry number 6.

I'd love to hear folks' opinions on which ones they like... that is if anyone reads this blog...?

5/30/2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Neneuche

NICE! #5 and 8 for me!
great composition!

Permanent Link

5/31/2007 - Untitled Comment

Posted by Vinny K. Krotchy

I read this blog! Your stuff is fantastic... I like #8. The green is what does it for me.

Permanent Link

5/31/2007 - 9!

Posted by Anonymous

I like 9 the best. 8 works too, but 9 highlights the people for me, and that's what I focus on. 8 gives more of the creepy looks... I don't like the green and purple combination of 5. 7 looks more like night-time to me.

Permanent Link

5/31/2007 - that was me..

Posted by Anonymous

Laura, liking #9. but you knew I read this blog!

Permanent Link

5/31/2007 - Magic?

Posted by Anonymous

Wait a moment... I never new the boy had magic! When did this come in?? I like it. It does explain that small rock-like thing at the top of the sword in the line art. (Which I didn't notice at the time - too many lines to see all of the details.)

Laura

Permanent Link

5/31/2007 - yep, it's a magic staff.

Posted by walrus

If you mean the boy's "sword," on the left, it's really a staff... and yes, that's it's magical power crystal embedded in the head of the staff. I'd always intended for there to be magic energy and light coming from the staff: he (Jaden) is the magic user, and she (Bree) is the warrior. That's to make up for Farewell Kiss where I went the chiched route of having the male charachter going off to explore and the woman staying at home. Anyhow, I'd always inteded the magic staff as a stong light source form the left balanced by softer light from the right. But I didn't draw it in because it didn't need any dark lines around it.

On an unrelated note, thanks again for having us over on Monday. I had corn for lunch today - yummm! :)

Permanent Link

11/3/2007 - How do you do it?

Posted by Anonymous

This is amazing. I would like to know more about how you put the layers together. Are then any books or websites you would recommend for coloring illustrations in Photoshop?

Permanent Link

<- Last Page :: Next Page ->