How Do You Shade in Digital?

[AnnaLandin]

I do my flats on two layers (background+characters) and do a bit of shading directly on the colour layer, mainly of skintones and hair, which require a lot of detail work, and then do one overlay layer to adjust atmospheric lighting, and then one multiply layer for the shadows.

I try to pick one colour to shade with for the entire page, as it's faster, and I try to pick one that fits the lighting of the page. If it's a warm yellow sunshine type of situation, I go with a shadow that is tinted a bit purple. If the lighting is orange or reddish, I go with a more blue-tinted shadow - and so on. It's similar to how @shazzbaa works, actually!

Am I the only person who usually adds LIGHT instead of shadows... :'D Sometimes I'll add both (especially if I have time and really want the picture to look polished), but when I add just one, 9 times out of 10 it'll be the light.

I do both! I nearly always add a layer to adjust for atmospheric lighting, and when necessary add another couple of layers for specific lightsources, rim-lighting, etc, etc.

[J.Z.Castillo]

@shazzbaa @AnnaLandin this is the first time I hear about light ranges and shadow colors, so do you guys go by the color wheel? Like complimentary colors? Or is it more analogous? What works best do you think?

[AnnaLandin]

this is the first time I hear about light ranges and shadow colors, so do you guys go by the color wheel? Like complimentary colors? Or is it more analogous? What works best do you think?

I go partly by complimentary colours - yellow-purple, orange-blue, etc. - and partly by the general setting. If the scene is set in a green forest, chances are the overall colours of the page will be tinted a bit greenish due to reflected light bouncing off the leaves and stuff. So even if the sunlight is yellow (thus dictating that the shadows should be purple-ish), the shadows are going to be a bit greener due to the surroundings.

[El_Psy_Congroo]

Pleass teach us your ways Sensei!

[Shanny8]

it's weird coz while most people go dark to light I do the opposite.

[punkarsenic]

i honestly avoid shading in my new comic. it can take up a lot of time and doesnt fit the intended style anyway. instead, i shade in the pencil layer, and have at least one overlay layer providing a gradient over the whole image. it provides depth without taking hours, and i like the effect.

[Nyamesis]

Ahh so convenient .u. I bet it saves a lot of time yeah If you work super clean like that^^
Thanks!

[shazzbaa]

so do you guys go by the color wheel? Like complimentary colors? Or is it more analogous? What works best do you think?

I agree with Anna, complementary colours are basically the starting point / guideline, and other things in the scene affect that! I'll also tweak it based on mood/feel -- how warm or cold I want the scene to feel, or using an unnatural colour to make the scene feel unsettling, how strong the lighting is, stuff like that.

If I'm unsure of the colour I want to shade with, or if some colour seemed like it would work in theory but REALLY isn't working, I can just play around with adjusting the hue (CTRL+U if you're in photoshop) of the multiply layer I'm using and see what colour looks right

It does HELP to know why certain colours work, but I don't think you need to be able to pull the perfect colour off the top of your head -- sometimes I gotta try stuff out and see what works!

[60Six]

I did! http://sta.sh/01727otgqekc

[El_Psy_Congroo]

I know, but Kung Fu Grizzly is awesome. I had to share.

[J.Z.Castillo]

@AnnaLandin @shazzbaa good to know! Thanks!! UGH! Optics and color theory are such a pain in the ass!! >___<

[AnnaLandin]

I'll also tweak it based on mood/feel -- how warm or cold I want the scene to feel, or using an unnatural colour to make the scene feel unsettling, how strong the lighting is, stuff like that.

I do this a bit, and also work with colour-coding certain things! Like in Grassblades, where bright blue signals that the main character's weirdo magic powers are influencing what's happening; I can just put a few blue sparks around a panel, or a slight glow around him, and the reader will know that something is up without me having to say so in dialogue or narration.

Colour is fun!

[haleymewsome]

I usually use only one color based on the light in the environment! Using a multiply layer over color flats. Not only is it lazier and easier, but it also makes your art look more ~atmospheric~. Generally using a light orange-y red or a light grayish blue depending on the mood and time of day that I'm supposed to be representing.

[jordanthelass]

I'm seriously lazy when it comes to shading. XD I usually make a new layer and set it to 25 percent opacity, then use black for shadows and white for highlights. If I want to create more depth, I'll create a second layer on top of that one and add something extra.

I think it all depends on your art style, though. At first I thought my drawing style didn't need much shading, but it helps a LOT.