Download khazarj_assignment03-2.psd.zip
If your lines are black, you can paint directly on the same layer if you set your Brush Mode to Darken or Multiply
DOWNSIDE: It's really hard to fix errors, and you can't paint a lighter color over a darker color.
Add a layer above the line artwork and set its blending mode to Darken or Multiply
UPSIDE: Easier to fix errors that previous method.
DOWNSIDE: You'll probably need to fill the line art layer with white to keep things behind the line and color layers from influencing them.
Add a layer or layers below the line artwork and paint on it, allowing the line artwork to overlay the colors
UPSIDE: The most flexible of the three techniques so far.
DOWNSIDE: More prep-work than the previous two techniques. Also, you have to be careful to stay inside the lines and it's harder to use things like the Gradient tool.
COOL TRICK: You can add a layer above the line art and set its Blend mode to Lighten or Lighten Color to colorize the black lines.
Clipping masks are very powerful in Photoshop. They let you use the artwork on a layer to limit the visibility of linked layers above it. The color of the masking layer doesn't matter, only its opacity
UPSIDE: Even more flexible than the four techniques so far. About the same amount of prep-work as Color Behind Lines. Once created, you can paint past the edges of the area you want to paint.
Alpha Masks are also very powerful in Photoshop. You can create them with the Lasso tools, Marquee tools, Magic Wand and Quick Selection tools. You can save them in the Channels panel. Once a Channel, you can even paint them with a Brush or modify them with any of Photoshop's tools.
The advantage of an Alpha Mask is that only the area inside the mask will be affected by actions in Photoshop. Actions like painting with a brush, creating a gradient, applying a filter or effect, and any other action that changes the color or transparency of a pixel.
UPSIDE: Very flexible and quick to create (sometimes).
DOWNSIDE: Easy to get wrong.
Black, gray, and white pixels in an Alpha Mask channel
Green filled into the Alpha Mask over solid red
An example of how pixels are affected by an Alpha Mask.
Command/Control Right Click to choose the layer under the brush
MAC: Option + Ctrl + Click/Drag
WIN: Alt + Right-Click
Then drag:
Or, use the right and left bracket keys [ ]
| KEY | % | KEY | % | |
| 1 | 10% | 6 | 60% | |
| 2 | 20% | 7 | 70% | |
| 3 | 30% | 8 | 80% | |
| 4 | 40% | 9 | 90% | |
| 5 | 50% | 90 | 100% |
Press 1 to 0 on the keyboard or keypad to set 10% to 100% opacity
I have just shown you the hard way to color in the areas of a pen and ink or line drawing. Lots of steps and alternate ways of approaching the project. It's more work, but much more flexible than the following technique. THis video demonstrates that you can also do it quick and dirty, which—when your working on a tight deadline and/or budget—might be the right and best way to do it.
The downside is you don't have the flexibilty that the methods I demoed give you. So, here's the quick and dirty way:
Backgroundand locked, then double-click on the lock icon to unlock it, then make a new layer and move it behind the lines layer.
Here is the completed quick & dirty version: khazarj_assignment03-qdv.psd.zip
Demo...
Pros do this all the time. Use shortcut keys, like these:
MAC: Option + Ctrl + Click/Drag
WIN: Alt + Right-Click
Then drag:
| KEY | % |
| 1 | 10% |
| 2 | 20% |
| 3 | 30% |
| 4 | 40% |
| 5 | 50% |
| 6 | 60% |
| 7 | 70% |
| 8 | 80% |
| 9 | 90% |
| 0 | 100% |
Press 1 to 0 on the keyboard or keypad to set 10% to 100% opacity