Color Studies How to

Color Studies are a necessary step in the illustration process. This allows the artist to test out different color schemes quickly.

Ideally, these should be done AFTER Value Studies.

Instructions:

• Refine and finalize your drawing based on feedback and suggestions you have received.
  • Do not shade your drawing. Focus on drawing clean line art only.
  • Do tape off the edges of your composition.
• Edit your drawing by using photo editing software.
  • Scan or Carefully Photograph final art.
  • Adjust Brightness and Contrast
  • Carefully Crop Art
  • Save your Artwork as a HighRez file (to continue working on)
  • Save a Copy as a LoRez file (to post to Openlab)

• Create fill in sheets for Color Studies using one of the following methods:
  • Using a Adobe PS, copy/paste your design to create a fill in sheet.
  • Reduce the size of your artwork, using Adobe PS or Photocopier.
    • There’s no hard and fast rule, but studies should be small enough to fill in quickly.
    • About 25% of the FINAL ILLUSTRATION SIZE usually works
  • Copy and Paste the artwork so that you have 3 or more to Fill in .
  • PRINT this sheet, so you can and fill in traditionally with colored pencils or markers, OR create DIGITAL COLOR STUDIES by using Adobe PS/ or Procreate etc. to color.
• Color each Color Study.
  • Create one Lo-Key, one Middle-Key and one High-Key Design.
  • Consider Focal Points, Image Hierarchy, and Contrast.

PRO TIP:

*Try coloring digitally in Adobe PS on a transparent layer on top of your Value Study. Try setting your layer to “COLOR”.

Examples: