Horse Coloring Tutorial!

[Queso]

If you want you can post it and I'll try and help you out. It just takes practice.

[her]

Here is my first try, I sort of messed up on the head, and I think I went overboard on the shading, but what do you think?

[img]http://www.imageuploading.com/ims/pic.php?u=18068OJ58f&i=112760[/img]

>>edit:

My image won't show!!! Someone help!

[Queso]

Wow, great job! I don't think you overdid the shading at all, I like the broad range you used. I especially like the neck. I think you shoulder could use a bit more definition, and your legs could use some more details. Next time try using a bigger lineart, it will help you fit more details in, especially on the head. I think the main thing it needs is a bright reflection in the eye, it will help bring it to life. I can give you a larger lineart to practice with if you want, just pm me if you're interested.

I can't figure out why your pic won't post, how strange Maybe if you try using a different uploading site it would work?

[her]

Wow! thanks. Sorry, but I don't know what a lineart is, is it the canvas? or the ref pic?

Let me try to get the picture to show:



Here are two more I did:





I think I just need to practice lol. Especially on the legs and face.

[MuteAppeal]

her, the line drawing is the black and white image before you color it, it is like a page from a coloring book. My suggestion to you would be to use bolder highlights. You are doing fairly well at shadowing for your first attempts, but they are looking flat because there aren't enough light colors to make muscles pop out and give the illusion of the drawing being 3D. Also think about adding color variation to the mane and tail and using a much smaller brush size when smudging them to make them look more like hair and less like a single mass of color.

[her]

thank you! I will try again.

[Cheyann]

I probably can't do it cause I am not good at drawing...but I guess I will try.

Can I do a cat???...

Just kidding...I keep trying but it's not working...how do you guys draw the face?????

[Queso]

Bumping this up so the newer players can see it If you have you questions feel free to ask.

[Cowgirls Rule]

I use Paint Shop Pro 8. The tut doesn't work on that program, however I do have Gimp2. Will that work?

[Queso]

Gimp will work just fine. Why won't Paint shop? Really any program that has layers and some sort of smudge tool will work.

[Cowgirls Rule]

I don't know. You first open up the line art correct? Then what I did was I re arranged it so there was the original below, and a layer on top of that, and a copy of the line art above the base. It didn't show up, and when I tried it on GIMP, it did the same. Is that how it's supposed to be?

[Queso]

What didn't show up? I don't really understand, I just woke up lol. If you mean the layer underneath the lines didn't show up, is it because you are using a lineart that has a white background? If that's the case, in photoshop you go over to the layer and change the setting to either multiply or duplicate (I can't remember exactly right now) and the layers below it will show. I'm not sure if it's the same in gimp. If you need a lineart with a transparent background I have a couple you can use, just pm me.

To clarify on the order I arrange my layers in, it's usually something like this:
(top layer)
lineart
hooves and eyes
highlights
shadows
base color
background
(lowest layer)

[Cowgirls Rule]

Oh! That's it! I was using a line art without a transparent background. If you could, that would be great! Thanks so much!

[Cowgirls Rule]

Okay, so when I do the shadows, they don't seem to turn out right. I found a reference pic, but it's really hard to see the shadows.

[Queso]

What about them isn't right? Sometimes they look strange without the highlights added. Just do your best, the more you practice the easier it gets to make everything look right.