HOW TO COLOR ANIME HAIR - (tutorial)

Summary

In this episode, we explore how to color anime hair, breaking down the process into easy-to-follow steps. Starting with a base color, we then use clipping masks to add shadows and highlights. The tutorial emphasizes understanding anisotropic shading, which stretches light reflections across hair strands. Key steps include adding soft and cast shadows, refining highlights, coloring line art, and incorporating directional light for contrast. The video also offers a special sale on an art program, access to a private Discord community, and free brush sets and exercise files for viewers to practice.

Takeaways

• ✏️ This episode focuses on how to color anime hair.
• 🎨 The first step is to block in the flat color as a base.
• 💡 Understanding shading for anime hair is crucial as it behaves like an anisotropic surface.
• 🔍 The highlight on anime hair is stretched out perpendicular to the direction of the hair texture.
• 🖌️ Use clipping masks for shading and highlights to limit painting areas based on the base color.
• 🌑 Apply soft brush strokes for overall shadows and harder brush strokes for cast shadows.
• 🌟 For highlights, add fuzziness to the outlines and erase some highlights around the line art.
• ✨ Enhance highlights with a darker halo or outer glow layer style.
• 🖌️ Color the line art with a darker version of the hair color for a more cohesive look.
• 🌈 Add a strong directional light with a complementary color to the base hair color for better contrast.

Q & A

What is the main topic of this episode?

The main topic of this episode is how to color anime hair.

What is the first step in coloring anime hair?

The first step is to block in the flat color to serve as a base for the coloring.

How does shading for anime hair differ from shading on a regular surface?

Anime hair behaves like an anisotropic surface, meaning the spot of light being reflected is stretched out perpendicular to the direction of the texture of the hair.

Why are clipping masks used in the coloring process?

Clipping masks are used because they limit the area you can paint on based on the first normal layer directly underneath.

What types of shadows are added to anime hair?

Two types of shadows are added: overall shadows and cast shadows.

What tool is used to add the initial shadows?

A soft brush is used to add the initial shadows by selecting a slightly darker version of the base color.

What is the purpose of adding a darker halo around the highlights?

Adding a darker halo around the highlights helps to make the highlights pop and adds depth.

How can you make the bangs of the character appear somewhat transparent?

You can make the bangs appear somewhat transparent by softly painting over the tip of the bangs with the skin color of the character.

What is the final step in the coloring process?

The final step is to add a strong directional light to add color contrast, usually with a complementary color to the base hair color.

What additional resources does the instructor offer to help with the coloring process?

The instructor offers custom brush sets, exercise files, and access to a private Discord community for students.