Help colouring digitally?

[Gaviera 52]

Hello. Gaviera here. Was working on a drawing, just sketching things out, and marking the scenery with basic flowy lines, and nailing down some anatomy, when I thought I would whip up some colours to take up space, just see how it would work, kinda like how I put those loose, flowy lines to indicate generally where something would be and how it would work. But then I realized, I have no idea how to use colours. I just plain never used them. All I know is the colour selecting tool, and that's it. I don't even know where to begin with colouring.

 

It all looks like a mess of solid colour when I tried it, and didn't really help quite the way those loose lines do. I know it's something better artists use, though, a kind of sketch for the colouring phase, just laying out the foundation, but I just plain don't know where to even start. Could any artists out there give me a little help here?

 

 

As a reference, the type of things I really want to learn to do and apply to my own artwork

 

are like these,

 

or like these

 

or even  these ones

 

I really like lines, you see. Anyway, like I said, I could really use some help from any of you artists out there. Thank you.

Edited September 20, 2015 by Gaviera

[Melon Blitz 423]

The first row of examples looks closest to what youre trying to do. There's a lot of technical things happening with lighting choices and color, and a lot to explain. Most of it has to do with the actual process of painting, which is mostly shape control and composition.

 

The second row is a lot easier, they are done by doing a sketch, then inking them on a separate layer, then throwing the color under them on a layer below it.

 

You're going to have to mess around with it for a while until you can find some more specific questions to ask. Those more specific questions are really important to getting what you want.

[Gaviera 52]

@@Melon Blitz

 

Really sorry I didn't respond earlier, either the message didn't get to me despite following the topic, or I probably accidentally skipped over it.

 

Since the time I posted the topic, I have finished it and left it here. I should probably mention, I was advised not to use the colour selection tool on the actual reference, early on in using color, or I might develop a habit of using it as a crutch. I found it really hard to keep colours consistent, and the blending was real pain to manage.

 

Since I finished it, I've also managed to get a grasp of what hue, saturation, and value were and how they were different through this color study, and have been reading up on this thingy to act as a sort of guide.

 

My initial question when I started this topic was along the lines of: How should I proceed? To learn, I mean (and also, techniques 'cause I need to actually apply it). How I planned to proceed when I thought no-one would reply, and still now, are to keep studying that color theory link and apply the knowledge learned from there.

 

The painting was extremely awkward by the way, I just spammed layers until it looked vaguely okay .

 

What sort of questions? Also, what do you mean, by shape control?

Edited September 24, 2015 by Gaviera

[DND 2,355]

Oooh, love the painterly styles. Here's a few really nice videos with speedpaints that are akin to what you aim for:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYFtS3TxZHw

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEDyjLnKyQY

 

Visual time-lapses work wonders, trust me.