Learning to color (small color dump)

[mudcat]

Hi there. I've just started learning how to color in Photoshop, so I figured I'd post all the stuff I've done (all 5 pics!). C&C is more than welcome and appreciated.

Here they are in order (oldest to newest). Lineart is credited in the links.

Harley Quinn (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/gbhenderson/harleyquinn.jpg)
Cyborg Ninja (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/gbhenderson/wayeninja.jpg) (it's big, sorry)
Warmageddon contest (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/gbhenderson/finaltiegre.jpg) (this will be used for the cover of their "online orders/convention" versions)
Page for Bond comic jam on Penciljack (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/gbhenderson/page7.jpg)
Hulk (http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y193/gbhenderson/hulktan.jpg) (WIP, trying to find time to do a background and fix the rocks so they don't look like paper bags)

Thanks for looking, and a big thanks for any C&C, regardless of how brutal ya get.

[Will Caligan]

Mudcat: These are my two cents. Now I am not a colorist and there are alot of things I don't know, but from what I see your coloring is pretty good. You know how to set mood in most of your pieces, although the Bond page had to many colors in it. I really could not tell what mood you were setting with that page. I think the purple girl is your strongest piece. Your highlights are to harsh, but I personally like cell shaded pieces, so that could be why I think they are so harsh. I think you are on your way to being a top notch colorist. My suggestion look at people like Chris Walker, David Self, and any painters work to see how they set mood. Hope that helps. Keep posting the good stuff.

[mudcat]

Thanks for the comments Will. The highlights thing is weird. I get a lotta people telling me to put in more, and I get a lotta people telling me less, all on the same pic. I doubt I'll ever find the happy middle road on that. I know a lot of the "harshness" problem was coming from the fact that I was using white for all of my highlighting instead of the natural light sources, but I'm slowly breaking out of that habit.

The Bond page, I ended up rushing myself on the backgrounds a lot just to get it finished, so I have no excuses on it.

Again, thanks for the comments. It's greatly appreciated.

[Rob Beachler]

Sadly dude everyone wants something different. Some people want simple but effective rendering like Invincible has. Other want some wild Top Cow extreme and awe inspiring rendering done. Much like the Warmaggedon draw off there were some really heavy rendered works but you won because that's what the creative team wanted. That's who you have to worry about liking the work since they are the ones that make the decisions. Keep at it, this coloring stuff is fun and a heck of a lot more complex than you'd think. Lots to learn!

R~

[mudcat]

Thanks Rob. What do you do about creative teams that are indifferent, and you can't get any feedback one way or the other besides "Just do what ya do"? :D

Keep at it, this coloring stuff is fun and a heck of a lot more complex than you'd think. Lots to learn!

I couldn't agree with ya more. It's a blast. And I still have tons of stuff to learn.