[ CaeHengday ] Welcome on board 🚂 Step-by-step TUTORIAL (+ HD + process + PSD) (Patreon)

For this illustration, I used a similar coloring process to the one I showed you for [ SethoScara ] Secret Treatment Step-by-Step TUTORIAL (+ HD + PSD)!

These are the phases I'm going to cover:1️⃣ Flat colors2️⃣ Base shading3️⃣ Adjusting shadows4️⃣ Rendering #15️⃣ Rendering #26️⃣ ADJUSTMENTS → FINAL!

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SUGGESTIONS BEFORE PROCEEDING 💜You can find in the gallery above more images of intermediate steps and their caption; I suggest you have a look at them to better compare the progresses after each step! In addition, to better understand the process, you can explore the layers of the artwork's Photoshop document (attached to this post) - REMEMBER: if your software doesn't read my PSD correctly, you can open my files on the free online tool https://www.photopea.com 

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1️⃣ FLAT COLORS

PSD folder: WIP_1

First step is setting up colors, I usually go for midtones so I'll darken the base for shadows and brighten it for highlights! I tend to add extra colors on hair and occasionally on other details (you can notice it on Sunday's halo and Caelus pants)

2️⃣ BASE SHADING

PSD folder: WIP_1

Time to choose where shadows fall! This is how I easily cast shadows without color picking:

Duplicate all color layers (CTRL+J)

Merge the copied layers (CTRL+E)

Set the layer mode to Multiply

If it's the case, lower Opacity (I notice I usually set around 37%)

Create a Layer Mask for the current layer

Make sure you have the Layer Mask selected (click on its thumbnail), and erase the areas where you do not want shadows to fall.

Here's my result:

3️⃣ ADJUSTING SHADOWS

PSD folder: WIP_1

Step 2️⃣ sets the position of shadows, but there are estra steps I usually take before rendering...

First of all, I add Inner Glow (*) to the shadows layer which automatically creates the subsurface scattering effect! You can notice how the reddish outline of the shadow areas; it hints the texture of skin. While only translucent objects are affected by subsurface scattering, the reddish outline it creates can be nice to look at and you can consider leaving it for aesthetic reasons (which I did in this illustration - notice it on Caelus' tank top and on hair!)

(*) Find my Inner Glow settings in the PSD file! (WIP_1 folder)

The second extra step I take before rendering is "noting" the color changes on characters, according to the surrounding colors reflected on them. In practical terms: Sunday lays on a yellow bedcover, and the light bouncing on it reflects its yellow on his body...

4️⃣ RENDERING #1

PSD folder: WIP_1

The first rendering step hapens  under the lineart, with the main objective of giving objects a 3D look by defining their shape! My suggestion is: paint within the darker area of the shadows and only change its outline when it's useful to define shapes.

PSD folder: BG

At the end of this stage I also blur the background and add chromatic aberration to it which really helps moving the focus to the foreground on the characters! The simplest way I use to create the chromatic aberration is:

Duplicate the background layer (CTRL+J)

Double click on the new layer. In the Layer Style palette, choose one RGB channel to disable (according to the choice, you'll have a different result for the chromatic abberration, test it out! For this one, I removed B);

Confirm and slightly move the layer horizontally/vertically. The further you move the layer from its original position, the greater the chromatic aberration effect is.

5️⃣ RENDERING #2

PSD folder: WIP_2

The second rendering phase happens over the lineart and the goal is detailing and improving the materic textures! Some fo the details I always add during this stage are: highlights, sweat drops and other body fluids, single hair and body hair... piercings ✨

This is often a step I choose to do after duplicating and merging the layers I've previously worked on. This allows me to fluidify, redefine outlines and repaint where I need without worrying too much about switching layers!

In order to increase the readability of the composition, I bring the main background color into play to distance characters from one another. Sunday's and Dan Heng's head needed to stand out more, so I airbrushed some light blue around them in order to make the outlines sooner identifyable for the eyes.

6️⃣ ADJUSTMENTS → FINAL!

PSD folder: WIP_2 > Adjustments

Curves, to make Caelus hair a ligther gray beacause I thought it was too dark;

Color Lookup, 3Strip.look (100%), to enhance the skin's reddish parts e.g. blush and increas saturation around highlights;

Color Lookup, NightFromDay.cube (45%), to increase contrast behind Caelus so the characters would pop out more from the background;

Levels, to brighten characters so, again, they would pop out more against the backgroung!

Posterize, value: 30, to further enhance colors and contrast!

Gaussian Noise, value: 5, on the characters skin to blend the posterize effect a little and create the skin's pore effect.

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This is all from me, but if you had questions, please do ask!! I really want these posts to be as useful as possible 💜

💌 HD + PSD in attachments!

If your software doesn't read my PSD correctly and you do not have Photoshop, you can open my files on the free online tool https://www.photopea.com !!