Adding Lights
Let's say it all together: Save!
Right now my sample drawing is looking a little dark. She needs some light. So I create a layer right above the "Shadows2" layer I created for my body color. This time, I select "screen" as the mode for my layer:
This is how my layer window looks like at this point:
I pick a dark color. In the case the color of the darkest shadow on my pony.
Screen mode is the opposite to Multiply mode, it lightens everything under it. I picked a dark version of the color I'm lightening so I could have a soft effect on it. If I wanted sparkles! I would've picked a much lighter color. As with shadows, the color you pick for your lights can contribute to the overall mood of your picture. Have a picture that has a campire as a light source? One good color to use is an bright orange with a little more red than usual in it, for your lights.Using the same brush and eraser setting I used for my shadows, I apply lights. I am very stingy about adding lights to the body. It is very easy to overdo them. In some areas, like the face, I turn down the opacity of my brush to about 10% and very lightly brush the side facing the light source. There is enough contrast in her face where she doesn't need a lot of work there.
And here we go:
For the body I only use one light layer, but I might use 2 on other areas depending on how reflective they're supposed to be. Or if I'm just in an especially sparkly mood that day.
Because of the cartoony look I'm striving for, when I did the lights for the hair, I just made simple strokes that were wider on the side the light was and thinner towards the shadows. This is my "getting it done quick" method. A more realistic look would require a separate tutorial all together.
Here she is in her all non sparkly goodness:
But you know what? I want her hair and eyes to pop out more! We need those sparkles!! So I create new layers above their light layers and set the mode of those to "Color Dodge" and using a light green for the eyes and a very light pink for the hair, I went over the areas I wanted to pop up more.
Sparkly.. sparkly:
She's pretty much done at this point, BUT! there are few more things you might like to do too since you're here already. Why don't we saunter over to the final part of this tutorial.
I don't know how to saunter either. I tought you did. Oh well. Moving on.
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