Most of these tutorials will cover coloring comics, since there seems to be a huge lack of information online. I do things differently than most people learn in art school (it seems), and how most people have learned to use Photoshop. My emphasis is on non-destructive edits, because I like being able to re-edit my images if necessary. It’s what Photoshop was invented for, and why they’ve put crap like layers, vector tools, channels, and layer styles into the program over the years.

I’m not paid to color comics, and I’m not an expert on coloring comics, and if you don’t like my end result, then by all means, learn from someone whose style you do like. I am not the final authority on comics.

These tutorials will be created and linked to soon. The unlinked tutorials are here so I can remember my lesson plan.

Text and Captions

Word Balloons, Part One - How to create standard word balloons using Photoshop vector tools.

Word Balloons, Part Two - Extending word balloons to other types, and adding decorative touches to make your characters’ dialogue stand out.

Captions - Fitting text properly into captions, and some miscellaneous tips on making captions and balloons look more professional.

Flatting

Why Flatting? - Why do we bother with flatting? Can’t we just paint it? No!

How to Flat - How to actually do the flatting.

Rendering

There are several different techniques when it comes to rendering, and I can never seem to find a consistent way this is done. I explore several of them below, but feel free to choose whichever feels most natural to you, and gives you the best results.

Cut and Grad - This method is probably what you’ve seen in most big-name comics. The end result is a very glossy look, like your characters are all wearing baby oil and latex.

Anime - Anime characters have a distinct look to them, aside from bright colors.

Dodge/Burn - More a tutorial on how to not color your comic, as the end result is rather dull. The lesson here regards color saturation vs. hues.

Miscellaneous

Preparing Inked Artwork for Photoshop - Once you’ve inked your stuff (with ink), how to prepare it for being flatted and/or rendered.