Digital Coloring: Comic Style Light & Shadow Made Easy! from Udemy

This in-depth, step-by-step course will teach you how & where to add highlights and shadows to line art in real-time. I’ll show you how to analyze the shapes of the forms in your drawings and correctly start thinking in three dimensions instead of two. We’ll be using the same techniques that I’ve used in my professional work in over 75 issues as a comic book colorist.

You’ll learn:

How to layer multiple types of lighting to create a stunning final image.
Simple ways to think about your lighting colors.
When to use harder and softer edges when rendering.
How to edit your rendering colors to completely change the tone of a piece.

Whether you are looking to color just for fun or for work, this course will teach you time-saving techniques and shortcuts that will allow you to create rich and beautiful colors without bogging down in a ton of color theory concepts.

In additions to the hours of video lessons, the course also includes:

Full resolution, layered PSD files of the exercises for practice.
I even include one of the PSD files from my recent work on HACK/SLASH, so you can see this layering method in action.

Work at your own pace. .There's no need to rush, since there's no time limits.

I've created hundreds of hours of tutorials and taught thousands of students worldwide. You can expect top notch video & audio quality throughout.

These lessons feature Photoshop CC and Procreate. You can use any art application that includes layers and blending modes. Some examples would include Clip Studio Paint, ArtStudio Pro, Krita, Sketchbook Pro, and Medibang to name a few.

NOTE: This is not a rank beginner course. I will review some concepts, but if you are completely unfamiliar with coloring, I would consider one of my other coloring courses for the basics first. This course focuses on rendering light and shadow simply and effectively. It does not discuss storytelling or focus as a colorist, and I would consider enrolling in “A Pro Guide to Digital Comic Book Coloring” to understand the fundamentals of sequential color storytelling, adding mood and depth, separating planes, etc, if you are unfamiliar with those concepts.

So join me. I hope to see you there, and I'd love to help you down the path to becoming a great colorist.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Students will have a solid basis for rendering highlight and shadows.
Students will learn a simple, step-by-step that creates complex-looking results.

Students will learn an easily repeatable workflow for adding light and shadow.

Students will have a solid basis for rendering highlight and shadows.
Students will learn a simple, step-by-step that creates complex-looking results.
Students will learn an easily repeatable workflow for adding light and shadow.

Syllabus

Getting started

Welcome! Let's get going!

Learn a bit about the instructor, colorist and art instructor K. Michael Russell.

This lecture covers the tools I use. I also use a light and anatomy app to show off some concepts in this course called Handy: An Art Reference Tool. It is not required, but can be useful.

We'll get some terminology out of the way here.

Direct light is your primary light source. We'll discuss it here.

The transitions between light and shadow are critical to a great result.

A simple way to choose lighting colors without needing hours of color theory.

Practical examples of direct light exercises.

Highlights are points of concentrated reflected light.

Congratulations on making it to the end. I hope you’ve enjoyed it!

If you’d like to check out some of my other courses on Udemy, I’ve linked them below with a discount for you!

Using Procreate:

The Beginner’s Guide to Digital Art with Procreate - If you want to learn a simple coloring workflow in Procreate from the basic tools on up, this is a good place to start.
The Advanced Guide to Digital Art with Procreate - This course takes a deep dive into Procreate’s tools and features -- covering features such as making and different rendering techniques.
Let’s Color A Goblin with Procreate! - We’ll color a drawing I’ve provided step-by-step throughout each lesson.

Using Photoshop (or another equivalent app)

A Pro’s Guide to Digital Comic Book Coloring - This is my main coloring course (v2.0) using Photoshop. There’s also a big focus here on storytelling -- the most important aspect when coloring for comics. You can use other apps like Clip Studio for many of these functions here, but the courses uses Photoshop.
Advanced Digital Comic Book Coloring Concepts & Techniques - This course offers a deep dive into how I use Photoshop’s more advanced features and discusses how I think through coloring specific materials like metal, glass, lightning, etc. (This is not for beginners!)
The Beginner’s Guide to Color Theory for Digital Artists - The course covers the basics of color theory and ways to apply it. This applies to any app, but uses Photoshop to show the concepts.
Digital Coloring: Comic Style Light and Shadow Made Easy - This course is a more technical look into rendering light and shadows. If you want a logical, almost formulaic approach to lighting, you might like this one!

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Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Uses techniques applicable to professional comic book coloring, offering insights into industry practices and workflows that may be useful for those seeking to work as colorists

Emphasizes a repeatable workflow for adding light and shadow, which can be valuable for artists seeking efficiency and consistency in their digital coloring process

Includes full-resolution, layered PSD files for practice, allowing learners to deconstruct and analyze professional coloring techniques, which is helpful for hands-on learning

Requires familiarity with digital coloring concepts, so learners completely new to coloring may need to take a beginner course first to build a foundational understanding

Teaches techniques using Photoshop CC and Procreate, but learners can use other art applications with layers and blending modes, such as Clip Studio Paint and Krita

Focuses on rendering light and shadow, but does not cover storytelling or focus as a colorist, so learners interested in those aspects may need to supplement their learning

Reviews summary

Digital coloring: comic style light & shadow review

According to learners, this course is a largely positive experience, particularly praised for its specific focus on digital coloring light and shadow in a comic style. Students appreciate the clear explanations and the instructor's ability to break down complex concepts. The course provides a logical and repeatable workflow for rendering, which students found highly effective and led to immediate improvement in their art. Learners also highlight the value of the included PSD files for practice. While highly recommended for those with some existing digital art knowledge, reviewers reiterate that it is not suitable for absolute beginners, aligning with the course description, as some basic software familiarity is assumed.

Not suitable for total beginners as intended.

"Definitely not for total beginners, as stated, but perfect for those with some digital art background wanting to improve rendering."

"As a relatively new digital artist, I found myself having to pause and look up things frequently. It *is* stated it's not for beginners..."

"some parts assume a level of software familiarity that might still challenge intermediate users slightly..."

Provided PSDs are great for hands-on practice.

"The included PSD files were super helpful for practicing."

"The provided PSD files are excellent for practice."

"The included files are a huge bonus."

Instructor breaks down complex ideas simply.

"K. Michael Russell breaks down complex concepts into manageable steps with clear demonstrations."

"The instructor's explanations are easy to follow."

"K. Michael Russell is an excellent teacher."

Learn a repeatable, effective method for rendering.

"The workflow he teaches is logical and repeatable."

"The 'formulaic' approach to light and shadow layering makes so much sense and is easy to apply. I saw an immediate improvement..."

"The step-by-step approach to layering light and shadow is brilliant and easy to replicate."

Deep dive into light, shadow, and rendering techniques.

"Fantastic course focusing purely on light and shadow, which is exactly what I needed."

"This course delivers on its promise regarding light and shadow."

"The focus on analyzing forms and applying light/shadow based on that is invaluable."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Digital Coloring: Comic Style Light & Shadow Made Easy! with these activities:

Review Basic Color Theory

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Reinforce your understanding of color theory to better grasp the nuances of lighting colors discussed in the course.

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Review the color wheel and color relationships.
Study different color harmonies and their effects.
Practice identifying colors and their properties in existing artwork.

Read 'Color and Light' by James Gurney

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Deepen your understanding of color and light principles to enhance your digital coloring skills.

View Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara (Calla Editions) on Amazon

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Read the chapters on direct and indirect lighting.
Study the examples of how different colors interact with light.
Apply the concepts learned to your own digital coloring projects.

Lighting Studies from Photos

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Improve your ability to analyze light and shadow by practicing lighting studies from real-world photographs.

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Select a photograph with interesting lighting.
Identify the light source and the areas of highlight and shadow.
Recreate the lighting in your digital art software.

Four other activities

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Provide Feedback on Student Artwork

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Reinforce your understanding of light and shadow by providing constructive feedback on other students' artwork.

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Review student artwork and identify areas for improvement.
Provide specific and actionable feedback on lighting and color choices.
Offer suggestions for how to apply the techniques learned in the course.

Create a Before-and-After Lighting Demo

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Solidify your understanding of light and shadow by creating a before-and-after demonstration of how lighting can transform a piece of line art.

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Select a piece of line art.
Color the line art without any lighting effects.
Apply the lighting techniques learned in the course.
Compare the before-and-after results.

Refer to 'Dynamic Light and Shade' by Burne Hogarth

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Use this book as a reference to better understand how light and shadow interact with forms.

View Melania on Amazon

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Review the sections on form and light.
Study the examples of how light wraps around different shapes.
Apply the principles to your digital coloring work.

Color a Comic Book Page

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Apply the techniques learned in the course to color a full comic book page, integrating storytelling and mood through color choices.

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Select a comic book page with interesting line art.
Plan your color palette and lighting scheme.
Color the page, paying attention to light and shadow.
Refine your colors and lighting to achieve the desired effect.

Career center

Learners who complete Digital Coloring: Comic Style Light & Shadow Made Easy! will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Comic Book Colorist

A comic book colorist enhances the visual storytelling of comic books by applying color to the linework. This role requires a strong understanding of color theory, light, and shadow to create mood, depth, and visual impact. The Digital Coloring course helps build a solid foundation in rendering highlights and shadows, offering techniques directly applicable to comic book coloring. You will learn how to analyze shapes in drawings and think three-dimensionally when deciding how to add color. The course's focus on time-saving techniques and shortcuts to create rich and beautiful colors directly assists a comic book colorist's workflow. The inclusion of layered PSD files from professional work, such as HACK/SLASH, provides invaluable insights into real-world coloring practices.

See salaries and explore the career path for Comic Book Colorist

Graphic Novel Artist

A graphic novel artist creates complete visual stories in the form of graphic novels. This role demands a strong understanding of sequential art, character design, and visual storytelling. The Digital Coloring course can significantly benefit a graphic novel artist by enhancing their coloring skills. Through the course's focus on rendering light and shadow, graphic novel artists can add depth and mood to their panels. The step-by-step approach taught in the course helps graphic novel artists establish an easily repeatable workflow for adding light and shadow. The full resolution files from HACK/SLASH provide insight into industry standard coloring practices for graphic novels.

See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Novel Artist

Digital Painter

A digital painter creates artwork using digital tools and software, mimicking the look and feel of traditional painting techniques. This role requires a strong understanding of color theory, composition, and brushwork. The Digital Coloring course directly aids digital painters in their work by focusing on techniques for rendering light and shadow. A digital painter can improve their craft by studying the course's discussion on direct and indirect light. The digital painter will be able to add more depth and realism to their paintings.

See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Painter

Illustrator

An illustrator creates images for various media, including books, magazines, and websites. This role demands proficiency in rendering light and shadow to create visually compelling artwork. The Digital Coloring course perfectly aligns with the needs of an illustrator by focusing on techniques for adding highlights and shadows to line art. An illustrator will benefit from the course's step-by-step approach that creates complex-looking results. The knowledge of direct and indirect lighting, terminators, ambient occlusion, subsurface scattering, and the Fresnel effect will give an illustrator an excellent set of tools for adding realism and depth to their illustrations. The final exercises give an illustrator an opportunity to practice.

See salaries and explore the career path for Illustrator

Color Key Artist

A color key artist creates color palettes and lighting schemes for animated productions, ensuring visual consistency and emotional impact. They play a crucial role in setting the overall mood and tone of a scene. The Digital Coloring course can be highly beneficial for color key artists, offering key insights into how to layer lighting and render highlights and shadows. The course's focus on simple ways to think about lighting colors benefits a color key artist hoping to speed up their workflow. The final exercise in the course creates an opportunity for the color key artist to practice.

See salaries and explore the career path for Color Key Artist

Character Designer

A character designer creates the visual appearance of characters for various media, including animation, video games, and comics. This role requires a strong understanding of anatomy, costume design, and visual storytelling. The Digital Coloring course is especially useful for character designers looking to refine their rendering skills. Studying the course's focus on light and shadow will help character designers bring their creations to life. The course's final exercises will allow the character designer to practice their techniques on different character designs.

See salaries and explore the career path for Character Designer

Concept Artist

A concept artist designs and illustrates visual concepts for various creative projects, such as video games, films, and animation. They must be able to quickly iterate on ideas and create compelling visuals that communicate the project's vision. The Digital Coloring course offers useful techniques for concept artists seeking to improve their rendering skills. The course's focus on light and shadow helps concept artists create more realistic and visually appealing designs. The lessons about identifying light sources and the examples from media will give a concept artist additional insight in their work. The lessons on subsurface scattering and fresnel effects may give an artist more control of their final product.

See salaries and explore the career path for Concept Artist

Animation Artist

An animation artist creates moving images for films, television, video games, and other media. They need to be proficient in drawing, character design, and animation principles. The Digital Coloring course helps animation artists improve their understanding of light and shadow, which enhances the depth and realism of their animations. The course's focus on layering multiple types of lighting and choosing lighting colors may influence an animation artist's workflow. The lessons on subsurface scattering and fresnel effect give an animation artist tools to enhance the quality of their work.

See salaries and explore the career path for Animation Artist

Video Game Artist

A video game artist creates visual assets for video games, including characters, environments, and props. This role requires a strong understanding of art principles, 3D modeling, and texturing. The Digital Coloring course can be a valuable asset for video game artists focused on 2D or hand-painted textures, as it helps improve their rendering skills. A video game artist can use the course to refine their skills in adding highlights and shadows to 2D textures. The video game artist can use these skills to create stunning and immersive game worlds.

See salaries and explore the career path for Video Game Artist

Freelance Artist

A freelance artist works independently on various art projects for different clients. They need to be versatile, self-motivated, and skilled in various art techniques. The Digital Coloring course can benefit a freelance artist by expanding their skill set and making them more marketable. A freelance artist will be able to apply the course's teachings on rendering light and shadow to a wide range of projects. The knowledge a freelance artist gains from the topics covered, such as indirect light, ambient occlusion, and subsurface scattering, may translate to a variety of media.

See salaries and explore the career path for Freelance Artist

Visual Development Artist

A visual development artist creates concept art and designs that define the visual style of a project, such as an animated film or video game. They explore different artistic directions and help establish the overall look and feel. The Digital Coloring course may be useful for visual development artists, as it provides a structured approach to rendering light and shadow. The course's lessons on identifying light sources and utilizing ambient occlusion may help a visual development artist's workflow. The examples of media in the course will allow the artist to broaden their scope.

See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Development Artist

Storyboard Artist

Storyboard artists create visual narratives for films, television shows, and commercials. They translate scripts into a sequence of drawings that outline the key scenes and actions. The Digital Coloring course may be useful to a storyboard artist who wants to add depth and realism to their panels. Understanding how to effectively render light and shadow can enhance the clarity and impact of storyboards. The course's emphasis on analyzing shapes and thinking in three dimensions can help storyboard artists create more dynamic and engaging panels. The course's lessons on direct and indirect light will help a storyboard artist think about how to use light throughout scenes.

See salaries and explore the career path for Storyboard Artist

FX Artist

A special effects artist creates visual effects for films, television, video games, and other media. This role requires a strong understanding of physics, simulation, and digital art techniques, often requiring a strong background in math and science, and an advanced degree (master's or phd, for example). The Digital Coloring course can be helpful for an effects artist who wants to enhance their understanding of lighting and rendering. The course's modules discussing terminators, subsurface scattering, and the fresnel effect are directly applicable to an FX artist's workflow. An FX artist may find the lessons on rendering light and shadow to be useful for generating realistic effects.

See salaries and explore the career path for FX Artist

Texture Artist

A texture artist creates the surface details of 3D models, adding realism and visual interest to characters, environments, and props. The Digital Coloring course may aid texture artists who hand paint or digitally paint their textures. The course's modules on lighting colors, highlights, and surface textures will help the texture artist create visually interesting surfaces. The final exercise will allow the texture artist to experiment and improve their methods.

See salaries and explore the career path for Texture Artist

Technical Artist

A technical artist bridges the gap between artists and programmers, developing tools and workflows to improve the art production pipeline. Knowledge from the Digital Coloring course helps a technical artist optimize workflows related to digital painting and rendering. By understanding how to layer multiple types of lighting to create a stunning final image, the technical artist will be able to create efficient tools for other artists to use. The technical artist can use the course's tutorials on specific software to standardize techniques across a development team.

See salaries and explore the career path for Technical Artist

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Digital Coloring: Comic Style Light & Shadow Made Easy!.

Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara

Save

Comprehensive guide to understanding color and light, essential for any artist, especially those working digitally. It covers topics like direct and indirect light, highlights, shadows, and color mixing in a clear and accessible way. Gurney's approach is practical and grounded in observation, making it a valuable resource for students looking to improve their rendering skills. It provides a strong foundation for the concepts taught in the course.

Dinotopia: Journey To Chandara (Calla Editions)

Hardcover

Digital Coloring

Comic Style Light & Shadow Made Easy!

What's inside

Learning objectives

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Reviews summary

Digital coloring: comic style light & shadow review

Activities

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