I use Photoshop most of the time, but this coloring style can be used in any basic art program that uses layers and have an opacity option on its brushes (OpenCanvus and Painter for example). I use a Wacom tablet to aid my coloring giving a more natural look, but I have colored using this same style using a mouse.

Program used: Photoshop CS
Tablet used: Wacom Intuos 2

GETTING STARTED

(Figure 1.1)

For starters I scan in my lineart or create it digitally. In this case I have scanned in an image of Marcus. I do some basic clean up and make the lineart into it's own layer, but still preserving the original incase I mess something up later(which I often do.) In Figure 1.1 you can see I have two extra layers, my secondary white background and my flats layer. I like to approach the background of an image first before moving on to coloring the figures.

 (Figure 1.2)

In this case where there is no real background to speak of I put down a gradient. I chose the my gradient colors on the basis of where the character is supposed to be (i.e. inside, outside, night, day..etc). For this image I have placed Marcus in an interior setting using a warm brown and orange, I also like to indicate the lighting direction with my gradients, it helps me decide where to place my darks and lights later. I'll come back to finish up the background later.

(Figure 1.3)

REMEMBER TO CHANGE LAYERS! We're now working in the 'flats' layer, so as not wreck my background or lineart. This layer is just what is suggests, the flat colors for the figure. This is the base color that all the shading will be built up on. I tend to freehand my flat layer due to the graininess of my lineart but there are many other ways to put in your flats. Now, we create two more layers above the flats layer:

SHADING

(Figure 1.4)

One layer called 'Darks' the other 'lights,' again as their names suggest; The 'darks' layer will house my dark shading, while 'lights' will have all the light shades. I like to keep these separate so I can go back and tweak without messing up my other work, I have another reason that'll I'll get to later.
Now, we're ready to start coloring, I make my lineart invisible and use 'Magic Wand' to go in and select the area I wish to start working on. I tend to choose the color that covers the most area in a picture, in this case, the skin tone.

(Figure 1.5)

I chose the colors for my lights and darks now, I use the flat tone as my middle ground, and pick a significantly darker and lighter color to use. I make my lineart visible again then start shading. In figure 1.5 I have already started putting in my darks. I make sure to stay on the 'darks' layer as I work on the dark colors. I don't use a special brush, I use the basic hard round with Opacity(between 14-30%)and Flow(between 70-99%) tweaks. I use a sweeping motion, making sure I pick up my pen and go back over areas to darken. There is no shame in going 'too dark' because we can always lighten it up on the lights layer.

(Figure 1.6)

Now I go in a bring out the lights, the same sweeping motion. I may tweak the opacity a little after changing colors, depending on how bright I want my lights to appear. After I finish work on the skin I go back through and do the lights and darks for the other colors.

HIGHLIGHTS

(Figure 1.7)

I've finished all my basic shading. Now I pick my major highlight color, in this case I go with a warm orange-yellow to give the feel of a candlelit or fire lit room. I also go to a smaller brush size as most of my highlights are thin and run along the edge. I also create a new layer for the highlights that is located ABOVE the lineart layer.

(Figure 1.8)

After getting my edge highlights in I go in with a bigger brush and do some body highlights

GLAZE

(Figure 1.9)

Haha! My secret weapon! I start by creating a new layer between my 'darks' and 'lights' layers. I then go pick a dark brown as you can see in the left of Figure 1.9. I go and select my gradient, making it a single color gradient. I call this glazing, a term and technique taken from classical styled painters.

(Figure 1.10)

The change my not be apparent but I have lightly applied the gradient over the image.

(Figure 1.11)

I go back in with an eraser with modified transparency and 'rub off' the glaze in any place where I want the color to stand out more like the eyes.

After that, which this image I went back and finished off the background in the same sweeping style I used on the main figure, I also went in and added some secondary blue highlights.

THE DIFFERENCE

(Figure 1.12)

This shows the difference between a glazed and unglazed version. The one of the left being unglazed and the one on the right being glazed. The glazing adds a subtitle yet noticeable difference for the final piece, it makes the colors feel richer.

You can see the final verison of the image I used here or here.

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