Thursday, December 27, 2012

Layering Different Tones

I was coloring a little girl for a graphic I am working on and I realized that I was going to color her in a different way than I have shown before, so you get this fun tutorial.

Usually I talk about coloring by layering colors in the same family, starting light, and adding dark, then going back and blending with the same light color. Today I'm going to show you how I sometimes blend with an entirely different color.

Blending with a different tone
In this image, I want a blue overtone, but I had a limited color range (I was being too lazy to walk into the other room and get all my markers). So, rather than start with a light blue, and gradually work darker, I started with a BG sequence.

1. In the first image, you can see I had BG01, BG45, and BG49. I added colors as layers, just like normal.

2. Here I added my more subtle blue tone by layering B41 over the whole image. I used it to blend, instead of the BG01, because the BG01 was too intense, and I needed a softer tone. Notice how the shadows retain their intensity, but the highlights now have a softer blue tone, and many of my harsh lines have softened (my final output will be very small, so i am not trying to blend out all streaks.


3. Last, I added the other colors to finish off the image. Because B41 is still in the same similar range as the BG family, you don't see much subtle variation, except that the BG has lost it's intensity.

But what if we totally switched color families?

Here is my second example. In this case, I did exactly the same thing, but I started with the fairy in the BV family. When you look at the second image, notice how the pale blue totally changes the whole feel of the artwork. I like this purple sequence much better. The blue highlights really set off the purple shadows.

So, in each case, only the base color changed. I know I have talked about base colors in the past, but I really want to drive the point across that the base color can change the whole feel of your work. This is a great way to work with a limited color range, or to match an image to a specific paper.

I hope I inspired you to experiment a bit with your color range, have a Happy New Year!


82 comments:

Kathy S said...

I'm always looking for different or unexpected color combinations - thanks!

Isha Gupta said...

This is a wonderful explanation. I tried something similar here and loved the effect. Thanks for the tutorial.
http://hobbyandideas.blogspot.ch/2012/09/lil-inker-designs-new-release-hop-day-4.html

Margaret said...

Wow! That's fabulous. I love the different effect of the B41.

Jan Castle said...

YUM...love that the purple shows now as highlights - will have give this a go! TFS!!!!!!
Paper Hugs,
Jan

Sharman said...

Great job explaining this. Thanks.

Rosy Newlun said...


great info - helpful! Is this also where we comment for the Copic giveaway? No? Please let me know which part of your blog to comment on - many thanks!

Cheryl O said...

You make it so much fun to get creative!!! The other day when I was making a card, I got "Marianne" with it mixing colors, and was so darn excited with my outcome. That's what I get from following your blog.... FREEDOM TO PLAY!!!!! You inspire me..... :) Thank you as always.........

Views From My Scraproom... said...

Thanks for the tutorial Marianne. I most definitely need to explore more with my Copics.

Kim160 said...

Thanks for the info.....great for beginners like me.

Barb said...

Unexpected results. Great idea!

Barbara said...

Really a good lesson. Shows the versatility of these markers. Who wouldn't love to get more!!!

cropnmoomsie said...

Never thought about layering that way. thanks for the tip!

Janie Printz said...

Wonderful tutorial. Would love to get the chance to try some of the new adhesives & maybe win a set of Copic markers. Is this where to comment about the give aways. Can't find it on your blog.
Janie

okiedee said...

Lovely tutorial..thank you so much. Love your blending.

Copics Crafts and More said...

Thanks, for keeping us learning and trying new ways of using our markers. Much appreciated.
Susan

Barbara said...

Love your tutorials! Your blog is an amazing resource for me. Thank you for sharing your talent.

Debbie Brackett said...

Your fairies are really cute! I love the colors you used.

Leslie said...

when I grow up I want to color like you. Your demos are always so easy to follow. Not that I get it right, but . . .

Patti said...

Thanks for sharing. I'm a newbie with Copics and your blog is one of my "3 minute breaks" from work!

Anne said...

Just taking a break from using some of my small collection of Copics to make thank-you cards! Would love to add to my collection!

scrappinmommom said...

Thanks for another wonderful tutorial. I have a few copics and love working with them. Would love to have more to work with. Good luck to all who enter and Happy New Year!

Linda S said...

Great idea to go the purple route! Can't wait to try it! Thanks.

Linda S said...

Great idea to go the purple route! Can't wait to try it! Thanks.

Barbara said...

thanks for the good information. Very easy to follow.

JoanneO said...

Love your layering of color. I will be trying your method. You make it look so easy. Thanks.

Debbie Nelson said...

You make it look so easy...I am a beginner, but will be trying this soon. Thank you for sharing!

Clare said...

When you get the blending done and see the finished image, it's SOOO awesome! Thanks! Happy New Year!
Clare

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I so learned from you this week and I will come back often in 2013. Happy New Year.

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