COLORING
TRADITIONAL MANGA ART IS DONE IN BLACK AND WHITE, BUT COMIC BOOK COVERS, PROMOTIONAL IMAGES, AND STANDALONE ART ARE OFTEN COLORED IN. HERE ARE SOME TIPS FOR USING COLORED PENCILS, MARKERS, AND DIGITAL TOOLS TO COLOR IN YOUR MANGA ARTWORK.
COLORED PENCILS
Outline the subject using darker shades of colored pencils.
Use sharp pencils for fine detailing.
Be consistent with the directions of your lines and follow the contours of your drawing surface.
Layer colors for a rich, vibrant look.
MARKERS
Overlap your strokes for smooth blending and to avoid streaks when filling in large areas.
Work quickly to fill in the shadows on the face; then go over them with a lighter color for a seamless fade.
Leave the paper white and feather out your strokes to showcase soft highlights.
Let the previous layers dry, and then add darker shades and small, bright highlights with white ink.
DIGITAL COLORING
Use a graphics tablet or tablet computer with a stylus to draw fine details using a natural hand position.
Use software that lets you work in layers. Set the line art layer to “multiply” so that you can see any midtone colors added to the base layers underneath.
Add a layer above the midtone base and draw in strong, colorful shadows for contrast.
Add shadows and highlights to additional layers, where needed.