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Hello everyone,
Many people have the same problems when they draw. Let’s learn about drawing techniques again, this time by referring to advice given by a professional Japanese teacher in response to a question from a real student. Let’s use it as a reference when you draw illustrations and manga!
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Techniques for coloring backgrounds and characters
Student
I decided to try a more natural environment for my background.
I like how I painted the background, but what bothers me is that the character I drew pops out.
Is there a way to get my characters to be in the scene without looking like they stick out?
Student’s drawing
Teacher
This painting beautifully showcases lush nature! The posing of the characters and the placement of the flowers are wonderful, giving a sense of story.
There are several ways to blend the characters into the background. First, take a look at the attached images.
One way is to use lighting and shadows to blend the colors with the background, as shown on the left side of the image. Don’t forget to cast shadows on the ground where the person stands. The color of the shadows should mix with green, as the surrounding shades will reflect.
Another way is to adjust the ratio of the background to the characters, as shown on the right side of the image. Displaying the main subject larger and at the center of the screen makes it clearer and helps blend with the background.
Teacher’s Advice
Student
Hello sensei!
I tried scaling it up this time and shading it. Also, how would I shade it if the picture takes place at night.
Student’s drawing
Teacher
The brightness and colors of the people and objects are much improved! The colors convey the warmth of sunlight! There are multiple ways to express night.
First, draw a daytime scene, as in this case, and then add a dark blue layer on top. (The attached image is layered in hard light mode.) You can then use an overlay or other layer on top of that to adjust the brightness.
The other method is to draw a night scene from the beginning. When drawing night shadows, it is best to use dark blue or dark gray.
Keep up the good work!
Teacher’s Advice
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