Coloring Tutorial: Boston Legal

[kj_svala]

This is a coloring tutorial for my previously postes Boston Legal Animations

animations ... click

I`ve used the same coloring for all anis, it seems to work really well for Boston Legal.
No idea if it`ll work for other shows/movies as well. Maybe if you play with the setting/layer

Anyway

FROM


TO

(svala style)

YES, I know, but I could NOT resist using this picture ;D

done with Corel`s PaintShopPro9

1. Copy Base - screen - 100%
2. Copy Base - soft light - 100%

(that`s how I always start lately. These steps are done to brighten the image. How many screen layer you need depends on the image.
The soft layer is to bring back some of the lost contrast after all the brightening.
But you can brighten the image however you like, screen layer, curves, aso)

3. New layer - Color Balance - normal - 100%

Midtone: -27 / 13 / -11
Shadow: -12 / -4 / -7
Highlights: -11 / -11 / 2

Result so far

that`s not too bad, you could leave it like this already. IMO, the difference between the original and the pic we got after these few steps shows, and could be called done.
But, in this case it is not.

4. New layer - curves - normal - 100%

Red: output 23
Green: Input 10
Blues Input 13, Output 1

Result so far


5. New Rasterlayer - Soft Light - 48% - #dbb477

6. Copy Rasterlayer - Screen - 12%

Result so far

*yikes*

And now, and if you know me, you already saw this coming at one point *snickers*

7. New Layer - levels - normal 100%

Output 20 / 255

8. Copy all layer (right click on image, choose "copy all layer"), paste as new layer (right click on image, choose "paste as new layer")

Soft Light - 100%

(and once again, favorite toy)

9. New Layer - levels - normal 100%

Output 20 / 255

Result so far


(uhm, no)

10. Copy all layer (right click on image, choose "copy all layer"), paste as new layer (right click on image, choose "paste as new layer")

11. Adjustments - Colorbalance - Grey Balance - temperature: 6877

I need to remind myself to use the greybalance more often. Lately I did use the automatic color balance, a lot. But the greybalance gives much better results, for everything

12. Adjustments - sharpen - unsharpen mask

this, also, brings back some lost contrast, and makes the picture look less blurry. The numbers you use depend on the image, and your taste. Just, don`t overdo the sharpening


(and once again, favorite toy ;D)

13. New Layer - levels - normal 100%

output 40 / 255

result


14. Merge all layer, done

Add: I use the levels layer to add a little *something* to my graphics. I like the way the image looks after the levels layer.

I also use a black/white texture, set to screen, instead of a levels layer, sometimes I use use both.

This:



is how one of the above posted pictures looks like with a screen black/white texture on top instead of a levels layer.

This:



is how the finished picture looks like, with a screened texture on top instead of a levels layer.

Finished animation, using these colors and setting:



And with this, I`m done.

Clear as mud? any questions? feel free to ask.