I like to draw and I thinking my drawings are decent, but I want to make them prettier with color. I don't know how to or even what to use.
I want to try using colored pencils and color them on the computer.

But I don't know where to start. What program do I use? I don't have the money for programs like photo shop. And where can I find free tutorials? I looked online for some different things but they were all to advanced. I've never used any of them before.

I'm a newbe when it comes to coloring drawings. Does anybody have any tips for me? I could really use some advice.

Ok, so this is what your do if you want to color digitally. Get a 30 trial of photoshop and look up every beginner's tutorial. Then, once you get comfortable, get a crack version and put it onto your computer.

If you want to do something traditional, what kind of color pencils do you have? Because brands vary and depending on the look, you'll want less wax in your lead (I recommend Prismacolor).

So when you color think of where your light source is, what time of day is it? Where is the light coming from? WHere are your characters (setting)? What are the characters wearing? Do you want the mood to be happy or sad?

Here is a good link on color theory you should check out,

16 Lessons in Color theory
You don't have to read everything, try to experiment with everything and don't be afraid to try new things.

Originally Posted by MitsukiSenpai

Ok, so this is what your do if you want to color digitally. Get a 30 trial of photoshop and look up every beginner's tutorial. Then, once you get comfortable, get a crack version and put it onto your computer.

If you want to do something traditional, what kind of color pencils do you have? Because brands vary and depending on the look, you'll want less wax in your lead (I recommend Prismacolor).

So when you color think of where your light source is, what time of day is it? Where is the light coming from? WHere are your characters (setting)? What are the characters wearing? Do you want the mood to be happy or sad?

Here is a good link on color theory you should check out,

16 Lessons in Color theory
You don't have to read everything, try to experiment with everything and don't be afraid to try new things.

Thanks for the tips. I don't know anything about colored pencils.. I think i did use the prisma colors in art class in middle school and I remember going to an art shop and seeing that they were a bit spendy. I'm not a very advanced artist.. I never used shading or anything So my characters are mostly flat. But I just thought it would be fun to add some color.

I prefer to use markers to color my drawings, but it takes some skill to use. I have a set of Copics (really expensive but really high quality), but I also an really fond of the Faber-Castell marker sets. I find that the Faber-Castell are really good for blending and come in a good color range, as well as being very consistent (though it may be a bit more money than what you want to spend just to just try).

I also like to use water colors, but I would suggest making a photocopy of your drawing before trying that. It's not for everyone, but you can get a cheap set at a dollar store and try it out. You just need to add water, but if your not careful, the paper will crinkle.

I would suggest starting out with pencil crayons and moving on from there.

Well, here's some links to some free coloring software

• Paint.net
• The GIMP
• Sumo Paint

But playing around is one of the best ways to figure out your style. Browse the Tutorials on DeviantArt as well, I started watercoloring thanks to some of them. (Watercoloring is so fun to use with ink and marker, too).

I've never been good with any sort of paints, so I'm a bit scared to try that one out. And I've used paint.net for fun but never figured out anything how to color drawings. I'm going to check out some tutorials. Thanks for the tips :)

The program I used for several years before I got photoshop was Serif PhotoPlus. It's most of the same tools as Photoshop, though some of them are named differently or put in a different place. It's a really good starting point, I'd say. Definitely check out some tutorials- deviantart.com actually has a lot of good ones submitted by users. Maybe try this one?

over the year, my family has colected an array of crayola colored pincils. those are what i use. I always make a copy on the copy machine first, because some art looks jamked once you color it. I just use plain peincils, colored or not. just the kind your second grade teacher would tell you to get for class. I can see the advantages to getting better and more expinsive pencils, but if you are ultra-cheap like me, i don't see the point. i hope some of that helped. When it comes to tutorials, if you google it, or look on youtube, that might work. That's what my sister always does. She doesn't draw, but colors/paints model horses. But that's what she always does.

Please oh please do not crack any program--that is illegal!!

Google GIMP. It is just as good as photoshop and I can do and have done all kinds of things using it. I have colored anime/manga. I have made greeting cards and invitations, altered photos of family, etc. GIMP is completely free and legal to download and share and a great place to start.

If you are serious about digital coloring, try to get your hands on a tablet for your pc/laptop. Some versions are much cheaper than others, shop around on sites like Amazon.com. A tablet allows you to draw with a "pen" on a surface that makes it seem like you are drawing on paper, but actually you are drawing right on the computer. You get to color naturally instead of using a mouse, it's must easier.

Tablets may be expensive or just out of the question, and that is ok! Start with your mouse and try out the features of gimp.

The best thing about coloring digitally is LAYERS. Know your layers! Picture this: You just colored the skin on your character. You are coloring the hair. You slip and put a huge red line in the middle of the skin. You erase the red line, it erases the skin you colored too!

With layers you can split them. With layers if you made this mistake, drawing red over the skin, you could erase the red, and it would not affect the skin.

It is really hard to describe!

@_@ You just need to look at lots of tutorials and just figure the program out, feel it out!

colored pencils are always my #1 choice, but that's because i can't paint to save my life. i don't know what really good brands of colored pencils there are out there, cuz all i can afford to use is Crayola.
i also like to use the computer, but i can't do that right now cuz i don't have a working scanner. but the best program to use is probably Photoshop. it's pretty tough to use, but it's easy once you get the hang of it.
i like to work on manga, and the first one i'm working on, i want it to be in full color. i plan on coloring it on the computer (all i need now is to fix that stupid scanner!!).
i don't know which version of photoshop is the best. i originally used verson 5.5, but i heard that that one had some glitches. i don't know what, since i never had any problems. now, i have version 4.0, which doesn't have all the same things, but is still really good.