This journal just goes to show that even if I'm talented, I still have a long way to go in reguards to coloring. Line and values? No prob. Digital coloring? Holy crap, I haven't even BEGUN to vent my frustrations on that particular subject.

I mean, I have gotten better in the ways of digital work, but I have truly not mastered the medium. When I draw, I am able to absolutely exploit what I know, twisting it, and forming it into an image I think is pleasing... but when it comes to the computer (adding textures, different paint brushes, patience, patience, and patience), my brain doesn't know what to do next. Probably becuase I've mostly taught myself how things work... which is probably half the problem right there. I haven't had formal schooling in the ways of digital art. I want to know about how to apply textures correctly. I want to know how people can get their shading so smooth without making it look like a paint mishmash (I know it just can't be the brush. It's gotta be something...)

In any case, this problem has been bothering me and I wanted to show some examples of people who have awesome talent in the subject of coloring digitally. I guess you could call it my features for the month... of July. Becuase June is almost done. XD


This was a colab with Lone-Momo and another one of her friends Bundgie. Lone-Momo did the incredible line work, and Bundgie did the color. Both worked well together, and now we have a wonderful peace of fan art that is neither insulting or untasteful. The colors are absolutely beautiful and I love the subtle blue and red lights in the background. Both artists used line and form to their full potential, and I could NOT feature this peice of artwork.


Who couldn't love this coloring style? The colors look like oil, and you can tell where what brush stroke went where, but you can still tell what everything is. The designs especially are of note. Not to mention the map/radar of space at the bottom is a key touch. The lighting in this peice is also absolutely drool worthy. The shading too is something that can only be described as awesome. Kudos to *Hellstern


I'd be stupid not to put not to put ~questionstar up here, and her open canvas skills are just freaking amazing. Her portraits and faces of her characters are addicting, and I find that I go to her page more than once on a regular basis. Her symmetry is also a big plus, and the use of color is used without bounds. I can tell she loves color, and she knows how to use it to her advantage. Something I truly envy at this point.


Here we have a peice by =Michelle84 and beyond her obvious manipulation of beautiful color, we also have her talent of using it in atmosphereic persepectice. Something I really wish to master somewhere along the line. It's a hard principle to learn, and even harder to get it down like this artist has done, and her peices show great examples of how it should be executed.


Last and certainly not least is *makani who I wish I could color just like. Her amazing and characterized style matches when she colors them, always adding a nice touch of flare with a finished or unfinished peice. Her style is messy, but enjoyable, and the colors she chooses always seem to agree with whatever she's using. Got to love her work. If you don't, there is something wrong with you. XD

I guess those are five good examples of how I want to color sometime in the future... until then... or until I take a class on how to use photoshop efectively, I'm stuck with what knowledge I've already taught myself.

Guess I'll have to look at more examples.