The following process is one we use primarily for coloring storyboards in Photoshop that include artwork ranging from rough sketch to refined pencil or even inked. Overall, this process creates a Photoshop file with lines on top, coloring underneath and a background beneath the coloring. Think of it as an “animation cel” if that helps.

Here’s the step-by-step for this approach. If you’re fan of Photoshop actions, we recommend starting a recording right away.

Step 1
Open an image, then ensure its “Mode” is set to Grayscale and that the document is flat.

Step 2
From the “Channels” palette, select the “Load Channel as Selection” icon.

Step 3
Visit the “Layers” palette and change the layer name from “Background” to “Lineart,” — or whatever name fits your work style.

Step 4
Hit “Delete” and next “Deselect.”

Step 5
Select “Remove White Matte” from the “Layer / Matting” menu.

Step 6
Next, change the document mode from “Grayscale” to “RGB.”

Step 7
From the Layers palette, create a new Layer, name it “Color” and place it beneath the “Lineart” Layer.

Step 8
Create a new Layer, name it “Background” and place it beneath the “Color” Layer. Note that “Background: <color name>” is helpful production-wise.

Step 9
Select the “Background” Layer and fill it with 100% white.

At this point, your artwork is prepped and ready to color. So if you’re feeling adventurous, go ahead and bypass the rest, grab a tablet or mouse and begin coloring on the “Color” Layer now! But if you’d like to know more, let’s continue.

Step 10
Reveal the “Color” palette and pick a rather loud, primary color.

Step 11
Select the “Color” layer, then the brush tool. Now, paint within the borders of the image however you desire.

Step 12
Once coloring is complete, select the “Lock transparent pixels” icon from the Layers palette.

Step 13
Now, with the pixels locked, you can easily add any color without strolling beyond the lines. This means a steady hand isn’t required.

With the above process in place, there are a few deviations that might enhance the output.

Advanced Coloring
The “HSB” color palette is extremely handy for accessing lighter or darker values quickly. Should you decide to add highlights and shadows based on any chosen color, we first recommend adjusting the “B” (black) slider.

The above demonstrates this HSB approach over a four-minute period. Here we used the Brush tool to apply shading. Next, after using the Magic Wand to select the shaded region, we may add deeper tones with the Gradient Tool.

Coloring Lines
Selecting the “Lock transparent pixels” on the “Lineart” layer means you can also paint the lines without affected color elsewhere.

Texture
Add a texture or pattern between the “Lineart” and “Color,” then switch the “Layer Mode” to produce unique treatments. In this example, we’ve added a cardboard texture set to “Overlay.”

Ambient Lighting
The “Photo Filter” feature within the Layers Palette’s “Fill or Adjustment” menu can add a wonderful tonal quality that’s easily adjustable. In the example above, we chose “Warm Filter (LBA)” at 57% and with “Preserve Luminosity ” selected.

Vector Art
Vector imagery can be processed in the same manner as a scanned image. Take the following image for example.

If exported from Illustrator as a flattened.PSD then processed using the steps above, the following can be easily accomplished.

Along with a lil’ masking for fun, of course.

Whiteboard Sketches
Using your phone to capture a whiteboard image essentially mimics a scan. From there, you can process a dry erase image in the same manner as flat art. Simply change the photo to Grayscale and follow steps 1-13.

If the image is a bit muddy, you can use the eye dropper tool within Levels to compensate. Select the white eyedropper, then click on a white region of the whiteboard capture. Next, select the black eyedropper and click on a black line. Hit “OK” and now proceed with the coloring process.

And there you have it.

Here’s the art used above plus the Photoshop action based on the above process.

Please enjoy! Thanks for reading!

Download “art_hand w-iphone” (TIF / 488KB) compressed
Download “art_dry erase” (TIF / 523KB) compressed

Download “action_coloring art” (ATN / 2KB) compressed

Authored & Illustrated by:
Kevin White, Senior Visual Designer, Visualhero
Edited by:
Harvey Schaefer, Design & Media Manager, Visualhero