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Reffelia — TUTORIAL: UNDERSTAND THE BASICS OF LIGHT AND COLOR
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Published: 2013-06-13 10:32:40 +0000 UTC; Views: 7677; Favourites: 233; Downloads: 136
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Description
This is a simple tutorial I made using Photoshop.As a self taught artist it took me a lot to be comfortable with these techniques. What I really meant was mastering it, with a lot of exercises and studies.
I hope this help you in dark times.
Sorry If my english isn't perfect, my excuse it isn't my native language.
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Comments: 31
This is really helpful tutorial to me. I have mostly problems with shadowing, when I have colored already.
I have use it someday. By the way, Have you using this style also to your arts?
I have been checked your gallery and it looks amazing.
Like this art, one of your art's name Fire Elemental , but it doesn't look like you have using grey scale thingy.
But if you have, I'm kinda surprised. Have you used more ligth on it or something?
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I started like that... Once I learnt how to do the values and to work with two light sources I try to do with more colors. For fire elemental I started with colors but mostly of the artworks i do grey scale first... On the fire elemental is tricky there is more light on it because fire glows. but in the fire i tried to use direct and bouncing light
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Ah i see, Thank you for the answer!
And keep up with you're amazing work
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Hey there! 
Your tutorial has been featured in my weekly article: Tutorial Tuesday #6!
I'd love if you could come take a look at the other pieces featured, and maybe leave comments for their deviants
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Thank you so much, Yes i will visit
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i cannot really see the difference between texure and depth on the bottom... could you point out the differences for me :S
Btw thanks for this tutorial, I get pretty lazy and frustrated with lighting so my art ends up really flat. This was a simple way of explaining easy ways to add more to your artwork 
(don't listen to that guy who was criticizing... sometimes people need to be nicer about their criticisms... he obviously needs a tutorial on how to criticize well >>)
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I know I didn't do the most perfect example to show the depth in it, since I did a really quick painting, so I'm really sorry about that. Although, if you zoom it in full size, you can see some changes like blur effect on the floor and in some fur in the edge of the face and the tail.
Why I use the blur?
Because blur forces my focal point, that is the creature's face and all the details from the other parts go to second plan.
Of course depth it needs to be created all the way in the process. For example, in a field of flowers, you have bigger flowers in the foreground and smaller in the background and this gives a sense of perspective and depth.
However, when I have few elements in the composition that doesn't help me to create depth, I do these small tricks to force that idea. The background behind the cat is blury, the tail, and some fur.
By the way thank you for your comment and support.
I don't care if people comment or critic my works, because our world is based on judgement. Feedback is always good for improvement. Although, I don't like and I think all artist don't, as well, when They do without justifying it, because from critic I consider more like a taste or opinion.( Of course I am not talking about him but in general.)
Anyway, If you need more help or If you want to ask questions, I'm here.
Have a good day or night
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Now that you mention it, there are blurred areas!
But I completely get what you mean by focusing in on the focal point.
I wasn't completely getting what depth was, but that really cleared it up, so thank you
(I shall try these tricks next time)
Thanks so much for your help.
I really wasn't expecting such a detailed reply,
I must admit it was quite refreshing and much appreciated!
Good day/ night to you!
(Thanks for the watch, you really didn't have to 
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I hope I helped you, and a watch is a watch
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This is nowhere near the 'basics' of light. You're explaining it for people that already know it only. No one could read your commentary and learn it for the first time. 0/10
Your painting tutorial tips on the other hand aren't bad. You point out some useful stuff. 6/10
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This might help you. I was searching for books on amazon but I think you need to do that buy yourself
[link]
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I'm rather curious what you would expect the 'basics' of light to be? He started off saying what direction the light came from, which is about as basic as you can get. Then he just built on that with information about other kinds of lighting.
Don't take this as me trying to start a fight; I'd just like to know your opinion on the matter.
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I was rating it based on how well I thought it did what it claimed it was trying to do. In the case of lighting explanations, I think he failed at them in this 'guide'. Knowing about lighting a bit already, I found it unintuitive and lacking. That's all I was saying in the hopes that it would help him make better guides in the future.
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You are right because understanding light is more complex than this but also color, perspective, anatomy are too. What I did here was explain the simple and basic light to paint digitally like coloring because people who start for the first time don't know how to do it. Has you can read there are steps to do it, it is a pratical tutorial. If you want to learn about light or how to paint don't expect a A3 size of paper will have all information you need. Go to Amazon, buy books and read them. But more important pratice your skills reality bunny.
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Eh? I'm glad that you agree with me, but I'm not too thrilled of your talking down to me when I was simply rating your guide. You used 'Basics' in the title when should not have included that at all. Your guide is more like "Tips for Light and Coloring in Photoshop" - no criticisms there from me. But you claimed to explain the basics, which you did not. That is my only point. I'm quite aware of the lighting tutorials out there, thank you very much.
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Huh? , Dude, I'm trying to help you?
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Thank you then, but there's no need for that at this time.
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Ok, have a nice day and night and thanks for the comments
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Thank you for the tutorial. I didn't always colour from greyscale first because I didn't know much how to paint on new layers. It was confusing and I often made my drawing to look so dull. This tutorial is very helpful
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Yes I use that method too using colors, but if you start in grey scale the light is more realistic because you are working on values.
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