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saphiremomo — Using The GIMP :: Cell-shading
Published: 2006-09-09 17:37:35 +0000 UTC; Views: 103029; Favourites: 1571; Downloads: 3518
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Description
2010Updated with a cleaner look and with my current style of cell-shading (which although it's a longer tutorial, it's actually easier IMO). I'll start trying to answer questions now that I'm frequenting DevART more often, so feel free to ask away!
For those of you who may prefer the older version (which I understand if you do) I've uploaded it to my photobucket for your pleasure.
[link] 2006
Aha! Finally I have gotten off my lazy, procrastinating butt and made a Cell-shading tutorial! Fear my cell-shading!
MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!!!!
Anyway.... this is a tutorial that was kinda requested by Calypso, since she so wants to learn how to cell shade. So I searched for cell-shading tutorials, and found very few (AKA NONE) that went into detail on how they cell-shade. So I made this. I don't know if it's any better, but I hope it helps all the GIMP-users out there!
Examples - where I've used this technique
[link]
[link]
[link]
Other Tutorials - Learn more!
Layers *Very Important* -> [link]
Soft-Shading -> [link]
Lineart -> [link]
Related content
Comments: 276
I'm having this exact same problem, and it's really pissing me off. Which layer do you Add Alpha Channel to? Which background layer, the white one, or the original drawing?
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Oh mi god! this helped so much! thank you thank you thank you!!!
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This is going to help me when i stop being lazy and do a lineart. Thanks!
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So awesome XD I use this to help me whenever I use gimp. Thank you so much.
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Omg~ thank you sooooo much for this tutorial! It really helped me, and cuz of this (since i know what im doing now) i'm not gonna give up on digital drawings anymore ^^
[link] - the pic i did, hope its kay for a first time haha
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Hehe, it looks pretty good.
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Im trying to nail a shading style, and I decided I REALLY like the idea of cell shading - this is a great tutorial, and, if I may, i'll link you to the final piece for advice? 
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Go for it.
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Actually it's really terrible, ill link it to you if I get it better X3 Thanks for the great tutorial!
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Wow this is one of the best explinations I've had yet thankyou for your help
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Um... how do you do the layers? I've always needed help on that but no one would give me an exact explanation on how to use them. I see you put one layer for hair and skin...do you put it on transparent? Whats white used for? and in the end how do you put all the pieces(layers) together to form the final picture 
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To make a transparent layer, you want to go to [Layer->New Layer] and make sure that Transparency is checked or bubbled in. This will make your new layer transparent, making it ideal for coloring.
To make the white around some lineart transparent, you want to go to [Layer->Transparency->Color to Alpha] and make sure the color in the small box in the bottom is white.
You'll know if something is transparent by the gray boxes that you'll get in the background (but if you have any solid color behind the layer, such as a white one, you won't see said boxes)
I just use white whenever I need a solid background - it's perfectly viable to not have a background or use your foreground and background colors when choosing a layer.
And lastly, you can merge your finished work into a flat picture that's perfect for posting on the internet and printing by [Image->Flatten Image]
(I have an understanding layers tutorial here -> [link] )
Hope this explanation helps!
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Ahhhh! The link helped! So the backgrounds on the bottom and linearts on the top. For the path tool (lineart tool) do you use a different layer too so its above the sketch (scanned) drawing? Then delete the sketched drawing so it doesn't show up underneath the lineart? Flatten image? Lol I'm such a noob.
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Hehe it's fine, nobody's born knowing this stuff, we just have to learn.
If you were to use the path tool for lineart, it would be good to do it on a transparent layer above what you plan to use for coloring and background. And you can delete the sketch if you want, or you can click the little eye icon in the layers dialog which makes it disappear until you click the eye again. As long as it's hidden when you flatten the image the flattened image won't contain the sketch.
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:3 Ahh I see! I finally finished a picture I drew! So how do I finish it? Do I just save it and "the end"? or do I have to do something?
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You'll want to save it as .jpg or .png in most cases - .png is better for quality, but typically has a larger size, and .jpg usually has a smaller size, but can add fragments and irregularities to your artwork over time.
So just do a Save As -> Filename.png or whichever one you choose.
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Wow thanks for the help. :3
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simple, and easy to follow. Thank you! Love it!
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Than you so much! This is awesome and it helped me a lot:
[link]
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Thank you for this tutorial. I'm a total noob to GIMP and wanted something that was simple easy to understand and had clear easy to read pictures.This is just the tutorial!! I'm so happy. I've colored my first illustration with this
Thanks Again I appreciate it,
Have a great day,
Yukiko-berrie
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That looks really fantastic!
I'm glad you found my tutorial helpful.
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Thank you!. Yes It is very helpful!
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This is a wonderful tutorial~ It helped me so much with [link]
Once again, thank you
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This is great all of them are its really helped me get a hold on using GIMP,thanks.
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thank this helped soooooooooooooooo much
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Thank you oh so much! I've been floundering and doing hit and miss on how I shade, normally painting on a darker color of the underlying color and that takes forever!
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Thank you, I want to learn cell shading, but... Everytime I use Gimp, I forget this and use soft shading again...
Think this will be very helpfull! And sorry for my really bad English XD
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Fabulous; simple, clear & satisfying-Thank you! >^.^<
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Your Tutorials are really helpful!! The only part I got stuck is on the last part for adding a gradient. I have added a layer above all the others including the line art. I don't know how to add a gradient.
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THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!
After following this tutorial with what I'm currently doing, it's already looking 1000x better than all my previous shading attempts of this style (everytime I tried shading, it looked like everyone had a 5 o'clock shadow 
Anyways, thanks again and I'll show you when the piece is done
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That'd be fantastic if you could.
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Okay....so this: [link] was the first painting I did while trying to shade using this technique and this: [link] is my second attempt at shading with this technique (second even had a light source!
I think I'm getting better and I really do appreciate you sharing stuff like this
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Those look totally amazing! Nice work!
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Thanks! This tutorial really improved my shading by a ton....I really appreciate it
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Thank you so much for making this!
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Yeeeeessss! That tutorial is absolutely felicitious! Especially what I want. Thanks so much
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i dunno wut Im doing wrong but I just dunno wut happens with it, when I start colouring in Transperancy nothing happens I only see the coloured out lineart in the side layers O.o
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So when you color the color is showing up over your lineart? Or are the colors not showing up at all in your main picture?
If the color is showing up over your lineart, instead of under, check the layer order or make sure the transparency layer is selected (and is not the one with your lineart on it!)
If the color isn't showing up at all, make sure you have made your lineart transparent through [Layer > Transparency > Color to Alpha] or by setting your lineart layer mode to Multiply (which makes white transparent).
I hope this helps, and if it doesn't feel free to ask more questions.
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I have it like on da turtorial Copy of the Lineart on the Top then next is Transperancy (in Alpha mode I tried in Multiply hasn't worked :/ also) and it still won't work so O.O
I dun see the Lineart when Im in Transperancy
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Wow its wonderful to meet fellow GIMP users out there, no one wants to use GIMP because they say its "stupid and trash compared to photo shop". Photoshop is great, dont get me wrong, but GIMP is good too.
Your awesome with tuts
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Haha, I'm glad you found it useful! I sometimes get that attitude towards GIMP as well when I mention it in my Photoshop classes, but it really is a very good program for those of us who can't afford a few hundred bucks for a program. o_o;;
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agreed ^^
I mainly started noticing it when someone who likes my art is like, "Wow this is amaizing! what did you use?" And im like: "GIMP 2,6". And the they'll be like: "ohhh...." and it just trails off. So yeah thats how it is.
You have talent btw
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