- 1). Open the image file containing the outlines you wish to color. If your line art is hand drawn or was painted directly on a solid background, you must first remove the background color. Open the layers palette by clicking "View" on the main tool bar and selecting "Layers." Select the outline layer, and duplicate it by clicking "Layers" on the main tool bar and selecting "Duplicate Layer." Drag the original layer to the trash icon on the layers palette to delete it. Select the magic eraser tool and click on any part of the unwanted background color to make the background transparent.
- 2). Double-click the layer containing your outlines and rename it "Outlines." Create new layers beneath your line art by clicking the "Create New Layer" button at the bottom of the layer palette. Each layer will contain the color for one region in your digital painting. For example, if you are coloring a character, separate layers should be used for the skin, hair, and each article of clothing. Name each layer according to what it represents.
- 3). Select each layer at a time and add color using the brush tool until flat color appears in all regions of your drawing. Use the eraser tool to clean up your colors, ensuring that they appear within the boundaries of your line art.
- 4). Select each layer of color and select "Lock Layers" from the Layers palette. A lock icon will appear next to the name of a lock layer. This allows you to shade and add detail to each layer without making extraneous marks.
- 5). Save your work as a .psd file. This enables you to keep layers intact for future revisions. If you wish to save your image as a .jpg, .gif, or .png for web use, make sure you save an alternate .psd copy in case you wish to make changes later.
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