Space Taco

[battlewraith]

Got around to coloring my July Pummel entry:

[Veritas71]

Nice stuff. I was wondering, what color method do you use for your grey tone work? I'm going to start using the gradient map method that Artgerm likes to use. It seems faster.

[battlewraith]

I use gradient maps a lot, as well as photofilters and things like adjusting the curves. I also use a technique where I take color I've laid down and simplify it using the filter noise:median. Then I apply unsharp mask, which exaggerates the edges and tonal variation. Then I apply that altered color layer back on the picture using a mask to control how much it's applied to different areas.

Using gradient maps to convert greyscale to color is a fast way to get started, but you need to keep in mind that value gradiation will generally result in tonal variation--but not always. So there will be areas of skin for instance that will have a consistent value across a surface but will vary in saturation and color due to sun exposure or redness from blood flow near the surface of the skin.
The gradient map is a global value that you put on the entire surface of the skin and then you directly paint the variation where it's needed or apply other filters and masks.

[Veritas71]

Yeah, I figure there will be some over painting to do after the base Gradient map. Stanley Lau has a really good youtube vid on how to really control the color output that the gradient map will apply. The other techniques you mentioned sound interesting too.

Thanks man!