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Use of color as Mike Metcalfde does

 Could anyone  enlighten me (or maybe post a tutorial and enlighten many others) on how to use color in the way Mike Metcalfe does in this video: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=629619737564014 ?


So far, I used a separate layer for color, creating lines with the brush stroke removed that will appear after the black lines are done. But in this way you always have to be careful to not cover the black lines with a too thick line or else the colour will show on the edges.

In Mike's video, there is no hint of colour when drawing the black lines. So I think there are multiple drawings stacked on top of each other, each with an extra layer of colour? Or am I wrong?

 You are right. 5 stacked drawings.


1) I started by making my illustration using multiple layers in photoshop. Then I saved five PNG images:

a) one with just the black line art

b) one with black line art plus flat color on the characters

c) one with black line art plus shaded color on the characters

d) one with black line art plus shaded color on the characters and flat color on the background art

e) one with black line art plus shaded color on the characters and shaded color on the background art


2) Then I set up an illustrator file with all 5 images perfectly aligned in 5 separate layers. Then I added the reveal strokes for each PNG in its respective layer.


3)The reveal strokes may make the finished SVGs slightly different sizes, so they will not line up correctly in Videoscribe. To solve that problem, I used the rounded rectangle tool to add a transparent rectangle that was large enough to enclose all of the PNGs and transparent reveal strokes.  I just added one rounded rectangle in a layer of its own.


4) Next I saved my each of the five PNG images along with their respective reveal strokes AND the rounded rectangle as 5 separate SVG files. In order to do that I selected and deleted everything except for the first PNG, its reveal strokes and the transparent rounded rectangle, then I saved the first SVG. Then I used "undo to bring back all of the deleted layers, and repeated the process for the second PNG, the third png etc.


5) Next I imported all 5 images into videoscribe, one after another with the same camera position so they are all perfectly aligned. (if they are not perfectly aligned, you may have to go back and  do step 3 again more carefully.) Then I zoomed in until the drawings filled the screen, and I set the same camera position for all 5 images.


If the instructions seem confusing, I would recommend trying the process with a simple image like a smiley face, and just use two SVG  images( 1 with line art and 1 with line art and color). Once you get that to work properly you may have less difficulty with a more complex illustration.


-Mike

 That's awesome Mike, thank you so much for these detailed instructions. I'm going to give it a go in the near future.


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