Help with lineart when coloring?

[AVEM]

Okay, here's my query. I decided to start coloring my comic.
MOD EDIT: http://Gbc.comicgenesis.com (fixed the link)

I don't have a strictly coloring question per se, I can do that well if I take my time, This one was rushed; My question is about those funky with lines/dots that around you line art when you shrink it. Before I was doing greyscale and the problem was invisible, not it sticks out like a sore thimb. How do I get rid of that? You can see an example in the comic thats up right now. (9/25's comic)

So how do I fix that horrible line-art-white-line-syndrome?

Thanks in advance.

[Jpac]

In case you didn't see the link in her banner it's actually http://gbc.comicgenesis.com/

Curse the World Wide Web! *shakes fist at sky*

[Rich of EMD]

Flatten your artwork onto a single layer before you shrink it. That should solve the icky splotches on the lineart.

[Swiftbow]

Well, I think this looks like the same problem I've had, so this was my solution! (Took me a while to finally reach this particular resolution, as this problem has beset me since I started coloring my comics!)

1. Use the fill tool to fill in large blocks of color on your various layers. I like to have each of my characters and background/foreground elements to have their own layer.

2. Use a Behind type brush along the lineart edges to catch the little white spaces the fill tool couldn't reach. You'll have to go along the border of all your characters, but they'll be clean against their borders.

3. Shade! Using whatever method you like. I prefer the Burn and Dodge tools.

If you do it that way, it'll look basically the same when you resize it, though of course you'll get quality degradation if you try to make it TOO big.

[Rich of EMD]

Use the fill tool

That's a major nono right there. You NEVER use the fill tool unless your lineart isn't anti-aliased in any way, shape, or form.

Instead you want to use the polygonal lasso tool to select the areas and THEN you fill them on a layer below your lineart. It will make your stuff look more crisp.

[Kirb]

Assuming you use photoshop:

Click on your lineart layer.

Layer > Matting > Remove White Matte.

This should rid you of most of your white lineart lines.

[ChibiJess]

Actually - I had the same problem when I was coloring my comic in photoshop at first (same should go for Gimp).

I make another layer above the line art and set it to multiply. I then use the wand tool to select sections I want to color in from the line art. I then use the Select > modify > expand to make the selection bigger by a few pixels. This makes it overlap the line art, but because it's set to multiply, it lets the black of the line show through.

I guess there are several ways to solve this problem.

[Swikan]

I am SO glad you asked this, AVEM! This has been a thorn in my side also. I am going to try every one of the suggestions listed here. *grin*

[Swiftbow]

Use the fill tool

That's a major nono right there. You NEVER use the fill tool unless your lineart isn't anti-aliased in any way, shape, or form.

Instead you want to use the polygonal lasso tool to select the areas and THEN you fill them on a layer below your lineart. It will make your stuff look more crisp.

If you notice, I had steps to do after the filling. Because my lineart IS anti-aliased, it looks totally bad until you do step 2. The fill tool is just to take care of the large areas of color.

[AVEM]

Ah, thanks everyone soo much. I'll try all of this out tonight and see how it works. Thank you!

[Rich of EMD]

If you notice, I had steps to do after the filling. Because my lineart IS anti-aliased, it looks totally bad until you do step 2. The fill tool is just to take care of the large areas of color.

Hmm... overlooking your method again, that actually does work. I'd never thought of that technique before.

[AVEM]

http://gbc.comicgenesis.com/d/20060928.html

Okay, I tried some of your stuff out, and this is better, right?

[ChibiJess]

http://gbc.comicgenesis.com/d/20060928.html

Okay, I tried some of your stuff out, and this is better, right?

Yes- much You got most of the artifacts cleared away from the line art (the only problem is in the Racoon's tail - whic you could fix by going back over with a brush tool).

But otherwise - great job

[Swikan]

Wow, that looks GREAT! Which method worked for you? Or did you try each one on a panel?

[AVEM]

Yeah, I know the racoon's tail is messed up. ^_^;; I'll have to fix it this weekend or something.

As for the method I used. Well, I had beed shrinking the lineart, then coloring. Instead, this time, I colored, then shrinked the lineart. After that, I used a one pixel pencil to cover any white spots that were left.
Then I adjusted the contrast to make the lines black.

[Dburkhead]

My own coloring method is as follows (PSP 8.1, but the basic tools should be in photoshop and what not).

All done on a separate layer from the lineart (blend mode set to "multiply").
- Magic wand to select an area. (This requires lineart that completely encloses the area to be filled. I often have to "touch up" the area with the paintbrush tool to fill any gaps.) In PSP you have to have "sample merged" selected
- "Expand selection" a couple of pixels. (takes care of any anti-aliasing)
- Fill tool with matching set to "none"
- Paintbrush set to "paint behind" to fill in any gaps.

The base colors don't, generally, take me very long. It's the shading that takes forever.

[Swiftbow]

Interesting... shading is my fastest step. But maybe your method is more indepth. I just basically decide which direction the light is coming from and use the Burn tool on the other side and possibly Dodge on the light source side, if I think the source is bright enough, or for effect.

[VinnieD]

When coloring I would really recomend that you not resize until you're done.

It also helps to scan in straight black and white (assuming youv'e erased all your sketching lines after inking) otherwise you can scan in grayscale then max out the contrast so only pure black will remain but you might lose thinner lines that way.

As an above poster said, if you have to resize do it in a single B&W 2 color layer. You get those white splotches and whatnot from in between shades of gray that aren't quite white. Youre lineart should always be strictly 2 color before you do anything else to it.

[Quazar451]

Ok, I realize this is a little late in this thread, but I just found the thread. Assuming you are using photoshop... working in either B&W or grayscale, adjust the levels so that any artifacts like stray pencil lines are gone- this is done by moving the right slider (white) to the left, then moving the left (black) slider to the right to darken the remaining lines.

After this is done, use the magic wand to select the line work. Make sure it is not set to "contiguous", or you won't get everything- unless the art is one continuous line! I always find it easier to select the white of the page, then "invert" the selection in the "select" dropdown menu. (At this point I "save Selection" which makes it a channel- in case I need to select it again later).

After this is done, I copy the line art, then "paste into"- this creates a new layer. You can delete the original line art now if you wish. Make sure you are on the new line art only layer- in the Layers Pallette "lock" transparent pixels by clicking on the little checker board above the list of layers. Now "Select All" under the "Select" dropdown- then Fill with black, using either the paint bucket or shortcut (option+delete on a Mac- not sure for windows).

TA-DA! No more white bits!

http://quazar451.comicgenesis.com

[Dr_Destruction]

You know there's an easier way to do that. If you're colors are in another layer any ways then just stroke them one or two pixels and set the layer to either "Darken" or "Multiply".