Here`s a little experiment, because I`m bad at drawing people so I need critique to make my crappy art any better... This is a picture of my boyfriend resting his head on the back of the couch. Of course, it is not finished yet (the couch and shades are still in pencil).
I know the head is big, because it`s just my cartoony style and I like it this way. The rest of the body is pretty realistic cause I was drawing with a photo and it looks exactly the same. Oh, yeah, he looks like a girl in reality, too.
So please tell me what is wrong with my shading. I`m sure there`s something wrong... it is my second time ever. I used PSP8
your shading is fine What I did when I first started shading was I would sit in low light and just start at the way the light would be on my arms and hands. from certain angles light can catch even the smallest textures, and others it can wash out everything. It all depends on how detailed you want something to be. Where your lights coming from, and the kind of light that is casting the shade. All of that matters. But like I said. It looks fine especially for a second time. And as for drawing people, get your guy to pose for you or buy an anatomy book just keep drawing and drawing and drawing.
er I hope I was helpful, I have a tendency to ramble
NJ: "You know the drill, you're AWESOME!"
I am the artist formerly known as M2
If you want things to be cartoony, try using a cel-style approach. Tweak the contrasts between your shading layer and your base layer so they're more distinguishable.
For the overlay layer, try using a color besides a lighter shade of your base layer. Make it the same color as the source of light (i.e., if your light source is a street light, make the overlay layer a bit on the reddish side. )
That's freaking amazing coloring skills. I wish I could do that. *still trying to figure out how to use the pen tool in potatoshop*
That's the technique I use. I extended the use of the pen tool to do all my flats with it. I don't use outlines so it's a godsend for getting the sharp edges I want.
Another tip I could add to this is, if you're having trouble getting good coloring out of this, do everything in a nutural tone, like the cool browns swatches, to make sure you get the shading you want. Then select it and add the color you want on a layer set to "overlay". It'll give you better tones than if you just did it by doing your coloring at the same time that you shade. Photoshop's swatches aren't exactly the best color pallate in the world when it comes to shading.
CW
"Remember that the definition of an adventure is someone else having a hell of a hard time a thousand miles away."
--Abbykat, NaNoWriMo participant '04
Coloring tutorial It's a little like coloring boot camp. Without the boots.
What I did when I first started shading was I would sit in low light and just start at the way the light would be on my arms and hands. from certain angles light can catch even the smallest textures, and others it can wash out everything. It all depends on how detailed you want something to be. Where your lights coming from, and the kind of light that is casting the shade. All of that matters. But like I said. It looks fine especially for a second time. And as for drawing people, get your guy to pose for you or buy an anatomy book 
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this tutorial is for people who can actually draw 
