As I promised from previous tutorial. On this article collection series, I will cover on how to Export the animation into a video or movie. How to apply cel shading to an image sequence, especially from hand-drawn images created by traditional animators, similar to the red ball sample animation in the cartoon motion style above.
Yes, not every animator has computer skills, so the best approach for some studios is to hire traditional animators who create animation image sequences frame-by-frame or draw images on paper using a lightbox to reference previous frames.
Lightbox
Lightbox
If you don’t want to buy a lightbox, you can use a flat, transparent window in your house. Just remember to draw mostly during the day or at night with a well-lit garden lamp. In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to clean up lines from scanned images or images taken with a digital camera or smartphone.
Sample Image
For example, here’s a hand-drawn image by an animator taken with a digital camera, similar to Figure 1 below. Most animators sketch with colored pencils in blue, red, green, or purple as needed. To clean up the image, they use a black marker to create the “fixed line” that can be scanned or photographed for later editing on a computer.
Figure 1
To edit and clean up the red, blue, green, or other colors in Adobe Photoshop or other compatible Graphic Editing software, start by copying or saving the image from Figure 1 above, or download "01 Character Sample Photo Scan" from the bottom area of this article.
Open the file in Photoshop by pressing Ctrl + O, locating the file, and clicking it twice or selecting the open button, as shown in Figures 2 and 3.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Change Image Mode to Grayscale
To clean the black outlines from any colors, change the image mode from RGB to Grayscale. Click on Image > Mode > Grayscale, as shown in Figure 4 below. The result will look like Figure 5.
Figure 4
Figure 5
Once in Grayscale, press Ctrl + M or click Image > Adjustments > Curves, as shown in Figure 6.
Figure 6
This will bring up the Curves window. Make sure to check the preview option so you can see the results in real time on your screen (Figure 7).
Figure 7
Drag the nodal point slider to the right to ensure that only the black outlines remain in the image, then hit Enter or click the OK button, as shown in Figure 8.
Figure 8
The final result is roughly as shown in Figure 9 below.
Figure 9
Removing the Background for Transparency
To apply cel shading and add other backgrounds in your video editing composition, you first need to remove the background. This can be challenging, as it often involves removing the background from each image in the sequence.
Why is this important? Because not all traditional paper animators have computer skills. Even if they do, not all of them know how to use Photoshop or prefer drawing on a tablet; many still love using paper!
But don’t worry! You can always invest in equipment and upgrade your traditional animators' skills. If you want, you can reach out to me at ms.gumelar@gmail.com for a short course to elevate your production speed!
Background Removal Steps
To remove the background from any image, start by copying the image layer in case you make a mistake. Focus on the Layers window, as shown in Figure 10.
Figure 10
Press Ctrl + J to duplicate the image layer, or click Layer > Duplicate Layer (Figure 11). This will open the Duplicate Layer window. Press Enter or click OK to confirm (Figure 12).
Figure 11
Figure 12
The result will look like Figure 13 below.
Figure 13
With the duplicate layer selected, right-click the layer visibility icon to turn off the background layer visibility, as shown in Figure 14.
Figure 14
Next, use the Magic Eraser Tool to remove the background. Press E or Shift + E multiple times until you select the Magic Eraser Tool or click and hold the Eraser Tool until the option appears.
Figure 15
Now click on the area shown in Figure 16 below.
Figure 16
As you can see, the area we clicked with the Magic Eraser Tool becomes transparent, indicated by the checkerboard pattern in Adobe Photoshop. Repeat this process for the next target area, as shown in Figure 17.
Figure 17
If you find that some areas you clicked on also became transparent, it could be due to a leak in the image (Figure 18). To fix this, undo it by pressing Ctrl + Z or Ctrl + Shift + Z for multiple undos.After hitting Ctrl + Z, the image will revert to its previous state (Figure 19).
After hitting Ctrl + Z, the image will revert to its previous state (Figure 19).
Figure 19
Press Ctrl + + to zoom in and check for any shapes where the line art is not connected. You might find an unconnected area, like the neck in Figure 20.
Figure 20
To fix this, use a pencil to connect the lines. Press B or Shift + B until you select the Brush Tool. Make sure the foreground color is black, and the brush size matches the original outline. Locate the “leak” shape on the neck, as shown in Figure 21.
Figure 21
Click and draw to connect those line art sections. Look for any other leaks and do the same, as shown in Figure 22.
Figure 22
After connecting all the leaks into closed shapes, use the Magic Eraser Tool again to click on the area where you want to remove the background, as shown in Figure 23.
Figure 23
The result should look like Figure 24 below.
Figure 24
Cel Shading Color
In animation, cel shading typically consists of at least two-color grades for any object: the main color (like red) and a lighter shade (like light red). However, some studios add a third color for shading, as shown in Figures 25 and 26.
Figure 25
Figure 26
Before we continue to the next step, you can download "02 Character Sample Photo Scan BW Transparent" in PSD format that we’ve been working on. We’ll need this for coloring in cel shading style.
The basic coloring technique is similar to what you learned in the previous tutorial "06: Frame-by-Frame 2D Animation for Beginners." In the next tutorial, you will learn how to add light and shade colors.
For quick coloring, you don’t have to wait for my next tutorial. You can simply download 'Making Comics: Comics Making' to learn everything from basic to advanced coloring techniques for any image, whether hand-drawn or digital.
See you soon on the next tutorial!
Thanks!
