How to Color Anime Pictures in Photoshop
Anime graphics are known for their strong lines and intense colors, and Adobe Photoshop is a capable tool for adding color to images in the traditional anime style. The process is simple to understand and can be quickly mastered, even by those who have never before used Photoshop.
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Instructions
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Save the anime image as a jpeg, gif, bitmap or tiff.
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Start Photoshop.
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Click "File," "Open" and navigate to the location of your image file.
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Select the file and click "Open."
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Right-click on the layer that contains your image in the Photoshop layers panel. Select "Duplicate Layer" from the pop up menu; this will create a backup copy of your image in case you need to revert back or compare your colored image to the original. If the layers panel is not visible on your desktop, choose "View" from the main menu and put a check in the box next to "Layers."
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Choose "Image" from the main menu, then "Adjustments" and "Brightness and Contrast." Adjust the slider until the lines of the drawing are pure black and the uncolored areas pure white. Click "OK."
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Click the magic wand tool in the toolbar. It looks like a rod with a star at one end.
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Click the region of the image that you want to color. It will be highlighted inside a shifting dotted line.
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Select the paint bucket icon in the toolbar. Click the color box at the bottom of the toolbar to choose a paint color.
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Click the highlighted area with the photo bucket cursor. The region will now be painted the color that you selected. Repeat the process for all areas that you want to color.
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Use the magic wand to select a region on the image where you want to add a lighter colored highlight. Click "Select" on the main menu, and choose "Feather." Move the slider to indicate how large you want the feathered region, and click "OK." Select the paint bucket icon, choose an appropriate highlight color, and click on the selected area; this will create a soft highlight that blends into the color below it.
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Tips & Warnings
To create shadowed areas on your drawing, use the same technique as with highlighted areas but choose a slightly darker color than the base.
