How to Color a Sketch in GIMP
Digital color tends to be more even and more vivid than standard paint. Furthermore, digital painting is easy to undo, allowing the artist latitude to experiment with different techniques. These are some of the reasons why artists choose to import their sketches into the GNU Image Manipulation Program, or GIMP. GIMP's paint tools simulate several common artist's instruments, including ink pens, pencils, brushes and airbrushes. Furthermore, its layers and layer blend modes allow you to apply, mix and manipulate colors in ways that are unique to digital art.
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Instructions
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Select "Open" from the File menu. Navigate to your sketch, select it, then click "Open."
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Make a copy of the background layer. It is always best to work off of a copy so that you have the original to revert back to.
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Click on the "Foreground Color" palette in the Toolbox. Select a color in the "Change Foreground Color" window and press "OK."
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Select a paint tool, such as the Pencil, Paintbrush, Airbrush or Ink Tool, from the Toolbox. These tools are analogous to their real-life counterparts. For instance, the Pencil Tool draws a crisp line, while the Airbrush Tool applies a soft layer of color to a wide area.
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Paint a layer of color on your sketch.
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Select a modification tool, such as the Smudge Tool, to change the way the color appears on the canvas.
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Select a blend mode from the "Mode" drop-down menu in the "Layers" dialog box to change how the present layer interacts with the layer below it.
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Create a new transparent layer by clicking the "New Layer" icon at the bottom of the "Layers" dialog box. Select "Transparent" as the layer fill type and click "OK."
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Apply another layer of color. Repeat this process until you have finished coloring your sketch.
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Tips & Warnings
Drag the "Opacity" slider in the "Layers" dialog box to experiment with transparency levels. Translucent colors are softer and allow different layers of color to blend together more easily.
