How to only colour the line-art.

[Lusketrollet]

I have learned how to use Multiply to colour under line-art, but how do you do the opposite? That is; Make your colouring only affect the line-art, and nothing else?

I saw a friend do it a while ago. He did some stuff, and suddenly, when he moved his paintbrush around the screen, only the line-art was affected. I tried memorizing it at the time, but I've clearly failed.

Please do help.

In case you need the information; I believe my university uses Photoshop CC. Not sure if it's the newest version.

 

[MrToM]

It very much depends on the line colour and the [background] colour around it, but, for instance if the line colour is black and the background white then painting on a new layer set to 'Lighten' or 'Lighter Color' would work.

Whatever colour you choose to paint with will always be 'lighter' or equal to black.....so any existing 'black' will be replaced with your paint colour.
White, OTOH, will always be 'lighter' than your paint colour so any existing 'white' will not be effected by your paint colour.

Result: Black lines change to your chosen paint colour, background remains white.

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[IamSam]

If the line art is on its own layer, you can CLIP a color (color fill) layer above the line art. Then add a HIDE ALL layer mask to the clipped color layer.

Use the Brush Tool set to white to paint on the layer mask.





Here is the technique used on line art..

 

[IamSam]

Actually, the lighten Layer blending mode (suggested by MrT) will also work on the black if the line art is on it's own layer. Much easier than the clipping mask technique.
Just set your Brush Tool to whatever color you wish.

 

[IamSam]

I like the variety choices.

The clipped color fill technique with the layer mask might be a little easier to accommodate quick and easy color changes.

Just double click the color fill adjustment layer and change the color.

 

[Lusketrollet]

Thank you for all the replies.

I suppose I should have been more clear - yes, the line-art would (initially) be black, and the background would be white, but the figure, itself, would be coloured.

So when I use the "Lighten"-option, the new colours appear on top of the coloured surfaces of the figure, as well. Not just on the actual line-art, which is what I need.

Still; thank you again for the replies, so far.

 

[MrToM]

Well, to save everybody second guessing at your workflow can you tell us, or even better, supply a screen shot, of your workflow so that a more suitable suggestion can be made?

A screen shot of the whole Ui would be ideal but just the layers would be as useful.

The more info you give us, the quicker and more accurate a solution we can give you.

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[Lusketrollet]

Well, to save everybody second guessing at your workflow why not tell us, or even better, supply a screen shot, of your workflow so that a more suitable suggestion can be made.


The more info you give us, the quicker and more accurate a solution we can give you.

I'll try to be as detailed as I can.

I have several reasons for why I find it extremely practical to be able to colour over line-art directly, but one of my chief current reasons is that I'm trying to experiment with that classic, old technique of colouring the line-art surrounding a surface with a darker or otherwise different shade of that surface's colour.



This is one of the fastest examples I could find on the Internet. See how much of the line-art surrounding the figures isn't black, but rather a different shade of whatever colour it's surrounding? That's what I mean.

---

This is my workflow:

I draw the figure either physically on paper with pencil or ink before scanning, or I draw the line-art directly onto the Photoshop-document, using a tablet.

Then I use Multiply on the layer with the line-art, and start colouring the figure on layers underneath.

Eventually, the figure is fully coloured, but the line-art outlining the figure will obviously still be how I drew it; meaning black if I used ink or Photoshop, or pencil-grey if I used... pencil. Here, I would like to be able to go over the line-art and replace parts of it with whatever colours I decide, like for example a darker shade of the colour closest to it, like in the image above.

In my original post, I mentioned observing my friend doing this. He had drawn a figure on paper, and coloured it in Photoshop. He then went though some steps that I don't remember, and was then able to colour over the line-art, directly, without affecting the figure inside. (In his case, it was a cartoon character with light green skin. Thus, he outlined the naked, green parts of the character with a darker green; the light blue trousers with a darker blue, and so forth.)

Than you again for all the help. I should have been more clear about my problem and goal in my original post.

 

[MrToM]

No worries.

I'm not really sure why you have your 'Line art' layer set to multiply.......does it have to be if the 'colours' are on their own layers underneath it?

Whatever...
If the Black line art is on its own layer then any of the above suggestions from Sam should work.

Failing that, duplicate your 'Line Art' layer, turn off the original, and with the duplicate selected and set to 'NORMAL' blend mode, (To start with anyway), turn ON 'Lock transparency'...



This will enable you to paint with whatever colour you want over just the Line Art.....preserving the transparency in effect.

Is it possible to upload a screen shot of your layers?
It would remove any doubt as to how things are laid out.

Regards.
MrTom.

 

[IamSam]

...........In my original post, I mentioned observing my friend doing this. He had drawn a figure on paper, and coloured it in Photoshop. He then went though some steps that I don't remember........

Not to sound tacky or anything, but why don't you call your friend and ask him what he did?

If you use the clipping and layer mask technique you can have as many line colors as you wish.
There's also no need to set your line art to multiply as long as the color layers are below the line art layer.