Priya Kapoor
Cell shading is a popular art style that has been used in Hollywood blockbusters, video games, and more. Paint Tool SAI is a great program for achieving this look. To start, create a shadow layer and use the Wafer tool to brush along the edges of the shadows, giving them a nice gradient effect. You can also use the Brush tool with the Multiple Blend Mode to create soft shading. For a more detailed effect, repeat the process multiple times, adjusting the opacity for each new layer to be lighter or darker to enhance the shadows.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First Step | Make a shadow layer |
| Second Step | Use the Wafer tool to brush along the edges of the shadows to create a blur effect and a nice gradient |
| Third Step | Multiply the layer |
| Fourth Step | Repeat the process multiple times, adjusting the opacity for each new layer to be lighter or darker depending on the shadows |
| Brush Settings | Density and Colour blending are the most important settings. Density controls the strength of the brush, and Colour blending controls the blend of colours |
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What You'll Learn
Create a shadow layer
To create a shadow layer in Paint Tool SAI, you must first establish a light source. This will determine how the forms will cast shadows. Next, you can create a shadow layer using one of the following methods:
Using a Mask
Using a mask for your shadow layer allows you to create a "shadow shape" that flows and extends smoothly into all affected areas. This method helps you avoid mismatched shadow lines, which could occur if you shaded on each individual colour layer. After creating a layer with shadows in a single colour, you can designate the shadow colours individually. To do this, lock the opacity of the shadow layer and set the lineart layer and Fill Bucket to Selection Source.
Using the Water Tool
This method is an easy way to achieve a softer style of shading without using the Brush tool. First, create a shadow layer, then take the Water tool and brush along the edges of the shadows. This will blur the edges and give you a nice gradient effect. After that, all you have to do is multiply the layer.
Using the Pen and Brush Tools
Start by setting up the Pen tool at about 50% density, then paint some rough shadows. These do not need to be precise. Switch to the Brush tool and blend the edges, as you would with the Water tool. When adjusting the settings for the Brush tool, the two most important settings are density, which controls how strong the brush is, and colour blending.
Additional Tips
- If you have your shadow layer in a folder separate from your base colours, the Multiply property on that layer will be ignored. To fix this, turn off Multiply on that layer and turn it on for the Folder, or change the Folder's property in Blend mode to Pass.
- To create an even more detailed effect, repeat the shadowing process multiple times, adjusting the opacity for each new layer to be slightly lighter or darker than the previous one, depending on where the shadows fall.
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Use the Wafer tool to blur shadow edges
To create a softer style of shading in Paint Tool SAI, you can use the Wafer tool, found in the upper right corner of SAI's toolbox. This tool can be used to blur the edges of shadows, creating a nice gradient effect and a soft look.
To start, make a shadow layer. Then, take the Wafer tool and brush along the edges of the shadows. This will blur these edges, giving you that desired gradient effect. After that, simply multiply the layer.
You can, of course, layer on top of this if you want to make certain areas darker, similar to the process of cell-shading. This technique provides a quick and simple way to achieve soft shading without having to use the Brush tool or similar alternatives.
Additionally, you can experiment with the Water tool to smooth out the edges of shadows and adjust hues to your liking. This tool is useful for creating highlights and softening shadow edges, contributing to a softer shading style.
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Adjust layer opacity for depth
To create depth in your artwork, you must adjust the opacity of each layer. This is done by using the slider in the layer panel. For a detailed effect, repeat the process of adjusting the opacity for each new layer, making it slightly lighter or darker than the previous one, depending on the shadows. You can also adjust the hardness of the eraser to achieve the desired transparency. This can be done manually, or by selecting and cutting to a new layer.
The layer panel in Paint Tool SAI also allows you to set the layer composition mode and toggle each pixel's opacity in brush and fill tools. You can also set the layer as a selection source for the Bucket and Magic Wand tools.
Additionally, you can create a moving group by clicking the box below the eye icon. The red pin icon indicates that the moving group is enabled, and any movement, transformation, or filtering of the current layer will affect the moving group layer.
By adjusting the opacity of each layer and utilising the various tools in the layer panel, you can create depth and achieve the desired cell shading effect in your artwork.
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Use the Pen tool for rough shadows
To create a cell-shading effect in Paint Tool SAI, one of the steps involves using the Pen tool for rough shadows. This step comes after creating a shadow layer and before using the Brush tool.
First, lower the density of the Pen tool to around 50%. Then, paint, draw, or slap on some rough shadows. These shadows do not need to be precise.
After applying the rough shadows, switch to the Brush tool. Set the colour swatches to white and the shadow colour. Blend the edges of the shadows with the Brush tool, similar to how it's done with the Water tool.
By adjusting the opacity of each new layer, you can make it slightly lighter or darker than the previous one, depending on where the shadows fall. Repeating this process multiple times will create a greater level of depth and make the cell-shading effect more prominent.
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Blend shadow edges with the Brush tool
To blend shadow edges with the Brush tool in Paint Tool SAI, follow these steps:
Firstly, create a shadow mask and use the Fill Bucket tool to fill the layer with white. This step is important because the Brush tool works better on an established colour, and when multiplied, white won't show up. Then, take the Pen tool and paint some rough shadows. These don't need to be precise.
Now, switch to the Brush tool. You can have the colour swatches set to white and the shadow colour. Here, you'll blend the edges of the shadows, like with the Water tool. You can adjust the settings for Density and Colour Blending to control how strong the brush is and how much the colours blend. Play around with these settings to get the desired effect. A higher density will impact how fast the colours will blend.
You can also use the Wafer tool to brush along the edges of the shadows, creating a blur effect and a nice gradient. This will give your shadows a softer look.
Additionally, you can use the Air Brush tool to add lighter and darker shades, as it gradually mixes two colours or shades together smoothly. You can control the size of the brush and the hardness of its edges, with 0% being a hard edge and 100% being wide blended edges.
Remember, blending should be treated as an effect to simplify sharp edges or to reduce focus on certain areas. It's important to understand shading and colour theory to decide which colours to use and how to make your artwork visually appealing.
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Frequently asked questions
Cell shading is a technique used in Hollywood blockbusters and video games to create a unique visual style.
To create a shadow layer, start by using the Wafer tool to brush along the edges of the shadows. This will blur the edges and give a nice gradient effect. After that, all you need to do is multiply the layer.
To make your cell shading stand out, repeat the process of creating shadow layers multiple times, adjusting the opacity of each new layer to be slightly lighter or darker than the previous one, depending on where the shadows fall.
The two most important settings for the Brush tool when cell shading are Density and Colour blending. Density controls how strong the brush is, while Colour blending allows you to blend the colours.
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