User:Mistyheart/Tutorials

My Tutorial
Hi! Just to start with, there are a few different programmes used by members of Project Character Art to draw cats. I use Pixlr, but other programmes are Photoshop and GIMP. I hope you find my tutorial helpful and informative! ;D

Eyes and Ear Pink
Eye on a warrior, a deputy and a medicine cat.



Eye on an apprentice and on a medicine cat apprentice.



Eyes on a kit.



Eye on an elder.



Eyes on a leader or a healer.



Eye on a prey hunter.



Eyes on a cave guard.



Eye on a rogue.



Eye on a to-be.



Eye on a loner.



Eyes on a kittypet.



Eyes on a queen.



For ear pink, set the brush tool on size five and draw a triangular shape on the cat's ear and then blur with the blur tool on size 5. Use this handy chart to match up the cat’s pelt colour to the right ear pink colour.



Shading and Highlighting
When drawing a cat, the shading and the highlighting are the tools that make it look 3D and realistic.

Firstly, fill your cat in the colour you want with the fill tool. Be sure to fill in all of it.



Select the dodge tool and set it to size 70. Dodge the haunch, the tail tip, the shoulder and the head two or three times each.



Using the burn tool, shade the back, the chest, the haunch, the legs and the tail. Set the burn tool between sizes 20-30. If the shading shows up too much, blur it in with the blur tool on size 20.



Add eye colour, ear pink and you’re done!



White Cats
NOTE: THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN FOR A CAT WITH THIS COLOUR PELT APPLY TO ANY PATCHES OF THIS COLOUR ON A PELT AS WELL.

Never fill a white cat's pelt in white because the highlights and shading won't show up. Fill the pelt in a very pale grey:



It looks just the same, doesn't it? Now it's time to use the dodge tool. But first you need to make some setting adjustments - can you see where it says "Dodge", and next to it it says "Midtones"? Click on "Midtones" and change it to "Highlights". Now highlight in the same places as normal, but click ONLY ONCE on each area.



Again, for shading, change the "Midtones" to "Highlights", but this time change the "Exposure" as well. It should say "50", but change it to "6". Shade as normal.



Add ear pink and eye colour!



Examples: Icewing Frostfur Cloudtail Icecloud

Black Cats
NOTE: THE INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN FOR A CAT WITH THIS COLOUR PELT APPLY TO ANY PATCHES OF THIS COLOUR ON A PELT AS WELL.

Never fill a black cat's pelt in black because it will merge with the lineart. Fill the pelt in a very dark grey:



Don't worry, when you've added shading and highlights it will look black. Where it says "Dodge", and next to it, "Midtones", click on "Midtones" and change it to "Highlights". Now highlight in the same places as normal. Dodge ONLY ONCE OR TWICE on each area.



Shade as normal.



Add ear pink and eye colour!



Examples: Nightcloud Nightstar Blackclaw Darkflower

Two-Coloured Cats
For two-coloured cats, you should pick two colours: a base colour and a colour for the patches. For starters, fill in the cat one colour.



Now, with the pencil tool draw on the outline of the patches.



Fill in the patches.



Using the smudge tool on size 9, smudge carefullly the edges of the patches and then blur them with the blur tool on size 9.



Add highlights, shading ear pink and eye colour and you're done!



Examples: Brightheart Swiftpaw Patchpelt Petalfur

Tabbies
There are three different types of tabbies; the "Y" shaped tabbies, the marbled tabbies and the triangle-stripe tabbies. You may have different names for them, so I'll show you what I mean and how to do them.

First off, the "Y" shaped tabbies. I call them these because their stripes are in the shape of the letter y. Fill the blank in whatever colour you want:



Now add thin stripes (using a size 3 or 5 brush) in the shape of the letter y. Also add some straight-line stripes:



Using size 5-9, blur the stripes.



Add highlights, shading, ear pink and eye colour!



Examples: Thornclaw Sandstorm Brackenfur Honeyfern

Secondly, the marbled tabbies. These are difficult - I myself struggled with these (ask anyone who's seen my attempt at Mothwing as a kit :3). Anyway, fill in the blank:



Draw on curvy, marbled stripes.



Fill these in.



Blur the stripes with the blur tool on size 5-9.



Add highlights, shading, ear pink and eye colour!



Examples: Mothwing Lionheart Moonflower Darkstripe

Last but not least, the triangle-striped tabbies! Fill in the blank:



Draw large, triangle-shaped stripes on the pelt.



Fill these in.



Blur them with the blur tool on size 5-9.



Add highlights, shading, ear pink and eye colour!



Examples: Tigerstar Brambleclaw Tigerheart Gorseclaw

Tortoiseshells
Like a two-coloured cat, you must first choose a base colour and fill your cat in that colour. Use black (very dark grey, see black cats), cream, ginger and brown, which are the average tortoiseshell colours, or use white (very pale grey, see white cats) as well if you are doing a tortoiseshell-and-white.

Let's start with a typical tortoiseshell - by that I mean a ginger and black tortoiseshell. First fill in the pelt either ginger or black.



Now you've done that, carefully draw the patches on in pencil, with the pencil on size 1.



Fill in the patches.



As with the two-coloured cat, smudge the edges of the patches and then blur them with the brushes on the same sizes as before.



Now all that's left to do is add shading, highights, ear pink and eye colour!



Examples: Spottedpelt Olivenose Sunstrike Redtail

The other type of tortoiseshell is a dark tortoiseshell - on these the patches are more varied in colour and shape, and they tend to have a dark base colour:



Now draw a lot of closely-packed patches on the pelt with the pencil tool on size 1.



Fill in the patches.



Smudge and blur the patches.



Add shading, highlights, ear pink and eye colour!



Examples: Tawnypelt Mossfire Mosspelt Morningflower

Tortoiseshell-and-whites are very easy to do once you know how. Fill the blank in white (very pale grey, see white cats):



Draw on outlines for ginger and black patches.



Fill these in.



Smudge and blur the patches.



Add shading, highlights, ear pink and eye colour!



Flecked and Mottled Cats
First up, flecked cats. Fill in the blank:



With the burn tool on size 5 square, cover the pelt in burn squares.



Do the same with the dodge tool.



Blur the burn and dodge with a size 5-9 blur tool.



Add highlights, shading, ear pink and eye colour!



Mottled cats are a bit different. Fill in the blank:



Now add pale, uneven patches on the back and tail.



Draw darker, uneven patches overlapping the pale ones.



You can guess what's coming next, can't you? With a size 5-9 blur tool, blur the patches!



Add highlights, shading, ear pink and eye colour!



Shading an Apprentice
Start by filling in your apprentice blank.



Click on the dodge tool and set it to size 50. Dodge the haunch, the shoulder, the head and the tail two or three times each. Dodge the back and the front legs once each. It should look like this:



Select the burn tool and set it between sizes 15-20. Shade the chest fur, the legs, the haunch, the back, the tail and the shoulder.



Now add ear pink and eye colour!



Shading a Kit
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 50. Dodge the chest, the face, the tail and the haunch two or three times each, and dodge the front legs once each.



Set the burn tool between size 9-15 and shade the legs, the sides and the tail.



Add ear pink, nose pink and eye colour!



Shading an Elder
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 70. Dodge the shoulder, the face, the tail and the haunch two or three times each.



Set the burn tool between size 20-30 and shade the back, the chest and the tail.



Add ear pink and eye colour!



Shading a Leader
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 70. Dodge the chest, the face, the tail and the haunch two or three times each.



Set the burn tool between size 20-30 and shade the legs, the sides and the tail.



Add ear pink, nose pink and eye colour!



Shading a Prey Hunter
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 50. Dodge the shoulder, the face, the tail and the haunch two or three times each.



Set the burn tool between size 20-30 and shade the back, the chest, the legs and the tail.



Add ear pink and eye colour!



Shading a Cave Guard
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 70. Dodge the chest, the face, the tail and the haunch two or three times each.



Set the burn tool between size 20-30 and shade the sides, the legs and the tail.



Add ear pink, nose pink and eye colour!



Shading a Rogue
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 70. Dodge the shoulder, the face, the tail and the haunch two or three times each.



Set the burn tool between size 20-30 and shade the back, the chest, the belly, the legs and the tail.



Add ear pink, nose pink and eye colour!



Shading a To-Be
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 70. Dodge the shoulder, the face, the tail and the haunch two or three times each.



Set the burn tool between size 20-30 and shade the back, the chest, the belly, the legs and the tail.



Add ear pink and eye colour!



Shading a Loner
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 70. Dodge the shoulder, the face, the tail and the haunch two or three times each.



Set the burn tool between size 20-30 and shade the back, the chest, the belly, the legs and the tail.



Add ear pink and eye colour!



Shading a Kittypet
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 70. Dodge the shoulder, the face, the tail and the haunch two or three times each.



Set the burn tool between size 20-30 and shade the back, the legs and the tail.



Add ear pink, nose pink, eye colour and collar colour!



Shading a Queen
Fill in the blank.



Set the dodge tool to size 70. Dodge the shoulder, the face, the tail, the belly and the haunch two or three times each.



Set the burn tool between size 20-30 and shade the back, the legs and the tail.



Add ear pink, nose pink and eye colour!



Injured Cats
Coming Soon!

Shading Herbs
Firstly, fill in the herbs a green colour.

Now select the burn tool on size 5 and burn some of the layers.

Do the same with the dodge tool.

Now the herbs have a 3D effect!