WEBTOON Basics Evening Color Correction
GCC Academy
Hello, this is webtoon artist Joomyung
Following the daylight and afternoon color correction tutorials using Clip Studio
we'll explore evening color correction today
If you've already practiced daylight and afternoon corrections
creating evening tones should be as manageable
Let's dive into evening color correction
Evening Shading
Let's take a look at evening color correction
If you're comfortable with daylight and afternoon corrections
evening correction should be as easy
First, I've prepared a base-colored illustration
but it doesn't have any shading this time
That's because we'll be trying a slightly different
coloring method compared to before
By finding shading
Instead of drawing shading
we'll use a method where you apply shading across the entire illustration first
and then find out the light
This technique is sometimes referred to as "sculpting the light"
Let's give it a try
First, let's move the reference layer setting, which is currently active on the pen touch layer
to the base color layer
Select the thumbnail of the base color layer
then either click "Set as Reference Layer"
or use the icon at the top
to switch it to a reference layer
Next, move to the shading layer
For the shading, we'll clip it to the base color layer below
To clip the layer, right-click on the thumbnail
and select "Clip to Layer Below," the third option
or simply click the icon at the top
When a pink bar appears on the left side of the thumbnail
it means the clipping is active
For now
we won't lock the transparent pixels just yet
We'll lock them
after completing the shading
I'll briefly explain
the reason for this later
Now, click Ctrl + Left Mouse
and click on the gray thumbnail of the base color layer
then entire area is selected
This will select all the colors applied to the character
With this selection active
switch to the shading layer
and choose a suitable shading color
Use Alt + Backspace
to fill the entire selected area with the main color
Looks good
Next, press Ctrl + D
to deselect the area
From here, we'll remove the shaded areas
exposed to light
What it means is that
from now on, we're not going to paint with colors
but if you go to the drawing color next to it
there's a main and a sub color
Instead of using these
we'll use the transparent pixel option below
I'm going to select this empty color
and
paint the part
that receives light like this
Alright, I've now
painted the areas exposed to light
When you select the transparent pixel option and use a brush
the existing color is erased
allowing you to create the illuminated areas
Earlier, I mentioned that
we wouldn't lock the transparent pixels yet
and here's why
If you look closely
you might notice some areas where the brush strokes unintentionally extend
Now, switch back to the main drawing color
and again
color
and refine the light areas
However
let's say we moved like this
If transparent pixel lock is enabled
you won’t be able to repaint those areas
because they are currently empty and locked
Transparent pixel lock prevents any changes to areas without color
That's why we temporarily disable
the transparent pixel lock during this process
Great, that's how
you adjust these settings
You may have noticed that
you'll often need to switch between the main and transparent drawing colors
So, you have to select transparent drawing color frequently
For that, if you set a shortcut
it can make the process much more efficient
To set a shortcut
press Ctrl, Alt, Shift, K
shortcut settings window opens
Once the window appears, navigate to the Options section
where you'll find the Drawing Color settings
Here, you'll see that switching between main color and sub-color is assigned to X
I'm going to delete this shortcut
Instead, there's Switch Between Drawing and Transparent Color
I'll assign this to X
Alternatively, you can keep X for switching between the main and sub-colors
and assign C for switching between the drawing and transparent colors
Once set
pressing C will instantly
Can you see?
Main and transparent drawing colors switches seamlessly
Alright, let's proceed with the actual work
I'm currently erasing
the areas exposed to light using the brush tool
However, this method seems to take quite a bit of time
Since I have to paint each part individually
it feels like it's taking a lot of time
To speed up the process
we can use tools
we've learned before, such as
the Lasso Fill Tool or the Lasso Tool
These tools make it easier and faster
to define and edit the areas
Let's try using the Lasso Fill Tool
After selecting the transparent pixel option
you can quickly erase areas
quickly
by simply selecting them like this
However, instead of relying solely on this tool
it's a good idea to mix it up with the brush tool
Even things like hair can be accessed
and used quickly using the selection tool
for reference layers
Can't we just
erase directly?
Why bother using the transparent drawing color?
Some might wonder like this
Or, some of you may have already guessed
why I'm choosing the transparent pixel color
As I explained earlier
it's because tools like the Lasso Fill Tool
cannot be used with an eraser
It's a simple but definitive reason
For areas like the eyes, you can roughly erase the surrounding shading
to reveal the original colors
Now, let's work on the clothing
Since we're dealing with a backlight scenario
consider how the light would hit the fabric
and define the highlights accordingly
As you can see
I'm not relying on just one tool
Instead, I'm switching between various tools
Clip Studio isn't something we just use with the tools we learned
but it's something we use in various situations
Like this
It would be good if you know like this
Here, let's try
changing the color
of a specific part like we did before
This step involves changing the shading color of specific areas using a selection from the layer
We'll use the Selection Tool for Reference Layers
to choose the areas we want to modify
typically the skin
Start by selecting the skin
However, we need to include another area
the eyes
If we only lighten the skin tone
the eyes might appear unnaturally dark
So, hold down Shift
and select them as well
Instead of the Selection Tool for Reference Layers
we'll use the Selection Tool Referencing Other Layers to isolate just the eyes
Next, let's utilize the Lasso Tool
It seems the shortcut for the Lasso Tool hasn't been set yet
which can make it harder to find
Once you locate the Lasso Tool
I'll press the plus like this
and make sure to capture all the places I want without making any mistakes
Okay, good
Now, let's
isolate the shading color
To do this
hold Ctrl, Alt, Shift and click on the thumbnail of the shading layer
This will select only the shading colors
Or
by going to the Tools Menu, selecting Layer
and then choosing Select from Layer
Selection from Layer
then you can achieve the same result
Next, let's adjust the shading color
Slightly increase the brightness of the shading
Be careful not to overdo it
Find a balance
Zoom out
and check if the color looks good
and choose a color that you think
is good enough
Okay
The face now appears brighter
This time, I'll only adjust the skin tone
and leave the other areas untouched
Since it's a nighttime scene
I think the darker atmosphere suits it better
Evening Color Correction
While we could
create folders one by one
in the previous session, we learned how to save them as materials
Let's bring in the material we made earlier
By doing this, the effect folder
and its subfolders
including the effect layers, are applied all at once
It's much more convenient and efficient
Now, let's
get started with the work
We'll apply color in the Multiply layer
but this time, even though it's an evening scene
we won't make the color too dark
This is because it's a backlight situation
and if the Multiply layer is overly dark
the entire illustration might look muddy
or excessively dark
Let's start by selecting all areas
of the character using the base gray layer
Ctrl and Left Click on the thumbnail
Switch back to the Multiply layer, choose an appropriate color
and fill the entire selection with the main drawing color
using the shortcut Alt and Backspace
Since the color looks a bit too dark
I'll adjust it using the Hue/Saturation Adjustment window
Let's increase the brightness
to about 70
Since the hue already looks suitable
we'll proceed without any changes
Great
Now, switch to the Color Dodge
and bring out the brighter areas' color
As always, keep the base gray layer at the bottom
and use Ctrl and Left Click
to consistently select the entire character
This is why you need to keep the base color gray and preserve the layer
Now, select the Gradient Tool
choose a light color
and apply a soft, gradual light effect from a distance
Looks great
The light is blending in naturally now
Choose a slightly purple-tinted color
and toggle the layer on and off to check how it looks in the current scene
Good
If you're satisfied with the effect
switch to the Soft Airbrush
and use a color that complements the surrounding light
to highlight the brighter parts of the character
and wrap up the color dodge part
Now, let's move on to the Soft Light layer
I'll paint and detail
the illuminated areas
For this, I'll once again use the Blending Round Brush
Since the brightest parts
in this backlight setting
are the illuminated areas
consider these highlights a special color
to enhance the overall harmony
Switch the eraser to a Soft Eraser
and alternate between painting and erasing
Since the light areas are already defined
overlapping or overdoing the highlights is unnecessary
For precision
use the Selection Tool for Reference Layers
to prevent any areas from spilling outside
Good
Next, select the clothing
and highlight the brighter areas within it
Since this is a style closer to cel shading
there's no need to over-render or add excessive detail
The picture doesn't feel like it's made of cells
and it can be a touch-based coloring method
that draws by piling up too much
so just hold it in moderation
Zoom out occasionally
to review the overall balance
Almost like viewing a forest
and trim them like this
Good
I think I can finish it at this point
so I'll finish catching the light in soft light
Now, let's move up to the Color Dodge
and define the lighting for each part
Start by selecting the hat using the Selection Tool for Reference Layers
Then, choose the Soft Airbrush
and enhance the brightness of the hat
Nice
For the face
Color Dodge can make it appear overly yellow
so it's best to use it sparingly
Just lightly touch up the highlights and move on
Or you can lightly apply it to areas like the eyes
Select the hair as a reference layer
and
tap it back like this
Use a soft eraser to tap the scarf
Don't use too much
For the clothing, just a few light strokes will suffice
It's enough
Good
The key is to subtly enhance
the lighting for each part
keeping it natural and balanced
This looks great
I think we've achieved all we need with the Color Dodge
Now, let's move up to the Multiply layer
The Multiply layer here is different than the previous one
It adds shadows to specific areas of each part
and lays colors
Next
move back to the shading
hold down the control button
Shading
Left click
This will select only the shadowed areas
Next, move back to the Multiply layer
select the Soft Airbrush
and choose a color similar to the existing shadows
Lightly apply the brush to the areas where you want
If there aren't many areas to adjust, you don't need to press too much
Just a little is enough
Not every layer needs to play a major role
A subtle touch like this
Now, I'll slightly
erase this area because the shadow here feels a bit too abrupt
Good
For this part, I'll press a little more
since it's inside the clothing, where deeper shadows make sense
Just a light touch
Good
Now that we're done here
let's move up to the Screen
and focus on refining and enhancing the light
To find the light on the Screen
select the entire base gray layer
then isolate the bright areas
Next, let's isolate the shadow area
To exclude the shadowed areas
go to the shading layer
From there, open the Tools layer
and go to selection range
choose Remove Selection under
This will leave only the bright areas
Or, in this state
shading
Hold Ctrl and Alt and Left Click
on the thumbnail of the shading layer
This method also
isolates the bright areas
We're not done yet
You also need to exclude the pen touch
Hold Ctrl + Alt and Left Click on the thumbnail
The pen touch areas are also excluded
leaving only the truly bright areas
Now, switch to the Screen
and select the desired color
for the highlights
Fill the selection using the shortcut
Alt and Backspace
Good
Since the scene is quite dark
but the color has been applied
Next, duplicate the Screen layer
Once duplicated
go to the lower Screen
Filter
Blur
Gaussian Blur
I'll increase the intensity
Set the intensity to around 80
but this is up to personal preference
Preview the effect
and adjust it to your liking
For this scene, I want to create the feeling of
a backlight night illuminated by streetlights
so I’ll set the intensity to around 85
or 86 and press OK
This will help enhance the glowing backlight effect
Now, the light resembles a streetlamp's glow
It's glowing
You could finish here
but duplicating the blurred Screen layer once more
will make the light even brighter
How much glow you want depends on your preference
you can duplicate it again
This brightness level feels just right
So I'll wrap up the lighting here
Now, let's open the Hue Adjustment
You can do this by pressing the shortcut Ctrl U
or in the toolbar, navigate to Edit
Hue/Saturation Adjustment
In the adjustment window, you can modify Hue, Saturation, and Brightness
By slightly tweaking the hue
you can create
the effect of the character
being illuminated by surrounding neon lights
For instance, a purple hue
gives the impression of light reflecting from nearby neon signs
However, since the lighting in this scene
is a warm-toned red streetlight
I'll adjust the hue slightly towards red to match the atmosphere
I also increased the saturation a bit
Good
With this adjustment
I'll wrap up the light enhancements on the Screen
and move on to the Addition layer for further adjustments
On the Addition layer, you can create a halo effect around the character
to simulate the light coming from the surroundings
Choose an appropriate light
an appropriate light color
and use the Soft Airbrush
to gently tap and click on the areas that should receive the light
Gradually increase to enhance the glow
If any areas feel too intense
switch to the Soft Eraser and lightly erase
The reason for starting with smaller light taps
is to make the inner areas shine more prominently
while allowing the light to diffuse outward naturally
For instance, since there’s a streetlight here, I’ll add a bit
to enhance the realism
Overusing the light can make the scene look unnatural or muddy
so I’ll keep it subtle and finish the adjustments on the Addition
Finally, the Screen
The screen above will be different from the screen below
and I'll apply light that encompasses the background and the character
From the Tools Menu, select the Gradient Tool
and choose the Foreground to Transparent option
Next, pick a suitable color from the background
and slightly increase the saturation
Now, apply the gradient from a distance
This approach creates a much more dramatic lighting effect
You can also apply the gradient to make it appear as though light is softly descending from above
Feel free to adjust this
based on your personal preferences
We've completed the evening color correction
And now
let's wrap up the evening color correction here
Through this lesson, we've explored evening color correction in Clip Studio
By mastering daylight, afternoon, and evening corrections
you can create a wide range of scenes
We've covered the basics of
using Clip Studio for webtoon production
How was it?
Are you ready to create your webtoon with Clip Studio?
I hope this tutorial has been helpful in your webtoon creation journey
Thank you
Evening Shading You can draw evening light and shade by painting the entire light and shade and then painting the light You should disable the transparent pixel lock to make it easier to edit
After selecting a transparent color, you can draw a picture to erase the color already drawn and add light and shade with a bright color In the case of the pupil, it is also effective to erase the correction to show the original color
Since it is evening, you need to express a situation where it receives light, such as backlighting
Evening Color Correction Correction Steps Multiply Layer 1: Apply an overall color to the character, ensuring it’s not too dark Color Dodge Layer: Brighten the layer’s color and reduce contrast
Soft Light Layer: Add colors to the illuminated parts Color Dodge Layer: Define lighting for each part individually Multiply Layer 2: Add shadows to specific areas of each part
Screen Layer 1: Highlight and emphasize bright areas Addition Layer: Create a halo effect around the character Screen Layer 2: Add overall lighting and tone to the illustration