b a s e tutorial

B a s e Tutorial
Above each step will be the link to an image showing that step in process,
to help better understanding.

T o o l s
MSPaint
Photoshop or GIMP


S t e p s
1. [image]
Find your reference image - usually I do this by going to a picture site like Photobucket and typing in something like "anime girl", then going to a random page. I found this image on page 134. When looking for an image, do not pay attention to factors such as color, but do pay attention to: size, quality, pose, and appeal. Obviously the color does not matter in the end when creating a base.


2. [image]
Grab your reference image - Once you have gotten the image you want, right-click the image and select copy.


3. [image]
Paste your image into Paint - right-click in paint and select paste.


4. [image]
Getting ready to start - select the line tool; for me it's a lot easier than using the pencil tool, because you can make straight or curved lines with it, and they will only be 1px thick, which is desired.
-Then select your main color, depending on the colors of your reference pic. If your pic is red, you would want to select something like green so that it does not clash with the image.


5. [image]
Zooming in - select the magnifier tool and zoom into the area that you want to begin in.


6. [image]
Begin tracing - using the line tool, carefully draw over the main outlines of the reference pic. It does not have to be perfect; just get the main outline as good as you can.


7. [image]
Continue tracing - Continue to trace your image. As you are tracing, you made need to do a lot of clicking-and-releasing to get the curves down, so be sure to take your time on those.


8. [image]
Avoid Clothing - If your reference pic image is wearing clothing with folds or bumps, do not trace over them. Instead, go through them and follow the outline of the body. (Unless you are making a base with a clothing outline.)



9. [image]
Finish outline - Continue to trace until you have gotten the whole image done. You may or may not want to trace the details of the eyes; it's up to you. In my case, the eye details can influence the mood of the image, so I decided to trace the details.


10. [image]
Copy the completed - Right-click the image and select, select all. Right-click again and select copy.


11. [image]
Paste into program - I have chosen to use Photoshop in my example. (Gimp users: see step 12) Then, select the color you outlined in as your main color. The image of this step does not show the correct color selected as the main color - sorry.


12. [image]
Select Color Range - Now go to Select, then click Color Range.
Gimp: use the color select tool (I believe that's what it's called).


13. [image]
Adjust - Make sure Select: is set to Select: Sampled Colors, and set the fuzziness to 0. Click OK.


14. [image]
Selecting - Now, your whole outline has been selected. Since this is what we want to keep, go to Select, then Inverse. You have now selected everything but the outline.


15. [image]
Erase background - Make sure there is a white layer behind your image, then select the layer of your image. While everything is still selected, press Ctrl + X. Now, your outline will remain.


16. [image]
Replacing outline - Get your skin color palette ready. First, keep the original outline color as your main color, then do Select > Color Range again to select it.


17. [image]
New Layer - Press Ctrl + Shift + N to create a new layer. Make sure the outline is still selected.


18. [image]
Bucket Fill - Now make your main color the color you want your skin tone outline to be. Then select the bucket tool, then just click. Now the old color should be replaced with your new one.


19. [image]
Back to Paint - Paste your base back into paint, and fill it in to your liking.


E n d
I hope this tutorial helped you, if you have a question don't be afraid to ask.