Customer Reviews

Hi-Fi Color For Comics: Digital Techniques for Professional Results

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've always been interested in coloring my art in Photoshop like the pros do; as a self-taught artist, I'm constantly looking for the best resources to teach me what I need to know. Suffice it to say, I've bought quite a few books discussing computer painting and coloring. I've picked things up from them here and there, but I can honestly say that I have not found a book more comprehensive, more considerate of its audience, and better conceived than Hi-Fi Color for Comics. Before reading any further, however, please note that to get the best results from this book, you need to have Photoshop on your computer.

Hi-Fi Color for Comics is actually the best resource you can have if you're trying to learn how to do computer coloring for either comics work or just coloring your own black-and-white artwork - whether the art is inked or still in pencils. In this book you'll learn:

1. How to best scan your work and even how to best stitch together artwork that is too large to fit into one scan
2. How to 'flat' artwork (lay down the base colors)
3. How to render over the flats (the actual painting)
4. How to create color holds (turning black and white lines into colored lines for dramatic effects)
5. Special effects (making glows, fire effects, etc.) and making 'Helpers' (special image files that you can use in your artwork as starters for skies, grass, gravel, etc.)
6. Color Separation (in other words, how to finish your artwork's file and make it ready for print, etc.)

While this book would be great if it only outlined these subjects, it does something even greater: it contains a DVD-ROM that includes a large number of files. Here are just a few:

1. Photoshop Pre-Sets (color settings, brushes, and even shortcut scripts [which you will use liberally in the book's lessons] that you can install directly into Photoshop)
2. Examples of colored artwork, Helpers, etc.
3. 'Homework' assignments for stitching scanned artwork, flatting, etc.

Basically, the DVD-ROM allows you to practice what you learn right along with the lessons taught. You can open the files provided and dig right into coloring them to really get your feet wet in the coloring process right away. This is probably the best feature of the book. And, as a bonus, the pencils that you will color over are done by professionals and, in some cases, provided by top artists like Terry Moore and John Byrne.

Now, certainly, this book is not perfect: there are a number of typos, a couple of accidents in some of the lesson steps, and I found several instances where some lesson steps were accidentally left out (fortunately, they're simple enough that you will figure it out even if you're a novice). Also, those of you wanting to color your penciled artwork should note that, before performing the color separation Step 3 script to finish your artwork, be sure to Apply your line art or else your pencils would be almost completely washed out (the book fails to mention this problematic issue, I discovered).

While it has its faults, Hi-Fi Color for Comics remains the very best resource out there for those interested in learning the comic book style of computer coloring. It is a tremendously well-thought-out book, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. If this book is your speed, you may also want to consider another helpful volume, with has another approach to coloring, Digital Manga Workshop: An Artist's Guide to Creating Manga Illustrations on Your Computer. Enjoy!

I hadn't planned on doing any artwork for comics, but was looking for a book on digital painting, building from a pencil drawing on paper to line drawing on the computer with color highlights and shadows added. Most digital painting books seemed to be about touching up photos, trying to get photo-realistic results. But then I came across this book, and he gives fine detail and instructions for how to accomplish the look I was searching for and all the steps from line drawing to finished art work. My only other comment on this book is to point out that he establishes the highlights and shadows through use of forming vector areas and filling them with new shades of color. Other tutorials I've seen on how to do it, do it using dodge and burn using brush strokes to add highlights and shadows. Either technique can give nice results. I just wanted to point out the technique used in this book.

I found this book not so much a manual as a complete comic colouring support system. Not only do you get the book, which in itself is a well-written, easy to follow manual on comic book colouring, but also a CD of exercises described in the book that allow you to practice the techniques described (and, as they say, the best way to learn is to "do"). On top of that, the book is linked to the authors' web site and, best of all, there is an e-mail address you can contact if you run into real problems.

I ran into a brick wall with one exercise, e-mailed the authors and got a response back from Brian Miller within the day. That is what I call customer support and this is what I call excellent value for money. I look forward to more books on comic book creation from Brian and Kristy Miller and recommend this volume wholeheartedly to both new and established artists.

A good book on digital comic coloring but with a rather huge flaw: A few of the lessons rely on the scripts included on the disc which only support recent versions of Photoshop.

We encounter this early in Lesson 1.4 which instructs us to copy the lineart to a channel. Instead of giving details on how this is performed, it tells us to use the script and moves on to the next chapter. What if we were using Painter or Paint Shop Pro? What if we just wanted to know how to do it manually? Setting up a Special Effects Layer and Color Separation are also Script-Only.

Oh, and the included brushes can't be imported into earlier versions of Photoshop either.

I can appreciate using scripts to automate simple tasks but Hi-Fi seems to forget not everyone has, can afford, or would even want to purchase CS3 (I have PS7 and will probably never upgrade). If you already know how to do these things, it's a minor oversight. If you don't, then you'll have to search the internet or you're left in the dark.

Overall, I did enjoy the book. Lots of good techniques, full color examples and step-by-step instructions (aside from those delegated to the scripts) with practice files on the disc.

Yeah I know strange title, but let me assure you that that was the family fun version of what came out of my mouth when I started the second chapter.
It really was amazing, I am a self taught user of Photoshop and sometimes when yourself taught little tricks are not always learned to help you be as productive as you can be. When I started the second chapter it taught me a little trick that right now makes the book worth every penny, and I'm still not done with the chapter.
When I work on a project it will normally take me on average (depending on how complex) 8 HOURS to complete a project which is a considerable amount of time. Within the first two chapters alone my 8 hr project will easily drop down to 6 hr or less, and for any aspiring artist ever extra min counts. So as I move through the book chapter by chapter I will try to update my review but I can say this now with absolute certainty If you are like me and are self taught no professional training with Photoshop GET THIS BOOK! It will teach you time savers like you wouldn't believe.

So peace and chicken grease for now.

To be continued...

I have been coloring for years, writing professionally for about 5 years, and teaching Photoshop coloring for the past two. I didn't think there would be much I could get from this book but I picked it up to see how the information was organized and presented.

There are a few points that I disagree with but overall, this is an amazing resource for beginner and intermediate colorists. I recommend it to all my students. I even learned some new tricks!

While it's true that much of this information can be found online, you can also find a lot of inaccurate info out there. And it's hard to find it all together like this, presented in a logical, clear, and straightforward manner. The writers have an instinctive awareness of when to hold back and not overwhelm the reader. The exercises build as the book progresses and if a reader does the assignments in the order they are presented, then they will learn a ton. At the end, all they will have left to do is practice.

I look forward to the next book from Brian and Kristy Miller.

I purchased this book several years ago and felt it was a great book. I started with the first assignment but never got very far. I think the main reason was I was not that interested in comic book art--but more interested in digital painting. When their second book, "Mastering Digital Color" came out, I also purchased that--but once again never got around to actually doing the exercises. I really like the variety of styles presented in their second book.

About a week ago I purchased their two DVDs, "Introduction to Hi-Fi Digital Coloring," and "Special Effects," and what a difference it makes to be able to watch the steps instead of reading them! I love their coloring techniques! I have spent most of my freetime during the last week coloring various images from the DVDs and their two books. In addition, now that I understand the techniques I see how they can be used in "non-comic" art as well.

When I ordered the DVDs (for about $23 a piece), I didn't realize they basically cover the same material as this book--but that is fine with me. It's nice to have the directions in the book, and access to the various images files as well. And without the DVD, I'm not sure when I would have gotten around to learning the techniques.

Bottomline: This is a great book--but if you need some additional help in understanding the process think about buying their DVDs as well. If you can only purchase one DVD I would suggest the "Introduction to Hi-Fi Digital Coloring" one.

Hey, This BOOK is the BEST choice for beginners and Intermediate users.

I don't have any previous experience with PS. I've been reading tutorials around the net, I was almost frustated, after read Hi-Fi Color for Comics I changed my mind..

Now, I can do an entire comicbook page!!

If you find this one, go ahead, This is simply the best!

I just ordered this book because another book that I order from a more respected publisher was useless. I knew nothing about computer coloring. This book gave an absolute beginner everything they need to know regard photoshop and coloring. There is even a disk in the back of the book that you can up load and it takes you step by step along with the book to color a comic page. Once I have memorized everything thing in this great book, I will order the next book in their series. I am already making money with it now and have more jobs coming in. Thanks Impact!

artist/creator/and now colorist Theodore Raymond Riddle

Doesn't matter if you are a beginner digital artist or pro this is the book to find your answers! I just picked this gem up and believe me it is chock full of know how! I'm starting to like the publishing company, "IMPACT" so far they have an interesting array of titles a lota which i own. This book really concentrates on but doesn't over do it the responsibility or techniques of being a colorist in the comic book, graphic novel, and motion comic industry. Two thumbs up and if you just happen to be one of those smart chimps at nasa then, "I guess four?" Heh, heh, but seriously all kidding aside, you'll really benefit from reading this book, I still am...;)