Anime-style character coloring with clean flat fills, cel shading, and highlight placement for manga and illustration artwork.

Step 1: Clean Line Art

Import line art on white. Set layer to Multiply. Lock transparent pixels on color layers below.

Step 2: Base Skin Tone

Select skin areas with Magic Wand. Fill with base peach (#f5d0b0) on new layer.

Step 3: Hair Base Color

Fill hair region with base color (#4a2a6a for purple hair). Stay inside lines.

Step 4: Cel Shading

On clipped layer above each base, paint shadows with darker shade at hard edges (no soft brush).

Step 5: Hair Highlights

Add bright highlight streaks in hair with lighter tint. Anime hair has distinct shine bands.

Step 6: Eye and Accessory Color

Color eyes with gradient: dark top, bright bottom. Add white catchlight dots.

Step 7: Background and Effects

Simple gradient background. Add soft glow behind character at Screen 20%.

That's it! You've completed this tutorial. Experiment with the techniques and share your results with the Designstacks community.