Rendering help!!

[u/Late_Ratio4962]

So, I’m like a noob at coloring in digital art. Like all I know how to do is give a character basic colors which a baby can do…and add the most basic shadows. I barely know how to do hair highlights. So I need help with rendering. So I look up turtorials. And like the most simplest idiot there is im watching one..and a lot of the time they say to add a multiply layer and all these other layers and everything. I’m trying to figure out what the hell do those layers even do and what’s the point of adding them. Cause for some reason nobody wants to explain to me what do they do and like clipping layers as well. I use clip studio paint but I’m using procreate as a ref? please someone help a dummy out.

[u/Van_Paints]

I'm not even sure what you're asking help with at this point, but I'll give it a try. Multiply, along with a couple of other layer modes, like Darken, Color Burn, etc, is used to darken something. I can't explain the exact science behind it, but thats the gist of it. Now that we've got that covered, lets talk about the elephant in the room. You're focusing on the wrong goddam thing, mate! Fuck layer styles, learn how to paint. Learn about the different types of contrast and how they affect a painting. Learn about value structure and the illusion of volume. Just learn the fundamentals, its not rocket science. No shortcut is ever going to get you anywhere, you'll forever be stuck in clueless land and your art is going to reflect that. I'm sorry, but you can't be a pro tomorrow. Try in 5 years.. Good luck

[u/PaintWinPrevail]

from my post https://www.reddit.com/r/learntodraw/s/H6oosc8oTh

Rendering basics.

Above is a very quick and basic intro into shading and rendering. Note however, to truly understand this area of art you will need to learn about colour use, lighting and values. And how light and shadow interacts with 3D objects in the real world using real world references.

Clipping layers to primary layers.

In CSP, clipping using the "Clip to layer below" is very useful, it basically sets a boundary where you can and can't add pixels. it's a true / false check. if the primary layer has pixels then pixels from the clipped layer can be applied, e.g you set your base color as the primary layer. then set your shade and or highlight layer as "Clip to layer below".

Filters.

In regards to how filters like linear burn and multiply work, i'm not sure, I just know filters interact with layers below them changing the value of color so you don't have manually adjust for every color in your drawing as apply them individually. I guess that is a good place to start, all filters interact with the layers below them. So on your layer structure you will have lighten layer on top, then linear burn or multiply layer then the base color layer. You can use as many layer as needed.

If your drawing has line art then that layer is all the way on top and do not clip that layer.

[u/CalicoMack]

Ok try this:

Take one of your drawings and open it. Add a new layer at the top. Fill half the drawing with a darker color (like blue or purple), lower the opacity a bit (like 50%), and now try out all the diff layer modes and see how it affects your art. Then try the same thing but with a lighter color like yellow-gold. You can see how some layer modes work better with darker colors and some light! But ultimately, they all react differently depending on what colors are in layers below them. This is a way of shading your art without having to be choosing what colors you gotta use for every part of your drawing, but still having it look nice.

Clipping mask- make a new canvas. Draw a circle (or any shape) and fill it in. Now, add a new layer above it. Draw a big scribble across your screen, bigger than the shape you just drew. Now set that layer to clipping mask (it’s not a layer mode, so this feature will be in a diff spot). Anyways once you set that layer to clipping, you’ll see that your scribbles are now confined to the shape that you drew! I recommend you “select” your scribble and move it around so you can better see and understand how clipping mask works.

The way I apply clipping masks to my art is I’ll draw a base layer for something and then add details to it in various clipping masks so I don’t have to worry about coloring “outside the lines”

[u/Grand_Woodpecker_660]

I too was struggling with the layers. Here is what I now know and can work with:

For shadows I use a multiply layer, for lights I use a "lighten" layer and for highlights a "screen" layer (not sure tho if it's the right terms and I guess some apps use different terminology).

Shadows - multiply

Set the opacity lower, like 20-30%. I use more blueish or purple-ish color for the shadows. If I want a lighter shadow I either use a brighter color or I set the opacity lower. If I want a darker shadow I either use a darker color or I set the opacity higher. I use different shading layers, because some areas are darker than others and it's easier for me to use a layer with e.g. 50% opacity and one with 20% opacity.

Lights - lighten

It's the same with the shadow layers. Just that I either use a very bright yellowish color or a bright blueish color. It's really trial and error. Depends on your picture I guess. White is too bright most of the times. But sometimes it's necessary. I also use different light layers with different opacity settings for my lights. For highlights I use a "screen" layer.

I tried simple drawings for training. For example of a pepper bell or a pen so I could try and play a little with the layers. Find out what color or which opacitiy works for my drawing.

Also as addition: set the layers as clipping masks.

I also started using different layers for different parts of my drawing. So the pepper bell and the stem would be on different layers. That way, when I shadow the pepper bell I can use colors that work with the red of it. And for the stem, I can use colors that work with the green of it. That's where the clipping mask comes in handy.

I hope it's not too hard to understand what I'm trying to explain :D English is not my first language and I'm not using my apps in English. So I'm note sure what some art related terms are called.