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Shadowstar.DTC-3 "Well, it's bad, but it should be possible to repair it."

This article is actively undergoing a major edit. As a courtesy, please do not make edits to this article while this message is displayed, in order to avoid edit conflicts. Please contact Max for any concerns. This template is only viable within five (5) days since the user's last edit.

If there are tutorials that are required or are in need of an update, direct discussion to the talk page.


Welcome to PCA's apprentice tutorials, I'm Max, a senior warrior of the Project. This page is here to help users of any skill level contribute character art, or chararts as they are often called, to PCA and our lovely character pages on the wiki. What you'll find here are the basics of charart making, some info on the various art software our users use, and helpful tutorials for the different types of patterns and techniques that can be used to make charart.

If ever in doubt, warriors and leads (users that are listed as Leader, Deputy, or Senior warriors), are more than happy to answer any questions you might have. Have fun and happy chararting to you! max it is the real thing, ()

First and Foremost[]

When joining PCA, you begin as a kit. As a kit, you can ask questions from more experienced users, or just post your art! This tutorial page is for everybody's reference, in case you need a hand with a tricky or fiddly art thing. We recommend having a basic understanding of your chosen art program, shading, and basic instructions/critique.

  • As a kit, the first image you post will have the title "For Evaluation".
  • A PCA lead can change the heading to "For Approval" if your image demonstrates that you have an understanding of using shading, and your image is considered to be "50%" complete.
    • This also means you're now an apprentice of PCA!
  • Other users will post helpful comments to help you improve your art and have it 'CBA'd'.
    • CBA stands for "Comments before approval", and is a call for any final comments on an image before it is approved and placed on the appropriate page. Only PCA leads can start a CBA, and approve images.

Now, as an apprentice, you can post all of your images with the heading "For Approval". In order to become a warrior, you must have three original images approved. But, there are also some other key things to learn on your journey to warriorhood.

  • Understanding how to match existing patterns and styles (if needed)
  • Giving good feedback and critique on other user's images and being a respectful fellow artist.
  • Understanding PCA's guidelines is also handy to know as well.

Software & tools[]

Art programs are usually the first thing you'd wanna source if PCA is a starting point for your artistic pathway. Most of the ones listed below are free, open-source software that can be downloaded safely, however, PaintTool SAI and Photoshop are both paid programs. A helpful little tip to remember is that the software does not determine the artist - so it doesn't matter if you can't use some of these if you master one that you like using, then, that's great!

Listed below each heading is an image showing the basic tools that will be most useful to create chararts. Some images may have additional text below for certain tools - so be sure to read in case you're not sure what a tool is used for!

FireAlpaca[]

Fire Alpaca.tools

GIMP[]

GIMP.tools

PaintTool SAI[]

PaintTool SAI.tools

Photoshop[]

Photoshop.tools

Other software[]

While we have select tool recommendations for the above software, we in PCA, are aware that there is a multitude of image editing/creating software out there. Due to that factor, we are unable to list them all, but, the beauty of art software is that most tools appear in each software (GIMP and Photoshop are both very similar programs, as they are meant to operate for the same uses).

Earpink colours, Pupil & Shading Placement[]

Earpink colours[]

Sometimes finding the right earpink colour can be tricky - so this is a handy dandy little guide to show you ballpark ranges of pink that work with different pelt colours. This is simply a suggestion of colours and not a mandatory statement. The main thing you want to do when working with earpink colours is that it should be at the very least, distinguishable against the colour of the cat and that it is not considered neon - meaning highly saturated (like highlighter markers).

As you can see, a lot of colours overlap between the different pelt colours so there are heaps of options!

Earpink colours

Pupil Placement chart[]

A handy-dandy chart to show where to roughly place pupil for the blanks. This is by no means the only placement, but, rather a suggestion to avoid making your charart have a cross-eyed look to them. Pupil placement and style is something that comes under "artist's choice", meaning one doesn't have to make changes to it if they don't wish to. If chosen style is conflicting it makes it difficult to interpret, the artist may be asked to change a small aspect so that it is easier to make out the design (pupil + eye shine).

Pupil placement.tutorial

Shading Placement chart[]

A general rule of thumb with light sources; as long as it makes sense - it's fine to use. This is also covered more in-depth under our Shading basics section. This chart is a beginners guide to shading placement. One thing about PCA and the images created is that light sources vary from charart to charart and between the artist's themselves. This chart shows what shading could look like if the light source is coming from the top left corner.

If you'd like to see other light sources used in the Project, have a browse through the approved images for inspiration and more examples.

Clan Ranks shading basic
NonClan Ranks shading basic

Solid Cats[]

Working with solid coloured cats (that have no texture) can be frustrating and painful because a lot of it comes down to how to shade them. A couple of things to consider when having these difficulties is the shading's tint and overall darkness. In my own experience, those are two key factors in getting a solid cat to look nice.

Before we start talking about these two tips - please remember, shading tint & darkness is generally an artist's choice thing! This means it's up to the artist how they want to shade their art - but! If the tint and, or the shading darkness interferes with the quality of matching an image's set, you might be asked to change something!


For this exercise - let's pretend we need to make a new image for a pre-existing set. So, let's match Egg! A cream-coloured tom - cream is a funny colour to work with sometimes, so this will be good practise!

Let's start by colour picking the base from the first image in the set - which is the apprentice. Add in the earpink and eyecolour on separate layers and now we have an image that's ready to be shaded!

Solid cat.tutorial-01

Here's where we can see a difference between shading options. The left kit shows really dark shading being used; the middle kit is using an experimental tint, and the last kit uses a similar colour and opacity as the rest of Egg's set.

As you can see, they all work, but, some work better than others. The two outer images are more pleasing to the eye, but, the first one is still a little bit too dark that it makes the shading look blocky and sharp. The middle image could work, but, the tint offsets the true colour of the image enough that it doesn't match the set - something to consider when using some tint variations. Trying something like the third image is what helps make a solid cat image look pleasing to the eye.

Solid cat.tutorial-02

What you should aim for with solid coloured cats:

  • shading that doesn't make the image look flat
  • appropriate darkness for the colour
  • appropriate shading tint (if applicable)
max it is the real thing, ()

Making a Black Cat[]

A lot of people dislike trying to make black cats due to how difficult it can be to create shading depth. Black cats are one of my favorites, so this tutorial will walk you through how I make mine! If you'd rather follow the visual guide, you can see it at the end of this section, so I'll keep the text version short and sweet. Enjoy!

  • Start with a pelt color that's slightly lighter than black - a very dark gray. Don't use black, it'll hide the lineart and be impossible to shade over top.
  • To make it easier, I add a layer behind my main pelt color and make it a dark gray, so I can see my shading.
  • Shade using pure black - don't worry about this obscuring the lineart, as the opacity will be adjusted. Shade in your usual style, and don't forget the depth layers!
  • Add a highlight - this creates more contrast between the light source and the shadow. I use a very very pale yellow or white for my highlights.
  • Hide or delete your gray layer, and adjust your shading while looking at your black fur layer.
Blackcat.tutorial
Illusion ☄. *. ⋆

Tabbies[]

Types of tabbies[]

Tabby markings

Tabby cats, or "striped cats" as they are sometimes called, are probably one of the most common pelt types seen in this series. They're always a fun description to try and figure out different designs for them. Above are some of the most common types of real tabby cats - of course, these are just some of the more common appearing ones.

  • Mackerel tabbies like Tigerstar or Swiftbreeze are classic examples of what a mackerel tabby tends to look like. These tabbies tend to have long thin stripes down their body.
  • Classic tabbies like Foxleap or Eeltail (for a more stylized classic tabby) are two very different examples of how classic tabbies can be made to look. The essential thing about this tabby is that the stripes are much thicker and "swirlier" than a mackerel tabby.
  • Ticked tabbies are a rarer sight in PCA for some reason - can't seem to find any onsite examples! The main thing about ticked tabbies is that they do have much more prominent face, leg and tail stripes (which the above example doesn't - but that was due to reference). The body stripes are thickly clustered speckles.
  • Pointed tabbies like Gorsetail or Reedshine are two different approaches to a pointed tabby. Gorsetail is much more of a classic pointed tabby, meaning that she has darker points where the stripes are placed. Whereas Reedshine simply has thicker face, leg and tail stripes, whilst also having some body spots (like a ticked tabby!)
  • Spotted tabbies like Larkwing or Wetfoot are two good examples of this tabby type. Spotted tabbies, like the name states, have clear spotted markings! Some might have some more mackerel-type stripes on the leg and face, but, the body should have clear "dapple-like" markings.

One thing that I personally would recommend to anyone with tabbies is that your main goal is to avoid "triangle tabbies" or "y tabbies". While they are stripes, they come across as less form-fitting to the blank and just space fillers instead. Another thing that can help make it obvious is by adding an "M" to the cat's forehead - real-life tabby cats have this and its pretty much a universal marker for the pattern. Real-life reference can be very helpful to learn how tabby stripes work with the body of a cat - most of the examples above were directly referenced from real-life cats!

A thing to note with tabbies and pretty much every pattern in general with PCA - there are no requirements to be realistic. Keep this in mind when either creating your own patterns, or critiquing other's because everyone has a personal style for how they create their images. Some people may prefer a realistic approach, but, that doesn't mean everyone has to follow with that.

What you should aim for with tabby cats:

  • clear, distinct markings
  • stripes that curve in the direction of the blank
max it is the real thing, ()

Tortoiseshells & Calicos[]

As a foreword, the only difference between the two is the amount of white markings! The more white markings the more the brindled pattern becomes separated into more distinct patches of colour - just a really cool thing in cat genetics!

Tortie markings

The amazing thing about tortoiseshell and calicos (which is the proper term for tortie-and-white cats) is that its a pattern type that can be interpreted in many ways. Basically, they have patches of at least two colours - and the ruling around those colours are pretty lax. As you can see in the above example image, in the real world - there's different ways of interpreting this pelt pattern. The examples depict a tortie cat and what can happen when white markings are added - the ginger patches become much more distinct and bold.

My tips for creating a tortoiseshell pattern is to have separate layers for each colour you want to use.

Tortie markings.tutorial-01

Here you can see I've separated my design into six layers - Blank, Base, Ginger, Tabby markings, White, and Extra patches. Of course, Tabby markings and extra patches are optional layers, I chose to add them because of what I was doing. By having the colours on separate layers, it makes the whole progress a lot easier.

Making the patches, it depends on what style you're going for. Sometimes its easier to just scribble in the markings, or to block it out in larger patches and smudge them. There are a lot of different approaches one can take for making a tortie - let's look at some examples.

  • Unnamed kittypet shows a style similar to our first example above - a more brindled tortoiseshell pattern.
  • Finchpaw's apprentice is a more stylized approach to making a tortoiseshell - by larger patches to show the tortieshell markings.
  • Cherrytail's kittypet shows larger, distinct ginger patches with white markings like the third example above. This style is common for most tortoiseshell-and-white cat images.
  • Turtletail is a really good example of a "high white" tortoiseshell cat with very distinct patches of colour as well.

What you should aim for with tortoiseshell and calico cats:

  • remember that there are different styles of tortoiseshell patterns that you can make
  • colours play an important part in this pattern
max it is the real thing, ()

Other patterns[]

Sometimes characters get described with pretty interesting patterns, or, something that doesn't match the above patterns we've covered. Below are some different patterns that do crop up a few times and how you can also achieve some cool patterns/designs!

Pointed cat + User

Smoke cat + User

Textured images[]

Texturing is a completely optional style used in a vast majority of image sets nowadays. The style adds a level of depth to most images, whether they be solid coloured cats, or patterned cats (tabbies/tortoiseshells). There are a few styles of texturing that can be done, which, in some, is defined by the art program.

Pencil + Smudge[]

Image + Username

Individual strokes[]

Image + Username

Lineart tweaks[]

Some characters require minor or major lineart tweaks - or both! Below are some examples of the types of lineart tweaks that a PCA user might come across. A simple way to tweak is to create a new layer and in a different colour using the binary tool is to sketch the tweaks before erasing the PCA blank's original lineart.

Minor lineart tweaks[]

Ear and fur tweaks

Major lineart tweaks[]

Broken limbs/tails, muzzle tweaks

Shading[]

Basics[]

The basics of shading really come down to knowing how to use a light source. Once you've got a light source working, you can really push an image's potential. A light source, as shown in the shading placement tutorial, is where your main light would be coming from.

VectorSigma101.lightsource

Tinting shading[]

Words

Blurred shading[]

This is what I'd call the standard shading style - blocking out the shading and then using a blur tool to smooth it out to fit the blank's shape.

File:Spookywilloww.blurred shading.png

Smudged shading[]

Text

Textured shading[]

Texturedshadingtut

- Arenzel

Highlights[]

Text

Shading tips[]

White cats[]

Whitecatstut

- Arenzel

Bi-colour cats[]

also painful but here are some tips

Image matching[]

Text

Tweaking[]

An important part of becoming a warrior in PCA, and being a warrior, is tweaking. There are a number of different reasons to as what can be tweaked on an image - shading issues, light sources, pattern issues, or description changes are just some of the reasons for a suitable tweak. For more information on the suitable grounds for a tweak nomination and such, refer to the Project's here.

Changing lineart[]

So, you need to change the lineart? Is it blurred, missing, or is it just the wrong length for the character? Read below to see how to quickly fix that problem up, no matter the art program!

Image + User

Fixing a light source[]

Lightsource-01

Fixing a light source is a pretty common reason for an image to be tweaked. In this tutorial, we'll be using GIMP and fix the problem by adding a new layer of shading and using highlights to remove the old shading's incorrect source - this last step is optional and only helps on certain images. The above image is what we'll be fixing today.


Lightsource-02

Make a new layer, and draw on shading using either a light source that is sort of being used by the old image, or by using one that actually makes sense. In this image, the light is coming from the top right-hand side.

Use the blur tool to smooth out the new shading layer. For this, I used a size 7 brush on 100%. The rate and size will determine how smooth and blurred your new shading is - keep that in mind. Once you're finished, low the opacity of the layer to your liking.

Lightsource-03

Next, if needed, add highlights using a lighter shade of the base. On this gray cat, I used white. This helps remove some shading along the back, tail, and chest, where it shouldn't be due to the light source.

Once the highlights are drawn on, blur them out, and change the opacity of the layer to your liking to decrease the highlight intensity. Now, remove the waste, and your image is complete!

Lightsource-04

Things to remember for light source tweaks:

  • if applicable, use a similar, but working light source to the original image
  • try to not redo all of the original shading (as this makes the image a redo and not a tweak)
  • remember with shading tweaks - try not to lose the original pattern underneath if possible.
  • don't be afraid to ask for help if you can't get it looking right! Project leads are more than happy to help - after all, that's what the tweak page/approval pages are for - constructive criticism
All tutorial images and text by spooky is that... a furry cat?!? 

Defining shading[]

Image + User

Colour tweaking[]

Image + User

Adding markings[]

Image + User

Videos[]

Written descriptions hard to understand? Check out some of the videos our PCA team have made, showcasing how to make chararts!

Program Tutorials[]

Sometimes written explanations can be a pain in the butt to understand, so I've decided to scope out some very good and well-structed videos that can help understand your chosen art program/software!

Other Tutorials[]

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