This is the fifth installment in our "Level Up Your Coloring" series — the finishing edition.
Now it's time to bring the piece we've been coloring — face, hair, and flowers — to completion. By carefully finishing the accessories, clothing, and background, let's raise the overall quality of the piece another notch.
Key Points for This Lesson: Finishing Makes the Difference
Keep the following points in mind for today's coloring.
- Add more colors to create depth
- Carefully fill in even the smallest details
- Make adjustments while checking the overall balance
Finishing isn't just "more coloring" — it's a "process of tying everything together." Doing this step carefully brings you much closer to a realistic finish.
How to Color the Accessories (Earrings)
Let's start by coloring the earrings.
● Color with dimension in mind
- Use red-purple tones
- Start coloring from the shadowed areas
- Layer color little by little
The key is not to finish it all in one go, but to build it up by layering several colors.
● Add an expression of light
- Firmly establish the darkest area
- Add a highlight with an eraser
- Layer white on top for a smooth glow
This creates a glossy, realistic texture.
How to Color Clothing | Creating Depth with Gradients
Next, let's color the clothing.
● Use purple tones for the base
- Color the edges darker and the center lighter
- Apply even pressure throughout
● Bring dimension to the sleeves
- Add shading with blue-purple
- Darker on the right, lighter on the left
Layering a light touch of red-purple on top creates a natural gradient.
● Strengthen the contrast
- Lightly layer black over the darkest recessed areas
- Gradually darken through layering
This firmly brings out the dimension and depth.
Overall Balance Is the Key to a Great Finish
Once you've finished coloring the whole line art, this next part is important.
● Strengthen the contrast
- Adjust with black, white, and an eraser
- Make the difference between light and dark clear
● Create a sense of color unity
- Add a touch of the hair color throughout
- Add a bit of red to the skin too for extra vibrance
Finishing the Skin | Toward a Natural, Beautiful Texture
Soft tones are essential for the finishing touches.
● Smooth it out with shell pink
- Layer it lightly over the whole area
- Refine the skin texture
● Tips for a realistic look
- Add a natural shadow under the chin
- Keep the roundness in mind
These small adjustments have a big impact on realism.
Finishing the Hair | Tips for a Realistic Look
It's important to think of hair in terms of "strands."
- Divide it into fine strands as you color
- Create shadow where strands overlap
This lets you express natural, three-dimensional hair.
How to Color the Background | A Simple, Beautiful Finish
This time we'll finish the background using a very simple method.
● Basic coloring method
- Lay the pencil on its side and color broad areas
- Move it in one direction
- Layer two colors to create a gradient
● Things to watch out for
- Don't change direction partway through
- Don't spill over onto the main motif
● Tips for a clean finish
- Turn the paper to a comfortable angle for coloring
- Keep the background lighter than the main subject
Final Touches | Step Back and Tie It All Together
Once the background is finished, do an overall check at the end.
- Adjust the position of highlights
- Add darkness to strengthen the contrast
- Fine-tune the overall balance
This step greatly raises the finished quality of the piece.
Complete | A Leveled-Up Piece
And that completes the piece.
Compared to the beginner version,
- Dimension in the skin
- Hair texture
- Flowers and other fine details
should all look far more detailed and realistic.
Summary | Finishing Is All About the Ability to Adjust
What matters most in finishing is
the "ability to step back and adjust the whole."
By being mindful of "overall balance," not just the small details, your work instantly levels up.
Show Us Your Work
Once your piece is complete, please share it on the Nuri-Iro website's submission corner.
Let's keep expanding our creative range together as we share our work.
>> See the "Flower and Girl" submission page here