This time, as the second installment of our "seeing in planes, not lines" practice series, we'll cover how to color the turban and clothing.
Following the previous "face edition," let's keep dimension in mind as we color together this time too.
*The line art used here is available for download on the Nuri-Iro official website. Please grab a copy and work through it together with us.
Quick Recap of Last Time
Last time, we explained how to color the face by capturing it in "planes."
To bring out dimension, rather than chasing after fine lines,
- Bright planes
- Mid-tone planes
- Dark planes
it's important to broadly capture things in these 3 stages.
We'll color today's turban and clothing with the same mindset.
Before Coloring the Turban
First, let's look at the whole turban as one large plane.
Just like when we colored the face,
- The brightest plane
- The mid-tone plane
- The darkest plane
we'll think of it as divided into these 3.
What matters here is keeping the same light direction as the face.
For example, if the left side of the face is bright, the turban's left side should be bright too.
If only the face has a different light direction, the picture will look unnatural.
There Are Planes Within Planes
The turban is made of curved surfaces.
Because of this,
- Bright plane
- Mid-tone plane
- Dark plane
within these large planes, there are also finer planes.
For example, in areas where the fabric folds,
- A slightly brighter part
- A slightly darker part
appear.
First capture things broadly, then add finer planes afterward — that's how natural dimension emerges.
The Direction of Your Strokes Matters Too
When trying to bring out dimension with colored pencils, the direction you color in matters too.
Simply coloring vertically, or coloring while ignoring the shape, will cause dimension to be lost.
Coloring along the flow of the turban lets you express a fabric-like texture.
Lay the pencil lead on its side, gently color broad areas, and follow the form as you go.
See Wrinkles as "Plane Boundaries," Not "Lines"
A common mistake when coloring fabric is tracing the wrinkle lines exactly as drawn.
But real wrinkles aren't actually lines.
They're the boundary of a plane created where the fabric folds.
For example, on either side of a wrinkle, there's:
- A bright plane that sticks up
- A dark plane that recedes
.
In other words,
instead of "drawing a line,"
think "coloring in the bright plane and the dark plane separately."
That mindset is what matters.
Start by Roughly Coloring the Dark Planes
When practicing seeing in planes, it's easier to start by broadly coloring the dark areas first.
Without worrying about the fine wrinkle lines,
- Bright plane
- Mid-tone plane
- Dark plane
divide these roughly and color them in.
After that, gradually layer on darker tones, and natural dimension will emerge.
The Turban Is a "Collection of Planes"
Looking at the whole turban, there is a large flow where:
- The front is bright
- The middle is somewhat dark
- The back is even darker
.
Looking more closely,
- here's a plane sticking up
- here's a plane receding
it's a gathering of small planes like this.
In other words, a turban is
made up of many small planes gathered within larger planes
.
Just keeping this in mind makes it much easier to bring out dimension.
Layer Color in Dark Areas to Build Depth
To bring out dimension, the depth of the dark areas matters too.
Use a dark brown or similar color to establish the dark areas, then layer more color on top of that.
However, if you color too strongly with black, it will erase the color underneath.
Use black sparingly as a light layer, and build up depth gradually.
Think of Earrings in 3 Stages Too
The basics are the same when coloring metal too.
Using the area where light hits as your reference,
- Bright plane
- Mid-tone plane
- Dark plane
think in these 3 stages.
Metal in particular has a large difference between light and dark, so applying firm contrast makes it look convincingly metallic.
Think of Clothing in "Planes" Too
Next, let's color the clothing.
The shoulder is a part that juts forward, so it catches the most light.
So:
- The peak of the shoulder is bright
- It becomes mid-tone as it moves outward
- Areas that recede are dark
follows this flow.
Here too, it's important not to see wrinkles as lines.
Wrinkles Are Where Fabric Folds
Wrinkles in clothing are the same as with the turban.
Think of wrinkle lines as
- a bright plane
- and a dark plane
a boundary separating the two.
Rather than "drawing a line,"
focus on "which side is up and which side is down."
Coloring with this in mind creates a natural fabric-like texture.
Layer Colors to Emphasize Dimension
For the dark areas of the clothing, use a dark brown while varying:
- Pressure
- The number of layers
to create stages of darkness.
Also, layering colors like
- Brown
- Ochre tones
adds richness and depth to the color.
In the very darkest areas, lightly layer black on top to create firm contrast.
For a White Collar, Use Gray to Create Shadow
When expressing a white collar, color the shadows, not the white itself.
Adding shadow with a light gray lets you bring out dimension while keeping the whiteness intact.
Finish by Adjusting the Whole Piece
Once the clothing is colored, check the overall balance including the face and turban.
- Areas lacking darkness
- Areas lacking brightness
find these and add more color as needed.
Once every detail is refined, you're done.
Summary | See in Planes and You Can Color Anything with Dimension
This time, using the turban and clothing, we explained the "seeing in planes, not lines" coloring approach.
The key points for bringing out dimension are:
- Divide into bright, mid-tone, and dark planes
- Think of wrinkles as plane boundaries, not lines
- Move from large planes to small planes
- Keep the light direction consistent
- Layer color to build depth
.
It may feel difficult at first, but even a little conscious effort can transform your coloring dramatically.
Once you master the "seeing in planes" mindset, you'll be able to express dimension not just in people, but in fabric, small objects, landscapes, and more.
Use this article as a reference and enjoy your colored-pencil coloring even more.