Cel Shading Art Tips

This video is all about what Cel-Shading is and how to use it in your digital art and animation.
We'll look at what separates cel-shading from soft-shading, as well as tips for achieving that classic 2D aesthetic!
The art program I'm using is TVPaint.
You can cel-shade in any digital art program that has layers.
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[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Watch more Animation Tutorials here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXbXamCPqaxjiNE Email List + Courses: www.micahbuzan.com/animation-course-sign-up/

[@isadilawtatlo]

i usually learn things about art by looking at other art pieces, but cel shading needed more than just looking. this video helped me and gave me information that is very helpful. thank you so much!

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Really glad it could help!

[@LZRvision]

1:40 I literally replayed that part 10 times and I still can't get over how smooth that animation is

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Lots of inbetween drawings combined with a lack of social life.

[@Jeffreydefinitelynotdahmer]

Trippy

[@charkoney]

Awesome video! As an animator, I've always struggled with how to tackle shading in my animations. This vid gave a couple cool pointers that will help me :P

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Radical, glad to hear that.

[@retardno002]

This was so useful. There is more information in 'use a base colour, a highlight, and a darker shade' and 'observe where the light is coming from' than it first seems. The amount of freedom just a couple of shades can generate out of the self imposed constraint is similar to how boxing is the most amazing way to strike with your hands specifically because you can't use anything else. There's a lot of technique and observation in pairing colors to create textures while also keeping surrounding light sources in mind. Thank you for the video! It's amazing to have to rethink the basics of my pencil centric way of thought spoiled by almost infinite shading options.

[@snakeblade31]

This was such an informative video. Straight to the point with clear examples easy enough for even non-animators to understand. Thank you!

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Happy to hear that, thanks for the comment!

[@angelacalvin5790]

Even though this was in reference to animation, this was one of the more informative videos on simply understanding shading in general, but also I didn't know the terminology for this type of shading was called Cel. I got back and forth on wanting to use this in mu illustrations or more textured blended shading. Thanks for this vid! super helpful :)

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Really glad to hear it helped, thanks for letting me know! Yup Yup cel shading has pros and cons. It has some trouble conveying depth and can look shiny. But it pairs well with cel shaded characters and soft shaded backgrounds.

[@angelacalvin5790]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION OK good to know! Thanks:)

[@Khud0]

I love cel shading and use it all the time. This is pure gold, thanks a lot for making this video! Not only are your tips very useful, but also the art you make yourself is gorgeous, it's just what I love!

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Thanks a bunch! Your channel is inspiring me to learn game dev by the way.

[@Khud0]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION Give it a try, I'm sure that with your art/animation skills you'd be able to make something gorgeous. :)

[@AkutagawaDog]

This helped me SO MUCH. My art looked so dull, and I was about to give up, but then I found your video!! It helped so much!! And now my art looks much better. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

[@McCoy_Buck]

Hell yeah Micah, this was really well done. I don't have the patience to draw frame by frame, especially how you do it - looks like you do most your animations on 1's. Very admirable

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Thanks a bunch! Yes, frame-by-frame animation is labor intensive, but it's also the only thing I know, so it just feels natural. I admire your ability to use MoHo! I still need to properly sit down and learn that program, might have to dig into your tutorials soon.

[@TedExTheGreat]

This actually helps! I also adore your animations

[@Alfos001]

Thanks mate, I always feel like I'm fumbling blind when it comes to trying to apply shadows and highlights to my drawings. I may no the basics in how to apply each etc. These tips, though briefly described are greatly memorable and are already working wonders at fixing my comprehension on how to shade my cartoon sketches ^_^

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

That's awesome to hear!! Glad these quick tips could help :)

[@Atomic-toons00]

Shading is like pushing geometry inside and light shading is getting geomerty outside

[@TheChickenRiceBowl]

This was perfect timing since I’m working on a design right now and am not used to cel-shading, but need to use it for this particular drawing. Thanks for uploading.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Radical, glad it could help! I'm slowly working on more tutorial things - any suggestions?

[@TheChickenRiceBowl]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION If you know anything about animating on ProCreate/iPad that’d be helpful to me personally. As for general tutorials, tutorials on lighting and line art would be super helpful, as that’s something I know a lot of beginners struggle with, myself included, even though I’ve been doing art for 2 decades.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

@@TheChickenRiceBowl I've never used Procreate, but tutorials on lighting and line art are being put on the to do list! Thanks.

[@charliewisp]

Very informative. Thanks for taking the time to make this. Been following you almost 10 years

[@hazzaart]

Absolutely love all of this! Soo trippy and cool Love cel shading

[@hugh_jasso]

Awesome channel! I've been using this method for years but just learned today what the technique is called!

[@claudiusmaximus4088]

Thank you for this I will keep these tips in mind! Very helpful and easy to understand!

[@zejugames5045]

This video was absolutely amazing and put me on the right track for my game. Thank you!!

[@WingBrain]

Really good tips!

[@commandermation2522]

Imo cel shading is probably the most easiest for me its so simple and easy to do.

[@evilconcarne444]

This is awesome!

[@formidablefriend8228]

3:20 is that a self portrait while under the stress of a deadline? lol

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

100%

[@Valid.4l]

this is really good thank you

[@MadHatterProductions44]

I don't even draw but this is amazing. Can't believe I'm just discovering this stuff.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Thanks a lot for the kind comment and for watching! I'm slowly working on more art + animation related videos :)

[@MadHatterProductions44]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION Awesome! Gonna have to look into the ufo pack you posted soon for my newer music. Keep 'em comin'!

[@igorsergeev6068]

short and very informative, very nice. Thank you kind sir:))

[@japaneseextremme3811]

Very well explained, learned a lot in a short amount of time ty

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Awesome, thank you!

[@gregglumus5303]

Good job. This was a good instructional video

[@animacionyvino3116]

thank you for this

[@Nuninho_]

thank you

[@neozoid7009]

Awesome explanation

[@Shabazza84]

Very nicely presented.

[@Hannie.Schaft]

In blender: Any shader into 'shader to rgb' into a 'color ramp' set to 'constant'. Have fun

[@dappledproductions]

Super useful. Thanks mang

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Happy to hear that, thanks for watching! More to come.

[@JackRaynerV]

Great, to-the-point overview.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

That's the goal, thank you! Any ideas for future vids?

[@JackRaynerV]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION That's a good question! Not a point I struggle with, but I know a lot of artists that are new to digital struggle with producing smooth line work.

[@mmm.mmm.mmm.]

thanks

[@willhelm6192]

Goated

[@Ada-zg2qb]

That's alot for this. I applied tips from your other tutorial but this explains everything else for me. I have one question. When figuring out the 3d shapes of your drawing, what are things you do to get that done? Sometimes I get stuck on that. I feel like I know what I'm drawing but then breaking it down to simple shapes to know what to shade gets me stuck sometimes.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Thanks for the comment Ada and I'm glad it could help a bit! Hmm, as for figuring out 3D shapes, one thing that helps is to always start roughly sketching out the biggest, most important shapes first. Everything we see can be broken down into circles, squares, and cones. I draw guidelines that wrap around these shapes. Then add smaller shapes within main mass, refining and adding detail as you go. Start big and broad, then focus on the details.

[@Ada-zg2qb]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION Ohhh. Okay that helps. I've been practicing breaking them down since I commented and you are right! I've gotten better. Thank you :)

[@AstroshadowArts]

Very helpful!

[@lvbboi9]

Your style reminds me alot of Felix Colgrave, is he perhaps one of your inspirations? Great tutorial btw, I've been wanting to understand cel-shading well for a long time now, and this helped alot.

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Glad it could help. I love Felix Colgrave's work!

[@alpha8here]

Hi, Micah! Great to see you post again. I was wondering, are you working on any short films, or are you planing to work on one?

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Hey! Have been working on lots of projects this year - commercials, animated album covers, and other animated related things. But for personal projects, I unfortunately haven't had much time left over. I have lots of written animation tutorials ready to be produced though. And an idea for a short film + graphic novel project that is in the thumbnailing stage.

[@alpha8here]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION That's great to hear, Micah! Wishing you the best of luck!

[@effortcivilengineersinteri3784]

Thank youu! this is very helpful for the animation im currently making!

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Glad I could help! Hope you have success with the animation :)

[@effortcivilengineersinteri3784]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION thank youu :D

[@heatworld1]

Where do you get your colors? are they flat and if so how do you get your shadow and highlight color.

[@ilovesalmon215]

UNDERATED

[@Baryccyon]

Did you make the alien dude? I want him I NEED him 🤩

[@Mlikes]

Great

[@fizzingcola8201]

This is so useful! Thanks for this tut

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

Really glad to help, thanks for watching!

[@AlphaProto]

01:30 Where can I find this Toon-Shading option. What program is it from?

[@StoryTeller796]

How does Cel Shading apply to Pixel Animation?

[@shivangipriya4153]

in which program you use this?? I need to do like you.. how please

[@HiCringe]

I have no idea how to shade, I just drop dark colors randomly xd

[@Nikolas0269]

So cel shadings are shapes

[@TreyGold]

In about 30 min or so I will be reviewing artists and I added this to review

[@coomer_artist2648]

What is the tool at 01:30 ?

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

It's a toon shader. You can use it to create the angle of light on all frames and adjust the sharpness to be soft shaded or hard cel shaded. It's a tool used in games like Legend Of Zelda WindWaker.

[@masasuzuki1762]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION I know it's a shader but just what tool/software is that. I always use toon shader for 3d work in Unity but never seen 2d thing like this.

[@KoniWorx]

Isn't "soft shading" just painting?

[@millnstory]

Does anyone know how to get over a fear of hard edges?😭

[@Banzaichan8488]

what program do you use for drawing?

[@MicahBuzanANIMATION]

TVPain!

[@Banzaichan8488]

@@MicahBuzanANIMATION thank you

[@terrypickette118]

👍👍🔧

[@AzureSymbiote]

Thank you but I believe your color temperature demonstration is reversed.

[@pizzaguy9483]

This video was a really helpful. I accidentally pressed dislike when I meant to press like. My apologies.

[@trontron8666]

Just don’t shade lmao