After finishing the line art, I moved on to the coloring phase, and this is where things start to feel a lot more alive. Compared to the outline stage, this part is way more fun because the character finally begins to show personality through color.
For this phase, I focused on flat colors first. I didn’t jump straight into shading or complex lighting—I just wanted to block in the main colors for the hair, skin, and clothes. Keeping it simple at the beginning really helps me stay organized and not get overwhelmed.
One of the main things I paid attention to was color choice. I decided to go with strong red hair for the character because it instantly makes her stand out. It gives a sense of warmth and makes her feel important in the scene. I also added small details like the ribbon and pendant to give her a bit more identity without making the design too complicated.
Even though the character has a soft smile and closed eyes, the colors help enhance that calm and peaceful mood. Without color, the emotion is there—but with color, it becomes much clearer and easier for the audience to feel.
I also made sure to color everything using separate layers in Clip Studio Paint. This makes it easier to go back and fix things if needed. For example, if I want to change the hair color later, I don’t have to redraw anything—I can just adjust that one layer.
At this stage, I’m not worrying too much about perfection. The goal is just to build a solid base for the next step, which will be shading and lighting. That’s where I can really start adding depth and making the character look more polished.
Overall, this phase is where the character starts to move from a simple sketch into something more real. It’s still not the final look, but it’s a big step forward in making the animation feel complete.
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