I received a good question from a friend about the magic wand tool. The magic wand is supposed to select an area, much like what you are doing with the lasso tool. But as you can see, the magic wand tool is overrated. It's missed a lot of spaces. The lines have to be super super clean for it to even get close to selecting everything, and I think it would be more tedious than what we're already doing. Just wanted to point that out. If you figure out how to use that tool to your advantage, good for you. But it is definitely not my preferred method.
The next thing I usually color is the hair. I almost always make a new layer for any new color I use. Go ahead and hit Ctrl+Shift+N and name the layer "hair". I make sure it's above the skin layer since I use a tablet and the skin went out of the lines--the hair will go over the skin color that way. But if you're using the lasso tool, it doesn't really matter where you put that layer as long as it's under Layer 1. So pick a color you like and color it in in whatever method you're using-tablet or lasso tool. Don't be afraid to zoom in, the closer you are the easier it is to get in those lines.^_^
I also made a new layer for the little things, like her hairband and her eyes. I put that layer underneath the skin and hair layers so I wouldn't have to worry so much about going out of the lines, but again if you're using the lasso tool it doesn't much matter. Save!
Hmmm...I've decided that I don't much like her hair color, and her skin color is a bit off. Do I have to go back and color it painstakingly in the lines again? NO!! Remember that little Lock box? Select the hair layer or whatever layer you're not happy with and hit the lock box while it's selected. Then pick your preferred color and a fairly big airbrush size and color all over (actually you could use the paint bucket tool and it would be faster than the airbrush even). It will only fill in where there is already hair color. You can do this countless times with any layer. But remember if you want to add color to that layer where there is none, it has to be unlocked. If you want to work on a layer with a color you've already gotten rid of in the vertical tool thing that you see on the left of my screen here, select the eye dropper and click on top of the color you want. It will acquire it and then you can use it with the airbrush again^_^.
Okay, so now she's blonde and I'm happy. Hair color really makes a difference doesn't it? I think she looked totally different as a redhead...Hm. Anyway, since this is such a simple picture, it's time to do the shadows. I make a new layer for the shadows, too. But as you get used to using Photoshop to color, you may decide not to and just to be very careful on the same layer as the base colors. Now that you know about the Ctrl+Alt+Z you won't have to be TOO careful. But for this I'm going to make a new layer with "shadow" added on for all of the color layers I have. Sometimes I put multiple colors on layers, but only if they don't touch each other. Go ahead and Ctrl+Shift+N a couple new layers and name them accordingly.
Now I have my shadow layers, skin shadow directly above the skin layer, and the hair layer directly above the hair layer. Make sure that these are above the layers that are already colored or else you won't be able to see the shadows.
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