Digital Background Painting for Animation

Learn the entire process of creating digital background scenes for 2D animations in Photoshop.

When it comes to animation, background painting has the power to enhance a story with meaning and breathe life into each scene through the use of shapes, color, and lighting. Background painter, illustrator, and designer Susan Yung has been passionate about animation since a little girl. And through perseverance and dedication, she turned her passion into her full-time job, working with animation studios such as Netflix, Green Portal Studios, Warner Brothers, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, and Cartoon Network.

Discover how to bring a background painting to life in Photoshop with Susan’s step-by-step creative process. Learn the basic theory behind color and lighting, see how to work with an efficient workflow, and explore Susan’s insider tips and tricks to use Photoshop like a professional. Are you ready to delve into background painting for animation?

Get to know Susan, learn about her love for animation, and how she found her place in the field. Explore the artists that inspire her and how they help with her creative process.

Learn about the principles of color and lighting for digital painting, see some basic theory, and understand how it applies to a scene. See how to organize your painting file like an expert and get Susan’s top tips and shortcuts to help with your painting process. Go through the brushes Susan uses and learn how to use them, before seeing how to add textures to your artwork.

Begin planning out your painting. Learn about shape grouping and train your eye to see simple shapes by looking at some examples. See how to break down a composition by using thumbnails to organize your color selection. Susan then shows you how to plan out your lighting scheme and shares some essential tips on how to create adjustment layers for faster results in Photoshop.

Time to get painting! Start with color blocking your base colors and then work on the details with Susan’s guidance. Bring it all together by adding the final lighting and seeing how to add a glow to your artwork. Complete the course with Susan’s final words of advice to make your background illustration pop.