I hope this answers everyone's questions - it's gonna be a BIG post...
I'll just use Off-Model Esmeralda as an example. So, here's the scanned drawing.
For the rest, I use a Wacom graphics tablet (
http://wacom.com/index.html). Without one it would be impossible (for me, at least - also, there's probably a much more efficient, less time-wasting method than mine, but you asked, so here it is). I imported the scan of the sketch into Photoshop, then created a
New Layer over the sketch. Using the Wacom tablet pen, I drew over the sketch with the
Brush Tool to create the outline.
As you can see, I started by outlining Esmeralda's skin. Knowing that the skin outline would be different a different colour to the other outlines, I stopped and created another
New Layer for the next outline colour, this time the hair.
I'll explain later why I create each outline on a new layer. Once the outline was finished...
...I removed the original sketch...
...and began to colour the picture using the
Brush Tool. (Because the outlines are on different layers, I can't use the
Paint Bucket Tool.)
In Photoshop I can automatically apply a certain colour to a whole layer, so creating all the outlines on different layers means that I can quickly change the colour of an outline to suit the main colour. This comes in handy if I change the main colour. If the outlines were all connected, I would have to separate the outline around the changed colour, which would involve tracing around it, cutting, etc. This way is just handier, and frees me up when it comes to choosing colours for everything. To change the colour of one of the outlines, go to the options at the top of the screen and click
Layer > Layer Style > Color Overlay... From there you can change the colour of the layer. Once that was done...
...I began the shading by painting shadow around edges with a soft
Brush Tool, then erasing any excess with a smaller, hard-edged
Eraser Tool. I then did the highlights the same way.
So, em, that's it! I hope that explains everything properly. I've never written a tutorial before...