What I’m specifically trying to achieve:

• Strong cel shading with soft transitions in some areas (like the face and hair)
• Intense glow/red eye effect
• Clean but dynamic highlights in hair (not overly airbrushed)
• Subtle gradients on skin while still keeping that “flat anime” look

My current workflow:

• Lineart + base colors in Paint Tool SAI 2
• Then compositing and effects in After Effects 2022

What I’m struggling with:

1. How to balance hard cel shading vs soft shading without making it look muddy
2. How to paint those hair highlights so they look “anime accurate” instead of random
3. Best way to achieve that glowing eye effect (should I do it in SAI or only in AE?)
4. What blending modes / layer setups are commonly used for this style?

If possible, I’d really appreciate:

• Layer structure examples
• AE effects (Glow, blending modes, color grading, etc.)

Thanks in advance 🙏