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Posted on 18/05/07 03:34:39 AM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2166 Reply  |
Colouring black and white Photographs
Start by duplicating the layer original layer. Add a solid colour adjustment layer (It will be filled with black so invert it) (Cntr I) Right click on the adjustment layer and select ‘Blending Options’ Change ‘Blend Mode’ to Color. Alt Click the bottom left triangle (Underlying Layer), it will split set the right half to 70 and the left to 30. Now do the same for the Triangle on the far right, set to values of 188 and 225. 
Duplicate this layer about 20 times. Any layers not used can be deleted later. Double click on the first layer thumbnail. Select the colour you want to use. Name the layer to what ever part of the photo you want to use this colour for. Set the brush hardness to about 90. Start colouring, You are painting with white on the mask, removing the mask showing the underlying colour. If you have gone over lines press X and start painting with Black on the mask, hiding the underlying colour. 
Don’t worry to much about the colour as you can change it by double clicking on the thumbnail again and change the colour. You can also lower the opacity of the layer, or use a brush set on a lower opacity. You can also change the result of individual layers by right clicking on the layer mask and ‘Add Layer Mask to Selection’ and then add a Curves Adjustment layer. Keep adding new colours to the other layers and colour away. It’s a lot of fun. Don’t forget too zoom in to make the small adjustments. 
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Posted on 18/05/07 04:17:44 AM |
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Pierre
Constructional Confabulator Posts: 637 Reply  |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
No images show up for me but I get it. This is brilliant Vibeke! I have some old pics to play with, I'll give it a try... 
Oh, do I love this forum!  _________________ |
Posted on 18/05/07 05:12:38 AM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2166 Reply |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
Me too, It's the first time I have uploaded a tutorial, I think Steve adds the photos that I have uploaded later, or I miss read the instructions. |
Posted on 18/05/07 09:04:18 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6987 Reply  |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
You'd referred to the images with a misprint! Your files were called 1966_1, but you'd referenced them in the tutorial as 1966-1. Fixed now! Great tutorial. |
Posted on 18/05/07 10:42:29 AM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2166 Reply |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
Thanks, my proof reading never was good.  |
Posted on 25/05/07 06:09:48 AM |
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vicho
Ingenious Inca Posts: 248 Reply  |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
hey you´re using CS 3, how cool!  |
Posted on 25/05/07 07:57:57 AM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2166 Reply |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
CS3 is just brilliant, and I have only scratched the surface. |
Posted on 25/05/07 08:51:52 AM |
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Steve Caplin
Administrator Posts: 6987 Reply |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
Be sure to check out the Black & White adjustment in CS3: it's really clever. You're faced with a rather confusing dialog, but you can largely ignore it: click and drag left and right in the image to change the brightness of that range of colours. And there's so much more! |
Posted on 30/05/07 00:44:47 AM |
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tank172
ThreeDee Thriller Posts: 692 Reply  |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
Does this work with a native B/W image. It only seems to work with Color images and the tool converts it to B/W.. 
Wonderful tutorial Vibeke! |
Posted on 01/06/07 07:09:25 AM |
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vibeke
Kreative Kiwi Posts: 2166 Reply |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
Hi Chris, The tutorial will only work on B/W that have been changed to RGB. I usually scan my B/W in RGB and convert them later. Steve was talking about the new option to convert colour to B/W in CS3, so much better than the old 'Convert to grey scale. |
Posted on 08/04/08 02:01:42 AM |
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Case
* Posts: 1 Reply |
Re: Colouring black and white Photographs
Interesting. What I usually do is convert to CMYK, make selections and then play around with the curves. Doing it that way I have managed to get some superb skin tones. I have written all these down so now I can just dial in the skin colour I need and then make any adjustments from there. |