I am looking for some tips and tricks on how to colorize a black and white photo. I have plenty of images tha I have restored (probably at amateur level), but I would like to be able to add some color to some of the photos. Are there any good places to start?

A fun place to start is with simple coloring book coloring to learn some of the tips and tricks. I just posted a thread in the Art forum called "Coloring Book Fun - Fat Cat. It's a place to start. Fat Cat (http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/photo-based-art/15184-coloring-book-fun-fat-cat.html)

A hint... make a new layer and set it to multiply mode. Grab your paint brush and start having fun. You might want to make new layers for color groups (blue, green, red etc,) so you can go back and change things.

here's the web site with a colorizing tutorial that vikki (our resident expert colorizer) is reported to use for her work. i've tried it also and found it to be excellent: http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161015

craig

Here's a link to another tute. I've used this method quite a lot and prefer it to Cardinal Cyn's. But that's just me. YMMV.

Another technique I've been using for a while is is using curves layers in CMYK. I know there's a tutorial on it somewhere but I disremember where.

The big thing to keep in mind when colorizing, regardless of your method, is that skin isn't all the same color. Failure to grasp this idea often results in something that looks like injudiciously applied pancake makeup. I usually use 2 or even 3 layers for the skin and sometimes for other features at different opacities and different blend modes, and always add a little noise at the end. It's also helpful to very subtly airbrush in a little "blush" here and there.

dc

Here's another tutorial on the same site Craig mentioned above. LINK (http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161018) I like to use both of these techniques in combination esp for large areas of skin.

After reading Littlecoo's post and glancing at my own just above it, I see that the link I referred to is not actually, um, present. This little slip is the sort of thing that happens when one reaches a certain stage in life. I offer this as explanation, not excuse and it in no way alleviates my embarrassment.

I attempted to rectify the situation but, regrettably, the site in question seems to be unavailable at the moment and I cannot for what should be obvious reasons remember the correct url. I suspect that the tutorial to which Littlecoo refers is quite possibly the same one I had intended to direct you to.

With sincerest apologies, I remain
yr. obedient (and red-faced) servant
dc

OK. Here (http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=160986) is the link I neglected to include in my previous post.

The tute Littlecoo refers to is the other one I mentioned but whose location I couldn't remember. Once you get the hang of this method it works swell, if you ask me.

dc