I would like to know how can I fix these arms. I had colored the face but the color doesn't take on both of the arms. The arms are the original skin tone of this girl. This is the original photo.

Gerald McClaren

The picture is very small, but are you sure the arms are NOT part of the top she is wearing? They look like long sleeves to me. To my eye the colour and luminosity is commensurate with the top and I am sure I see the ends of the cuffs around her wrists. Added to this the shape of the upper arms looks odd unless they are enclosed in a garment.

Looks like its already been worked on..can you attach a copy of the original?
Lasa

Gerald, I've noticed that you use the phrase "this is the original photo" in this post as well as another. It is obvious that these have been worked on already, so perhaps we should clarify what "original" means. The "original" photo is one that has not had any sort of work done to it, other than being scanned. It is quite alright to post images that are "in process", but it is misleading to say it is the original.
It is difficult for members to accurately assess a problem and offer help when they don't have all of the necessary information. In the case of the image posted here, it may be that the problem with the arms was caused by a processes you have applied. It looks to me as if you have over adjusted the contrast, which is causing the loss of detail in the arms. However, because the actual "original" is not there for me to see, I'm only guessing. If I am correct about the over adjustment, it would be more helpful for you to get advice about how to avoid over adjusting in the future, rather that how to fix it after the fact.

I had colored the face but the color doesn't take on both of the arms. i'd need more data here. what process are you using for colorizing? are you applying your coloring directly to the layer with the arms or above it or what and are you using any blend modes in your colorizing?

i suspect you are colorizing on a separate layer with a blend mode other than 'normal'. and because you are coloring on pure white (the arms)(rgb = 255, 255, 255), it's not showing through. but this is just a guess and i'd like more info about how you're doing this.

I apologize for using the word "original" in the wrong term. Okay, this is the "original" photo, nothing was done to it. All I did was scanned it in my computer upload it to retouchpro.
The girl on the left need to be move and put on a different background. I did not like the looks of the right arm so I paste the right arm in its place. I did a level adjustment and turned it into a black and white photo. The shoulders were also repaired. Now ladies and gentlemen you'll have to excuse me because I'm a novice at photoshop as you can see. I have about six months experience in photoshop. I'm still learning something everyday about restoring and repairing a photo. I realize I've got a long way to go but I'm willing to learn from anyone.
I'm colorizing on a separate layer with color mode turned on after each color. I place each color on a separate layer ie. base, shadow, and highlight colors.

Gerald McClaren

What a wonderful picture..I wouldn't colorize it but that me...and thats, that I like colorized B/W's.
The left arm is fine looks natural considering the light source and that her dress is covering some of it.
Anyway you can build her right sleeve by stealing the left sleeve and inverting it. it will be to dark so you'll need to lighten it with a level adjustment. Clone it in such a way it doesn't look like the left sleeve.
With regards to the arm, I sampled a color off the lighter side of the neck and painted it on a blank layer above. Then set the mode to multiply and lowered the opacity until it matched with the light side of the neck since the light is from her right it lighter then the left side...

Anyway I hope this helps in some way.

Lasa

Gerald, You might be surprised to know that you have MORE than 6 months experience -- at least you've been a RetouchPro member longer than that! :) It takes years to learn "all you need to know about Photoshop", and by then you've changed your mind and need to know even more. We're all learning new things, so you're just working right along with the rest of us.

One thing I think you should learn is to upload LARGER images -- the ones you upload are only about half the size of the limit, and it would be easier for everyone if you could give us a larger image to start with -- 800 pixels on the longest side usually works. I use Photoshop version 7, and use "save for web" set to optimize the file at 100k. If you're using another version, it might be a bit different, but we can find the directions for you somewhere around here.

I uploaded a colorized version of Lasa's submission [I increased its size also] -- as Craig posted earlier, color doesn't show the same in Color layer blend over a white arm as it will over an arm with some gray tint. You have more experience with colorizing African/American photos than I, and my skintone tint may be off, but it shows the idea -- the black/white photo subject layer needs to have some gray tones for the colorization to show better. Adding a layer in Overlay blend and painting with a black brush is one way to "burn" an area of the image without destroying the actual image.

Hi! Lasa and CJ, thanks for the info on how to repair and restore the above photo. I would to like to know what method was use to extract the girl from the picture. Was the extract tool or the pen tool use? I've just found out that I had been a member of Retouchpro since September 2005. Anyway, I appreciated everyone help on this photo. On downloading a larger picture, this is the method I had used. First, I resize the photo to about a 4X6 with 72 resolution. Second, I go to 'save as web' and clicked on optimize for 100k and save with a different name. Third, I upload the photo to retouchpro. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I would like for someone to give me their method on how to upload a larger photo on retouchpro so that I can follow in the near future. Thanks again.


Gerald McClaren

I used the quick mask tool for this particular image with a hard brush.
I find that the extract tool works great on hair but not much else, because it does not make a defined line.
I use the pen tool on more sweeping larger image extractions. (cleanest)

Good luck,

Lasa

...On downloading a larger picture, this is the method I had used. First, I resize the photo to about a 4X6 with 72 resolution. Second, I go to 'save as web' and clicked on optimize for 100k and save with a different name. Third, I upload the photo to retouchpro. Maybe I'm doing something wrong. I would like for someone to give me their method on how to upload a larger photo on retouchpro so that I can follow in the near future. Thanks again.Gerald McClaren

Gerald, your method is fine except you can make it bigger by NOT resizing until you go into the "save as web" dialogue box and click on image size to choose 800 pixels as your longest dimension --

From Flora's instructions:

* Open your Image in Photoshop, go to Image > Image Size, make sure that the 'Constrain Proportion' box is checked, and, as a starting point, type 800 as the higher pixels value depending on the format of your picture.

* Go to the File > Save for Web option.

From the Options on the right side of the 'Save for Web' window choose:

* JPEG as Preset and check the Optimized Box.

* Click on the small arrow on the right of the 'Preset' window and, from the cascading Menu, choose 'Optimize to File Size'.

* Type 100 in the 'Desired File Size' Box ... and let Photoshop do the work for you!

I enlarged your original image and then sized it using "save for web" -- at 800 pixels on the long side. Try it -- you'll like it! :)

gerald,

it's MUCH easier to deal with images in pixel sizes rather than inches or centimeters. inches is fine when you want to print, but that's about all it's good for in most cases. when dealing with the internet or even while using photoshop, it's a good idea to get used to pixel sizes.

the reason for this is that '4x6' isnt really 4x6 when displayed on the web. it's a relative term on the net, whereas it's an absolute in printing. but pixels is an absolute and will give you more certain, predictable results. 4x6 can be 400x600 pixels or 800x1200 pixels or 1600x2400 pixels and so on. so, just saying 4x6 doesnt tell you how it's going to display on the web. all the 4x6 does on the web is tell you the aspect ratio of the image, not how large or small it's going to display. all the 4x6 tells you is the relationship of the sides to each other, not the overall size of the display.

so, if you make your image 533 x 800, the relationship is still 4x6, but you'll be certain of seeing the larger display.