First colorization

[Mark Adams]

I'm sure there are some cool tricks to this, but I haven't found any on the web. Here is my first attempt to colorize a BW photo. What have I missed? What can I do to make it better?

[Flora]

Hi Mark,

I like it very much!!

Here you can find what, in my opinion, is one of the best Colorizing Tutorial .... It takes a while to get the hang of it but the results can be incredible!

[Mark Adams]

Thanks for the feedback and the tip Flora. I gave the tutorial a whirl and came up with this image on a slightly different pose of Ms. Harlow. The effect is different, but the skin tone seems much harder. It might be due to the way this particular shot is lit. It seems they were emphasizing the platinum blonde thing with a low key/high contrast look.

At any rate, it's an interesting way to go about colorization.

Mark

[Flora]

Hi Mark,

Your second version is very soft and delicate .... The touches of irregular colour on her skin are just stunning!!!!

...But I prefer your first version .... In my opinion, the dark surroundings complement and emphasize very well the 'ethereal beauty' of a very well colorized Ms. Harlow!

[Mark Adams]

Thanks. I can't really decide which I like best -- they both seem to have some merit.

The first image was all about drama. I elected to go a little darker in the background. The bright blue, er, thing in the background has been bothering me too. I am reposting with a change there. I believe this item may be a fur of some kind. I colored it "chinchilla" and am reposting.

The second image was an experiment based on the tutorial you pointed me to. It's got an ethereal quality I like. I have no idea what Jean Harlow's skin tone actually was, but the more I look at her right arm, the more I think it looks bruised.

At any rate, there you have it.

Thanks again.

[Gary Richardson]

Great job Mark, just noticed that you have'nt changed the colour of the chinchilla in the frame below the main one. Looks like bruising to me as well.

[Mark Adams]

The blue thing in the frame below Harlow is, umm, something else. Yeah, that was a picture of a blueberry turnover. :-)

Mark