Image Help - - My first effort at coloring an old B&W photo - Page 2

Lilla · #16 08-18-2001, 03:13 PM

Paulette,

Thank you for the detailed comments. I will experiment with the methods you suggest as I want to learn how to do the realistic renditions that I see submitted in the challenges too.

The soft colors and realistic style you describe sounds quite nice. The result would be stikingly different from my artistic rendition, but I'm quite sure I would like it done your way too.

I wonder if Doug would like to use this photo (or another similar one that I have) for a art/colorize challenge, with the freedom to colorize the photo using a realistic or artistic approach, a watercolor rendition, an oil painting rendition, a pop art rendition, or whatever?

My current skill level is limited to the artistic rendition that I offer here, but I'm learning. The posted examples and feedback in the forums here, and also the artists notes in the challenge submissions are very helpful.

Lilla

Ed_L · #17 08-18-2001, 03:15 PM

Lilla,

Super job! The only things I would have done differently, is that I would have lightened her right arm a little, and tried to make her skin tones more like his. The only other thing is the tree stump (?). The white space (on the left) makes me wonder what it is, and draws my eye to it. Other than that, I really like the image as is.

Ed

paulette conlan · #18 08-18-2001, 03:35 PM

Dear Lillia,
I totally misunderstood what you were attempting to do with the photo. Didn't realize that you wanted to create an artistic effect. Technically you did an excellent job and the use of the vivid colors gives it an almost contemporary effect. The techniques I had been taught are the traditional ones to colorize a b&w to simulate how it would have looked if it were taken in color. One very interesting thing I learned here is the importance of communication before working on a photo for someone. Find out what they want the finished photo to look like.
Paulette

Lilla · #19 08-18-2001, 04:28 PM

Ed,

I agree with you, her skin coloring should be more like his and her right arm (and legs) should be lighter. I'll work on that.

About the tree stump? The photo we have is a copy of a copy sort of thing and the detail is hard to make out there. I couldn't decide it was a tree stump or a low hanging clothes line with shorter things like maybe dish towels, or ? hanging on it. So I went in the direction of dish towels and added the white and my eye liked seeing the white over there, but I agree that it does look a bit TOO low to be a clothes line so maybe it's not.

I'm not sure just what that is. Maybe I'll experiment with giving it more definition to be a tree trunk and see how that works, but I'm wondering if it might be something other than a tree trunk, but what?

Thanks for the feedback.
Lilla

Doug Nelson · #20 08-18-2001, 04:31 PM

And that stain/dark area of grass next to his left foot just bugs me

Lilla · #21 08-18-2001, 04:43 PM

There, there, don't cry

Paulette

. I did not take offense at your suggestions. You saw a different picture opportunity than I did that's all. Your suggestions were well intended and are ones that I can learn from, thank you for sharing them with me.

I'm glad that you like the vivid colors and artistic effect that I used Paulette.

Lilla

Lilla · #22 08-18-2001, 04:51 PM

Doug, I'm glad you said that because I don't like that either. I'll do some work there. Anything else, please let me know...

Lilla

Quote:

Originally posted by Doug Nelson
And that stain/dark area of grass next to his left foot just bugs me

Ann Jordana · #23 08-18-2001, 09:13 PM

Lilla,
What a wonderful color rendition ... truly, a great job!
Ann

Lilla · #24 08-24-2001, 12:55 PM

I think I'm finished with it now. I've encorporated all the suggestions made in the group, and some of my own, and I'm pretty well pleased with it at this point.

- I worked on the skin tones - big improvement there.
- I restored the "thing" on left from original and left it alone, since I don't know what it is. It seems too squarish to be a stump.
- I added some more flowers.
- I made the texture in the sky more even
- I removed the dark areas in the grass
- I made it into an album page (sized to fit 8x10 frame or mat) and added storyline and small photo of my grandmother.

To see my watercolored image with above improvements, click here:

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/att...s=&postid=1932

Or if the link above doesn't work, see my posted titled "See Lilla's AFTER image here..." posted on 24 Aug 2001.

I wanted to share the final result with the group, and to say thank you all so very much for your input and kind words of appreciation and encouragement.

Lilla

Doug Nelson · #25 08-24-2001, 02:33 PM

Maybe attach before/after in case that link disappears in the future?

Lilla · #26 08-24-2001, 04:13 PM

I have attached my BEFORE image here. I will attached my AFTER image in a separate/next post. This assures that others can view my image even if my home page links should change. I originally used links to my home page.

Lilla

Lilla · #27 08-24-2001, 04:19 PM

I have attached my AFTER image to this post. I attached my BEFORE image in a separate/previous post. This assures that others can view my image even if my home page links should change. I originally used links to my home page.

Lilla

Lilla · #28 08-24-2001, 05:04 PM

Doug, good idea. I uploaded my BEFORE/AFTER images and replaced the links to my homepage with links to the attachments. Is this what you had in mind?

Is it OK to link to attachments the way I did? I mean are they guaranteed not to change? If so, I can pull my "if this link doesn't work, see my post titled... posted on ..." qualifier. It's handy being able to link to an attachment, I hadn't thought about trying that before.

Lilla