Colorize project

[learninlady]

Originally Posted by chillin

I used Ed's method.

great! good use of color and very crisp.

[unimatrix001]

Learninglady
I am not sure if you saw this tutorial but it is a very good one on colorizing. I uses a different method to add color to the image.
http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161015

[learninlady]

Originally Posted by unimatrix001

Learninglady
I am not sure if you saw this tutorial but it is a very good one on colorizing. I uses a different method to add color to the image.
http://www.worth1000.com/tutorial.asp?sid=161015

thanks for the tutorial. its seems good. but as usual when I try to follow the same type instructions, nothing works the way its supposed to. Thats why I tend to do what I see instead of follow those. I go as far as the first instruction doing well, then nothing works. either Im not getting it or I dont have the same program. very frustrating for me.
that doesnt mean I am going to stop trying! just means I needed a break to say thank you and then I will go back and try again, but you may not see any results for quite some time if ever with that!

[learninlady]

Ok, I tried and tried. needed something else. I did a search and found this step by step so much simpler. I do better with narratives and visuals.
http://www.michelespaintshop.com/psp...ustrations.php

although I now know better what I'm doing after completing, I wanted to display the original that I did with this tutorial.
I can see the mistakes and will more than likely go thru it all again, I have now for the first time used layers! whoo hoo!





Whew, this is a long one, so get comfortable!

[NYBOB]

Here is my try using this method
Along with Bruce Beard's Hair and Skin Color Charts

Bob

[learninlady]

that looks great. see I cant use that method as I dont have the same set up.

[Graphics23]

This was done using Apply Image and Calculations.

First I converted to LAB and used Calculations to create five Alpha Channels, with some minor brush work as needed.

Then I duplicated the Background layer and set its Blend Mode to Color.

colorize-screenshot.jpg

Next, using Apply Image I blended the L channel into the A & B channels with the Alpha Channels as masks to target the hair, skin, lips, etc....

Finally, I reduced opacity of the Color layer and used the Blend If sliders to further lessen the impact in the extreme shadows and highlights.

JenniferBW_G23b.JPG

Nice thread learninlady, some good efforts here.

I enjoyed reading everyone's posts and had fun adding my own.

Regards,

Michael

[learninlady]

Thanks Michael. When I saw this photograph it inspired me to attempt colorization again.
Your renditions seems to be the most realistic.
what program are you using?
How do you change to LAB? Ive not heard of it.
Is there a tutorial for dummies out there with this method? I seem to need a step by step hand held tut. One thing Is when stated to do this or that, I have no idea of where to find that or this. that's why the visuals help me so much, as its shows me where things are located.
Yes, everyone here has done a fantastic job on this project. Its one of those things that once practiced it becomes fairly simple. (so I hope. )

[Graphics23]

Originally Posted by learninlady

Thanks Michael. When I saw this photograph it inspired me to attempt colorization again.
Your renditions seems to be the most realistic.

Thank you!

I find that the technique I used, channel blending in LAB, generally yields a more realistic result compared to most other methods.

One reason I like this method is that the image is being colored using information that's already in the file. This tends to give a natural variation to the hue changes that is very difficult to duplicate otherwise.

Another reason I like it is that it's really very quick and easy. Once the Alpha channels have been created the image literally colors itself.

what program are you using?

Photoshop. Any version will do, as LAB, Apply Image, and Calculations have been around for a LOOOONG time.

How do you change to LAB? Ive not heard of it.

I'm not sure how PSP works, but in Photoshop its a color mode just as RGB or CMYK are color modes.

Is there a tutorial for dummies out there with this method? I seem to need a step by step hand held tut. One thing Is when stated to do this or that, I have no idea of where to find that or this. that's why the visuals help me so much, as its shows me where things are located.

As far as I know, I'm the only person to ever colorize using this particular method. So I'm afraid there are no video tutorials available that I can point you to.

Yes, everyone here has done a fantastic job on this project. Its one of those things that once practiced it becomes fairly simple. (so I hope. )

Thanks again,

Michael

[chillin]

Originally Posted by Graphics23

Thank you!

As far as I know, I'm the only person to ever colorize using this particular method. So I'm afraid there are no video tutorials available that I can point you to.

Michael

I think LAB method is explained here.

[learninlady]

thanks for the LAB link. I too have been around so loooong but still learnin'!

[Graphics23]

Originally Posted by chillin

I think LAB method is explained here.

While Ed's method looks interesting, it's not even remotely how I did it.

If you look at my screen capture you'll see I used one layer set to Color blend mode and several Alpha Channels.

All color is added using Apply Image to blend the L channel into the color channels, with Alpha channels acting as masks to restrict where the color is applied.

That's it.

Ed's method is much more involved, using clipped Hue/Sat layers, Gradient Map layers, Curves Adjustment layers, etc.

Nope, not how I did it.

I first mentioned using LAB to colorize here. I've since refined the technique, and now it's all done via channel blends.

Regards,

Michael

[learninlady]

You say 'convert to lab' but I dont know how to do that. like I said, I need baby steps. right click....blah blah. I see your screenshot, but dont know how you got there.
sorry for the ignorance.

[Graphics23]

Originally Posted by learninlady

You say 'convert to lab' but I dont know how to do that. like I said, I need baby steps. right click....blah blah. I see your screenshot, but dont know how you got there.
sorry for the ignorance.

No need to apologize!

As much as I'd like to, I'm afraid I can't give you exact steps, as I don't use Paint Shop Pro.

It's entirely possible that you can't use my method in PSP.

Does PSP allow you to convert an RGB image to grayscale or CMYK? Can you convert a CMYK image to RGB? If so, converting to LAB should be in the same menu.

Then there's the question of getting the L channel into the color channels. Does PSP have a command similar to Apply Image?

I don't even know if PSP supports Blend Modes, without which you can't control how the edits are applied. I used Lighten, Darken, Overlay and Add for all the channel blending.

While it won't tell you how to change color mode in PSP, this link explains a little bit about how color channels relate to each other.

Good luck, sorry I can't be more helpful.

Michael

[learninlady]

Oh Michael! I did some digging is this what I am supposed to have? It looks right.
I clicked the script and ran it and it automatically made all these side pics!
ha, I sound so stupid. Im not, just learnin'.
PSPX2 SCREENSHOT
I didn't want to resize as I didn't want to loose the clarity.

[Kraellin]

thanks kate and unimatrix

kate, psp doesnt do Lab. it does rgb, cmyk and hsl, i think, but no Lab.

[learninlady]

Thank you Craig, that will save me quite a bit of time. I've been doing tut searches and trying to find out with nothing to show. Thanks for saving me more time.

[Kraellin]

you're welcome

if you have any version of photoshop elements, that may have Lab capability, but i wouldnt swear to it.

[unimatrix001]

I redid this image using a method similar to ed's rather then switching to lab mode i stayed in rgb mode. used hue saturation layers clipped to each gradient layer. I think you can get a more natural color that way... I tried using his curves settings but couldnt seem to get them to work. Anyways i came up with this.

[lucija]

i don't know how to attach my master peace :-(

[lucija]

http://picasaweb.google.com/lucija23...23296388580098

[lucija]

Originally Posted by lucija

i don't know how to attach my master peace :-(

picture test

[Graphics23]

Originally Posted by unimatrix001

I redid this image using a method similar to ed's rather then switching to lab mode i stayed in rgb mode. used hue saturation layers clipped to each gradient layer. I think you can get a more natural color that way... I tried using his curves settings but couldnt seem to get them to work. Anyways i came up with this.

Very nicely done, unimatrix! Your use of Gradient Map Adjustment layers is excellent.

I read over Ed's technique and don't think there's anything involved which particularly exploits the LAB channel structure. The edits he employs are all done with standard adjustment layers and can just as easily be done in RGB.

The main idea he seems to emphasize is how extreme shadows and highlights affect saturation. This is nothing new and has been noted by artists since the days of Leonardo da Vinci.

While his results are quite good I think his technique is much too convoluted.

For example, rather than clip a Hue/Sat layer to each gradient layer, I'd use Blend If to desaturate the extremes. This will cut your layer stack almost in half and allow for finer control.

However, I will admit that I haven't actually tried Ed's technique. So my observations may be way off base.

But considering I got equivalent results using nothing more than Apply Image, maybe not.

Regards,

Michael

[lucija]

Next, using Apply Image I blended the L channel into the A & B channels with the Alpha Channels as masks to target the hair, skin, lips, etc....



i don't get it how you did this??? ...your hair is the best of all examples :-)

[Graphics23]

Originally Posted by lucija

Next, using Apply Image I blended the L channel into the A & B channels with the Alpha Channels as masks to target the hair, skin, lips, etc....



i don't get it how you did this??? ...your hair is the best of all examples :-)

Thanks!

I give a detailed example of how to use Apply Image in this post.

You can also do a search on my user name and the words Apply Image. That'll turn up a bunch of examples on how I approach channel blending.

I was able to keep the detail in the hair, and the image as a whole, by using the Blend If sliders on the color layer.

BlendIf.jpg

These settings mask the color layer where the underlying layer is lightest and darkest. This allows the color layer to blend naturally without harming detail.

This is what I refer to in my previous post when I mention using this technique rather than a clipped Hue/Sat layer.

Regards,

Michael

[midwestedit]

great job. better than me

[lucija]

great job. better than me

I'm not sure are you talking to me, but i like my work too :-) i don't see yours??

[lucija]

uf graphics23... i'm trying to understand.... i'm trying very hard :-) thank you very much

[sergio2263]

Hello All,

I had a quick practice it looks better on my photoshop cs4 it looks a washout online.


http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3068/...046eb07e_o.jpg


helen

[JoaJoa]

Originally Posted by Graphics23

This was done using Apply Image and Calculations.

[...]

Next, using Apply Image I blended the L channel into the A & B channels with the Alpha Channels as masks to target the hair, skin, lips, etc....

[...]

Hello,

if I understand this correctly you chose the A channel, do an Apply Image on it, then select the B channel and do a second Apply Image on it, right?

So if a colorization is to strong in one channel you just overwrite it again with a lesser opacity to correct a cast, e.g. an orange skin. Right?

Regards,
Joa