Photo Retouching - - Black & White to Colour

Barewolf · #1 10-03-2007, 09:17 PM

Hi Everyone.

Let me start off by saying hello, I am new here and I really like some of the work I have seen done so far on the site

I have recently just began doing retouches, and using layers etc. I have done only 2 Images so far, thats how new I am lol.

Anyway, I have an old picture of me as a Baby. It is black and white as I was born in 75. As it is my Mothers Birthday coming up on the 25th I would like to do a Coloured version of the photograph. Maybe thats a little to advanced even for me, but i have tried Recoloured 1.0 and I found that a pain to use. The other one I tried was BlackMagic which was not too bad but it's a trial.

I was wondering if there was any programs I could use to achieve really good effects in a not so long time period, and of course simple to use.

Currently I have Photoshop CS3, PaintShop Pro 11. I use Photoshop mostly though.

Oh yeah heres the picture too.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...onia/baba2.jpg

And my woork from original to touch up......

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...ndparents1.jpg

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...ia/MumsMum.jpg

Any Help greatly appreciated.

AdamZx3 · #2 10-04-2007, 12:03 AM

Just open it up in photoshop, open a new blank layer and set its blend mode to color in the layers pallete. on the blank layer paint a green color over the grass to colorize it, then decrease the opacity to make it look right. you might have to get a very very dark green color in your palette to get a normal looking green etc... I would recomend searching for bruces skintone and hair charts, they have swatches of color for differant skin and hair. Remember though if the skin is darker grey it will look differant the a lighter gray skin wh you paint the same color over it. you would then probably have to do a levels or curves adjustment. Might also search on the forums and google for colorize black and white.

unimatrix001 · #3 10-04-2007, 12:08 AM

here is a quick recolor using separate layers for each item colored. all layers set at different opacities. took about 35 minutes. with a little more patience it can be done better.

Barewolf · #4 10-04-2007, 12:54 AM

Woah that looks really good 001. I dont think i would be able to do that but i am not going to give up. I shall follow Adamz advice now and see if i can do the baby picture, Hopefully soon i will have my attempt posted, just dont laugh hehehe.

Barewolf · #5 10-04-2007, 01:06 AM

Can I just ask....

When i create a new layer and start to colour in the areas I want do i then make a new layer for each section? IE; Grass, Houses, Coat, Dress, Face?

Also Do i have to be very precise? and how do i get to preview the final look?

Sorry if this sounds noobish but then i am a noob hehe.

Also using an optical mouse so being accurate is damn hard.

Barewolf · #6 10-04-2007, 03:32 AM

I have managed to do this. I am very suprised I had managed it, but cant thank you both enough for your help.

http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g1...sMumColour.jpg

Barewolf · #7 10-04-2007, 03:48 AM

I have another black and white picture here, the one of me as a baby, but when I try to duplicate the layer it wont let me choose the blend as colour. Is there anything I can do?

unimatrix001 · #8 10-04-2007, 06:11 AM

it sounds like the photo was scanned in b/w change the image mode to rgb and you will be able to use the color blending mode

Barewolf · #9 10-04-2007, 06:14 AM

Ahhh, Yes. TY 001