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Color your Black and White Photos Easily

Posted on Friday June, 18 2010. By Michal Plazinski| 5 Coents

Ever watched a Digitally Remastered Film and wondered how they coloredin the black and white frames?

I think we all have at some stage and the answer is simple: they painted it frame by frame.

Now I'm not sure to the techniques used in painting film frame by frame but I can sure help

you out with your black and white photographs! "ver had a photograph you wished was incolor# $ead on and find out how to color it in using nothing more than the %rush &ool and

urve (d)ustments.

Step 1 - Scan your Image and Open up in Photoshop

*can in your black and white image and open it up in photoshop or if you're going to be

following along with this tutorial +which I assume you are, then you can download our

starting image -"$" or click on the image below to be taken to the photographers website:

http://designtutr.com/http://designtutr.com/http://designtutr.com/color-your-black-and-white-photos-easily/#comment-boxhttp://sirxlem.deviantart.com/art/Black-and-white-portrait-III-107078898http://designtutr.com/http://designtutr.com/color-your-black-and-white-photos-easily/#comment-boxhttp://sirxlem.deviantart.com/art/Black-and-white-portrait-III-107078898

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Step 2 - Create your First Curves Adjustment

ith our black and white image on our canvas we're going to go to /ayer0New (d)ustment

/ayer0urves. Name this layer *kin. Now on the curves 1anel +If you can't see it go to

indow0(d)ustments, lick the dropdown menu and instead of $2% *elect $ed. &o createthe skin color we're going to 1ush the slider for $ed up slightly then use the dropdown menu

to navigate to %lue and push the slider down.

http://sirxlem.deviantart.com/art/Black-and-white-portrait-III-107078898

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Now lick on the 3ask contained in the *kin (d)ustment /ayer and hit &$/4356I to

invert the mask this will mask the color we )ust created.

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*tep 7 8 *tart to paint

&he way masks work is simple (nything that's painted white on the mask will show the

content of the layer while anything painted black will hide it. 1ress 9 to reset your color

palatte to black and white and use a soft brush with ; -ardness and

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olor in all parts of the skin making sure to avoid eyes lips hair and clothing. hange the

si>e of the brush as needed +?se hotkeys @ and A to make the brush larger or smaller,. 3ake

sure to use a small brush when painting in detailed areas.

hen working close to the hair try not to paint over too much of it otherwise it will gettedious when it's time to paint the hair in.

=nce you've filled in all of the skin you'll have something like below don't worry if the skin

colors not spot on we'll tweak it later.

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Step 3 - The ips

reate a new urves /ayer +/ayer0New (d)ustment /ayer0urves, and name it /ips. Now

like before we're going to push the $ed curve up and push the 2reen and %lue curves down.

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lick on the /ips 3ask and 1ress &$/435 6 I to invert it use the same technique to

paint the lips ad)usting the si>e of the brush as needed.

Step ! - "air

%y now you should be getting the hang of this process. reate a new urves /ayer

+/ayer0New (d)ustment /ayer0urves, and name it -air. (d)ust the $ed 2reen and %lue

like below to get the desired color +or you can eBperiment with your own color!,.

(gain select the hair mask and press &$/435 6 I to invert the hair mask and begin

painting the hair ad)usting the brush si>e as needed.

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hen painting the stray and thin hairs simply use a tiny brush and set it's =pacity to C;.

=nce you've finish the hair you should have something like this

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Step # - $yes

Now e'll color in the eyes reate a new urves /ayer name it "yes. 1ush up the blue a lot

and push down the $ed and 2reen a little make sure the blue is over the top.

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Invert the 3ask and paint over the eyes.

*imply lower the =pacity of the "yes layer until you have an eye color that looks natural.

Step % - Fi&& in the 'etai&s

Now use the steps you've learned above to color in the remainder of the image. I used the red

/ips layer to color in the figures nails bow on her bra and the center of her cross.

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reate a new urves layer and Name it 2old play around with the $ed 2reen and 2old

curves until you get a golden color use it to color in the chain.

reate a new urves layer make it a pink color and use it to color in the bra

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e're nearly done! (ll we need to do is tweak a few of the urves layers. *elect the skin

layer and if you want to give the figure a tan simply push down the $2% curve a bit. If you

want the figure to be a bit paler simply push the $2% curve up.

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1lay with all the other $2% curves to finish up your image. I've lightened the figures skin

tone and darkened her hair I've also applied some =pacity to the 2old layer to make it less

eBtreme.

http://designtutr.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/bnw-final.jpg