TECHNIQUES: B&W To Color

[Jeremy W.]

This is a cool one It only works in programs that allow you to use a Pen type tool (setting paths).

1. Grab your image of a person or something
2. Zoom in incredibly far (to a hand or something)
3. Grab your pen tool
4. Outline the area (hand) with the pen tool (this is where zooming in a lot helps because even if you're off by a pixel or 2 it makes no difference)
5. After you have outlined the desired area, save the path (in paths thing, arrow to the right of it, select Save Path)
6. Select your new path, and click Load Path as Selection: http://server2.tacf.org/examples/bwTOcolor2.jpg
7. Use the Image > Adjust > Variations... dialog to grab the "perfect" colour

This technique can also be inverted with colourized pictures to select a specific area you want to only be colourized (a rose for instance). You could then also create an adjustment layer just for that area to bring up the brightness, contrast and saturation to make a truly stunning piece.

[Ranoka]

This is a good technique, probably very similar to the one people were using on this http://www.photoshopgurus.info/forum...=&threadid=971 post to colour in Bobzworld's photo.

Thanks for letting people who don't know this technique yet, because it is very useful!

[dv8_fx]

Great tutorials Jeremy. You rock.

I think were on the receiving end of punishment not you. But hey, in the end, we won coz we learned new stuff.

Thanks for the Tutes especially the second and third.

vee

[Jeremy W.]

Nice technique and I always like the effect of colorizing just one detail of a photograph, as long as you don't use it too often of course