Basic PhotoShop Skill: Adding Colors to Black and White Photos
By Yan • May 9th, 2007 • Category: Photoshop TutorialsTurning colored photos into black and white is a snap. Everyone knows how to convert pictures to grayscale, right? But transforming black and white photos to colored images is a tad bit trickier.
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A brief background: I was scavenging for some coins in Mark’s wallet when I saw my old College graduation photo (circa 2000 — you do the math). Back then, black and white graduation pictures were all the rage. When I got mine taken, I didn’t even opt to get colored ones. Colored prints cost more (which doesn’t make sense with today’s digital print technology, actually), and I was saving up for some hard partying. Hence, the leftmost photo above — which I decided to jazz up a little with a few subtle tricks. (Or perhaps I’m just feeling a little miffed coz I don’t look like this anymore. sniff. But I digress.)
Adjusting Hue and Saturation
In this exercise, you will be working closely with the Hue and Saturation values of each element in your photograph. For example, in my graduation picture, I adjusted the hue and saturation of my skin tone independent of the values of the background, etc. To access Hue and Saturation, go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation. Or, you can use the shortcut keys: Ctrl + U.
You also need a working knowledge of deleting and editing backgrounds. You may use the Eraser tool or the Layer Mask.
Step 1: Backing Up Your Original Image
As always, you should start by duplicating your background layer (i.e., the layer with the original photo). Then, click the eye icon next to the background layer to make it invisible. By keeping a redundant copy, you can easily revert to the original image just in case you make some mistakes later on. Remember to click on your visible layer in the Layers palette to make it the active layer.
Tip: When working with multiple layers, it would be a pain to keep going back to the Layers palette to select a specific layer. A quick shortcut is to right-click on the element you’re working on and then select the layer name. This will automatically bring you to the layer of your choice.
Step 2: Choosing the Right Skin Tone
Skin tones vary, and there is no precise way to determine the hue/saturation values for a certain skin tone. You would have to trust your instinct here. Use your eye to gauge the closest, most realistic color. Since I’m very familiar with my own skin, it was pretty easy for me to come up with this:
I achieved this effect by first setting a light brown color as my Foreground. I then went to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation, clicked Colorize in the lower part of the window, and slid the slider across the Hue bar and the Saturation bar until I found what I thought was the appropriate shade. I did not see a need for Lightness adjustments because I felt that the light in this image was already perfect.
Note that the rest of the image has also turned a little orange-y. I did not pre-select my face and shoulders to limit the color adjustments. Instead, I waited until the last few steps to change the background and tweak the colors of the rest of the image. That’s just how I work. Perhaps you prefer to select the skin areas before modifying hue/saturation. That’s also correct. How I do things may not always be the easiest or the fastest. But these are my ways, and I’m most comfortable with them.
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Yan (a.k.a. Yannie, YanYan) is a young-ish entrepreneur, writer, poet, artist, graphic designer, web geek, lover, friend, daughter, connoisseur, gourmand, amateur chef, coffee addict, control freak, and incessant dreamer. Not necessarily in that order.
© 2008 FubarGenre | All posts by Yan
Wow Yan! What else CAN’T you do?
er…lose weight?
Hayyyyy…ka-gwapa.
ehem2x liwat sa manghud…lol
guapa ka kaayo. the three of you are all beautiful. thanks to me.
naks! my MOM, the new web addict, has found her way here. hahahahaha. hi, mom. happy mothers’ day! we love you!
Cool ^_^ Nice color combinations
turning a grayscale pic into colored is way a difficult task. XD
I had an annoying aunt ask me how to do this just this weekend. I’m the goto girl for any thing involving computers or photographs. Ugh.
I wont tell her I’ve learned.
buffy, your secret’s safe with me. now go slay those vampires. (gosh, i’m lame. lol)
wow! galing! its good seein filipinos makin photoshop tutorials! lol.. obvious sa pic na pinay ka.
wow! tapos bisaya pajud! BISDAK! yea! im an avid “photoshop tutorials” fan.. haha.. its way easier than experimenting. lol
hi, edz! thanks! hahaha. obvious na obvious talaga ha? hehehe.
i honestly want to write more tutorials (friends have been bugging me to teach them some more tricks), but i can’t seem to find the time.
kaya heto, my blog is littered with (uhm) posts of a more personal nature. hahaha.
edz, where’s your blog? leave me a link so that i can check your work out.
and if you have some ideas for tutorials, please let me know.
hahaha. BISDAK kaayo ko! bisaya pod ka?
kaluoy ni she!
apila pud intawn xa… 
hi, vicky? you’re friends with my sister She^? apil man sya. tanawa unsay gisulti ni mommy. hehehe. mas maayo pod di na lang sya muapil diri kay dako na kaayo ang lalis kung kinsay pinaka-gwapa. di man gud nila ma-accept na ako jud. hahahah.
joke, joke!
Very interested in your tutorial!!!!
wow, Romy! Been to your multiply site. You don’t need photoshop at all. Your pictures are great!
interesting
Sweet tip, just what I have been looking for! Well Pleased…
hi.,,..can i make use of your tutorial
sure, nooman.
Nice job with this share some great info will come real usefull.
hello yan!!! im glad you have this site…helping us to realize what’s in our imanginations…hehehe. Im fond checking the tutorials here. Can i request for a tutorial on how to manipulate the photos of my idol rarindra prakarsa. Hope to hear from you soon. Please inform me for updates. thanks!
ryan