Do you have a photo that you would like to look like this?
Selective colorization of photos gives the photograph a special artistic touch and focus the attention in the photograph on a subject. This process is relatively easy to accomplish in Adobe Photoshop.
Here is a step by step guide to selectively coloring your photographs.
Step 1: Open your photograph in Adobe Photoshop.
Step 2: Choose Layer. Duplicate Layer. You will be given an option to rename the layer (given default name of Background copy). Do so if you wish.
Step 3: You will notice the Background and the Background Copy in the Layer window. Deselect the eye next to the Background Copy.
Step 4: In the top menu, select Image. Select Adjustments. Select Desaturate.
Step 5: The photograph will now be black and white.
Step 6: Click the box next to the Background Copy so the eye appears. Select the Background Copy in the Layer Menu to highlight it blue. Your photograph will now appear in color again
Step 7: In the top menu, select Layer. In the forth section down, choose Layer Mask. Choose Hide All. The photo will appear black and white again.
Step 8: Make sure that the Background Copy is highlighted in the Layer window and that the Layer Mask is highlighted within the copy.
Step 9: Zoom in to the area that you want to colorize to at least 150%. Zoom in greater if the area involves alot of detail or to get the edges.
Step 10: Choose the Brush tool from the tool window. A Brush tool bar will appear along the top of the screen. Choose the Brush size and the hardness of the brush (set to 100 makes the coloring smooth).
Step 11: Left click and hold on the area that you want colored and move your mouse to color the area. The color from beneath the black and white will be reveled. Change the brush size as necessary to get details.
Step 12: There is a small window on the screen that has a red box showing where your photo is zoomed in. Move the red box in the window to move to areas of the photograph yet to be colored. Finish coloring the photograph until the entire subject is colorized.
Step 13: Viola! You are finished! However, I often find that the colored area of the photograph looks slightly fake, as it does in this photograph (even if that is how it really looked in the original photograph.). The colors are often slightly too rich for the photo once it has been desaturated, especially if there was high contrast areas in the photo. To make it seem "more real", you can change the opacity of the colored section to mute the colors slightly. Go to the Layer Window. Make sure the mask is selected. Then change the opacity of the photo until you are satisfied with the color.
And there you have it. A colorized artistic photograph that will stun your friends and family.
By following these steps, you will be well on your way to creating works of art.
Corina is a former science teacher staying home to raise her two imaginative, active, and wicked smart children. Contrary to what the last line suggests, she is not from Boston or Canada. She is a mom, photographer, teacher, outdoor enthusiast, sarcastic, and down to earth woman. You can find her weaving her tall and small tales at Down to Earth Mama.
Loading ...
The duplicate layer is completely unnecessary.
If you choose a Black & White adjustment layer from the layers panel (click the b&w circle and choose black & white) you will mask the layer w/ a black & white adjustment. You can then click on the mask thumbnail and "paint" with black to hide the part of the mask you don't want to see—thus revealing the original color of the image.
Your way works just as well, it's just more steps and more time consuming.
Thanks, pixie. That is a helpful tip. The reason that I like to make a duplicate layer is because it gives me more flexibility in adjusting levels of the separate layers. Thanks for your tip!
Great tips there, heres some more that may help you
http://www.mutinydesign.co.uk/web-design-resources/selective-colourization-in-photoshop/