Adding colour to a B&W Image?

[ATPL]

HI,
Can anyone tell me how to add asplash of colour to a black and white image? i.e. red lipstick onto a B&W Bride.



Many Thanks

David

[Radtech1]

Please, for god's sake, man DON'T DO IT.

"Selective Desauration" has been done, and done, and done to death. It was already old when Spielberg did it in Schindler's List.

Find some way of expressing YOUR creativity - even if that is done poorly, it is still YOU, not some lame cliche.

BUT, since you can't tell young people anything anymore, here is how, if you must.

(Assuming any photoshop product)

1. Create a duplicate layer.
2. Desaturate the duplicate layer so it is now monochrome.
3. Use the "eraser" tool to erase the monochrome lips to reveal the color one below.

I trust that you can use PS's inline "Help System" to look up the words "Layer", "Desaturate", and "Eraser Tool"

(Hint, you may have to zoom in very close when you do the edges of the care and make the eraser tool very small. Hmmm... seems as though you will have to look up "Zoom" in the Help System as well.)

Good Luck, but please, try to do something of your own before you copy what everyone else has done too much of.

Rad

PS - Some other Newb just asked the same question 7 hours before you did - kinda proves my point, huh?

[david lee]

Errr Radtech!
I dont think that was what he was asking at all.
You were so fired up in your rant that you failed to listen to the mans post.
If he wanted to colour the girls lips why would he start with a colour photo?
I think he wanted to colour an existing B/W photo. No mention was made that he already had a version in colour to do the editing work you sugested.

And if I might add furthur... There was no call to riducule the man by asuming he could'nt use photoshop of read help files.
Come on man ..... We all have to start at the begining.

[Snapman]

I would say that if you really like selective colouring and enjoy viewing the results yourself, then by all means go ahead and do some. On the other hand, if you're doing them for exhibition to others, think twice and don't. I'm not putting my point as strongly as Radtech1 but I understand where he's coming from.

[Goofup]

To go ahead and answer the original question (how to add color to a BW photo) here's the easy way. Just paint the lips with the paint brush with the color of your choice, but with the opacity down to about 50% or so. Play with the color and opacity and you should get the effect you're looking for.