⇨ How to Add Color to a Black and White Image: A Tutorial, Recoloring Tips and Other Random Sh*T by ME! If you’ve been following me for any amount of time or have looked at my original posts, you probably already know that I absolute love to colorize black and white photos and recoloring. I needed to do a tutorial so here you go, have fun!
I’ll be using an already colorful image of Red Velvet’s Joy from the Summer Magic teasers. I personally prefer to use a Gradient Map to turn images to black and white instead of Black & White adjustment because Gradient Maps leave more of a dramatic contrast but it’s up to personal taste.
After removing the color from the image, create a new Solid Color layer. I always start with the skin, do everything in between, then end with the background. Once the layer for the base skin appears, select the Layer Mask and invert it by pressing Ctrl-I or Image > Adjustments > Invert. Set the layer blending mode to Color. Making sure to still be on the Layer Mask, start drawing over the skin with White as your foreground color. Do not draw the eyes.
TIP: Lower the hardness of the brush when going around the hairline and around the ears, if hair strands are near it. If there’s skin showing through hair or if the person has bangs, lower the opacity to 20-30% and draw over it.
Now to add more warmth and detail to the skin. I start with a blush, then I add shadows and highlights. Set the brush hardness to 0%. Create a new Solid Color layer with the same color used for the skin but nudge it towards a warmer tone. Once the layer appears, select the Layer Mask and invert it by pressing Ctrl-I or Image > Adjustments > Invert. Set the layer blending mode to Color Burn. To make it easier and avoid drawing outside the skin, holding command, click on the Layer Mask from the base skin layer. With the selection, go to the Blush layer and paint.
HIGHLIGHT:I only add a highlight to the forehead, nose bridge, top of the lip, and under the eyebrows. I take the same color as the skin and move it closer to white, set the layer mode to Soft Light. Feather the layer mask to blend it better.
EYEBROWS: I use the Polygonal Lasso tool to select the eyebrows. With a Solid Color layer set on Soft Light, I use a rich brown color (5b2b22) and fill it, fading a bit to fit Korean beauty I guess and feather the layer mask.
LIPS: Repeat the same steps used to do the eyebrows but this time for the lips.
EYES: Solid Color Layer > Whatever color you want the eyes > Invert Layer Mask > Draw the Eyes > Set Blending Mode to whatever looks best. I used Soft Light.
⇨ LAYERS SO FAR Before you think something like “Wow, Nicolle! Joy isn’t that pale, stop whitewashing!” Adjustments exist for a reason, but I’ll show those later or in part two, if it gets too long.
NOW FOR THE HAIR! A lot of you fools like to edit idols with different hair colors and I support. Now I will teach you a nice, cleaner way to make it look like your idol’s hair is as natural looking as possible with an unnatural, fake color.
Solid Color Layer > Multiply or Color (Or whatever looks best with the color you pick > Select the hair. Use Select and Mask to try to make it as accurate as possible but we’re going to be drawing with the Layer Mask layer, so don’t worry to much. With the hair selection, Invert the mask to reveal the color. Ugly, right?
Don’t worry, the Soft Round brush is your friend. Make the brush very large near the hairline and hide the rough edges. Make the brush smaller and go around the edges and blend them away. Once you hide all the ugly, harsh parts, lower the opacity of the brush to 20% and paint over the baby hairs, the sideburns, and big chunks of hairs that show the background through the strands.
If the person in your image is wearing hair accessories, use the Polygonal Lasso to select the accessories and hide them with 100% Hardness. Try to not be sloppy. Take your time. The great thing about Solid Color layer is that you can always change the color at any time!
BACKGROUND:Same as everything above. Solid Color layer > Color Mode > Draw to show, draw to hide. Boom, DONE. A lot different than the B&W, right? Still UGLY! Add adjustments. Add WARMTH TO IDOLS! Bump up Vibrance and Saturation, Photo Filters, Color Lookups, Color Balance, all those.
If you’re like me and feel ugly without textures, add them. I always use a small “3D” effect and white specks on my edits because that’s how I like my stuff. Do whatever you like with your work to make it yours.
