Skin Colour.

[Stringbean]

Somewhere I have seen how to pick a colour in a photo and transfer it to another. Can anyone tell me how to do this in PSE4? I’m trying to colourise an old black and white picture and the skin colours will be a problem .

[Norm F]

Hey Stringbean,

PSE4 has a color replacement tool. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to work. A bunch of us were discussing it recently and nobody could get it to work. It's in the tool palette under the paint brush if you want to give it a try.

[Stringbean]

Thank’s for the response Norm. I know that I was following something Scott Kelby’s book on colour adjustments that worked quite well but I don’t think that it was on skin colour. I’m no expert at this but I think that skin colour would be a problem when colouring old black and whites. Thanks again for the responce.

His method was with transferring the colour from one photo to another.

[Daviskw]

Hi Stringbean

There are many ways. To be simple just open both pictures. Use the eyedropper tool to pick a good flesh color of one picture.

Switch to you other, open a blank layer to the color Blendmode then paint your new flesh color on the skin.

I also use a gradient map adjustment layer. I sample a light flesh value… then switch the foreground and background and then pick a dark color. If I really want it to be good I also press on a mid tone and write its value down and enter it in the center of the gradient map using the editor.

Now I switch to the colorize picture, my two colors are dark foreground and light background and I open a Gradient Map adjustment layer and set the blendmode to Color. Then I fill the mask with black and paint the flesh color in.

You could also use a solid fill layer set to color, or a Hue/saturation layer. Just set the colors and fill the layer with black then paint the skin in.

It can get a bit more complicated but this should get you started.

I have included a skin color chart you can save and sample as needed.

Butch

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/7417/skintones9ap.th.jpg (http://img163.imageshack.us/my.php?image=skintones9ap.jpg)

[Stringbean]

Butch - I’m going to have to look into some of your suggestions when I’m more awake :) . I am not too experienced with PSE4 and will need to have all my wits about me just to figure our some of the things you mentioned. Thank you for your help!

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

The chart that Butch shows has now been converted into a set of swatches and you can download it from here:

http://www.retouchpro.com/pages/colors.html

Its the link right at the bottom of the page ...

Wendy

[Pauline]

These are great. Thanks Butch and Wendy. Butch I'm going to have to try out your technique with the gradient map adjustment layer!! I never use that one since I don't have a clue what to do with it except put one picture over another one.

[Wendy]

Pauline ...

Gradient maps are a great way to do colourizations ... I created a whole set of gradient just for this and they work so well.

I do it a little different to Butch ... I first roughly select the face (or anything I am colouring) then I do Layer>New Adjustment Layer>Gradient Map and do my gradient. Its easy to see at that stage of the gradient needs adjusting and later I use the bush on the mask to fine tune the edges of the selection :)

I have just added an image to my Gallery that I used this technique on ...

Wendy

[Pauline]

Thanks Wendy. That's wonderful. Is that a picture of you?

[Daviskw]

Wendy

May I ask, how many colors do you use on your gradients? or do you adjust the foreground and background...or both..:)

What a great job you did on that picture... you are the best!!!

Butch

[Wendy]

Hi Pauline ...

... Ummm that a photo of my next door neighbours Mother. I think it was taken in the 1920's ... just a bit before my time :eek:

Wendy

[Wendy]

Hi Butch ...

Some of them are two tone gradients but with most things I adjust them while they are on screen. I tend to start with just a small black or dark brown section then maybe two or three shades of the same flesh tone.

... to that I choose a flesh tone, then open up the colour picker and move in a diagonal line to choose the other colours ... that seems to work quite well.

The rough selection on screen is so good for adjusting the gradient ... and don't forget that you can change the blend between the colours as well by using the midpoint blend.

Black or a very dark colour at one end of the gradient works well for most things ...

... hope this helps :)

Wendy

[Pauline]

Sorry Wendy, I didn't think the picture was that old. I thought perhaps it was you as a teen. :D

[Wendy]

Hi Pauline ...

Its omnly when you get close in to the dress that you do see its an old photograph ... it really was in amazing condition considering the age and I had very little restoration to do on it :)

Wendy

[Pauline]

Okay now I don't feel so bad! I was half asleep this morning when I looked at it and the day hasn't gotten much better. Extremely unproductive day today. :(

[Wendy]

Hi Pauline ...

Have to admit that I don't seem to have managed anything today ... I seem to have been working all day with nothing to show for it :(

Wendy

[Pauline]

Nice to know I'm not the only one Wendy. Feeling tired and really should just go to bed!! It's not good to stop in here and just 'check' before bed!!