I am trying to learn to add color to a B&W photo. I've tried two different tutorials for eyes, and I run into the same trouble with both.
When it comes time to add the actual color, no matter what color is selected, it fills the selection (or the brush pencil draws) in black or a shade of grey., even though my slected color may be blue, green, brown, etc.
I've never used GIMP, but do you know if you have to change the photo from a grayscale to a colour image? I know in Photoshop you have to go to Image and than change the mode from grayscale to RGB or a similar setting to allow painting with colours.
@Jane, I think that's what I was running into, because I tried to figure out how to do it in PSP7 and ran into the exact same problem.
I think the biggest problem is that I had already converted the image to greyscale and saved it earlier, and that image is what I was trying to work from. I went back to the original color image and followed the tutorial Ashley posted and it worked, THANK YOU ALL!
@melissa, is the image you are trying to work from in B&W already? If so, work from the original color photo and see if that fixes your problem.
And sadly, baby brown eyes just don't pop out of a B&W picture in quite the same way baby blue eyes do, darn it. And I doubt my husband would appreciate me giving him blue eyes, LOL.
I used Gimp alot when I first heard about it but I found Picnik so much easier. You just convert it to B&W then get the brush and go over the bit you want coloured. It's alot more simple than having to do layers etc.
@Adam, I actually had no idea about changing the image mode until folks posted it in this thread. I did successfully create the photo I wanted, but brown eyes just aren't as cool as blue LOL.
I'm going to check out Picnik soon, I've been a PSP7 user forever and a day (I started using PSP in 1999), but I just do basics like resizing and red eye correction in it, I've never used it to its' full potential.
I roughly figured it out in Gimp last night. Unfortunately, Photoscape does not have a layers feature that I can find so I'm not sure how to do it on that program. I guess I'll have to use Gimp more often.
If it was a colour photograph to begin with you need to duplicate the layers so you have two layers of the same photograph. Convert the background copy to greyscale and rename it 'greyscale'. Go to the colours menu and desaturate your copy image. This should now convert your image to a black and white image. Next right click on the desaturated greyscale image, in the layers palette, and choose 'to add layer mask'. 'White full opacity'. This will then allow you do erase parts of the greyscale image to reveal the original colour image behind it. It is easiest to zoom in to the part of the photo you want to reveal the colour. Using the paintbrush tool should then reveal your coloured background picture. If you go over the edge just switch the forground colour to revert back to the greyscale. When your done set the zoom level back to 100%
@alaryl: What @miley89 said is what I do as well if I want to original colour of the image. If I do convert to grayscale I always save a copy in the original colour, just in case. Sounds like you did too. Glad to hear it worked out for you!
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I've used the following instructions successfully:
http://www.gimp.org/tutorials/Selective_Color/
I am in the same boat. I have been trying to figure this technique out in either GIMP or Photoscape.
I think the biggest problem is that I had already converted the image to greyscale and saved it earlier, and that image is what I was trying to work from. I went back to the original color image and followed the tutorial Ashley posted and it worked, THANK YOU ALL!
@melissa, is the image you are trying to work from in B&W already? If so, work from the original color photo and see if that fixes your problem.
I'm going to check out Picnik soon, I've been a PSP7 user forever and a day (I started using PSP in 1999), but I just do basics like resizing and red eye correction in it, I've never used it to its' full potential.
I roughly figured it out in Gimp last night. Unfortunately, Photoscape does not have a layers feature that I can find so I'm not sure how to do it on that program. I guess I'll have to use Gimp more often.
I find this is the easiest way.