Hi, I've recently been experimenting with the focal B&W effect in Picasa, but it's quite limited in that you can only have a single focus point, with a circular area in colour (whatever the shape or colour(s) of the object in that circle).
I know Photoshop has a layer masking option, but are there any free photo editing softwares out there that would allow me to choose a single colour (or object), and change the rest of the photo to B&W? Say, if I had a photo of a rose bush (I don't), could I keep the "red" of all the flowers, and have the rest of the photo in B&W?
Thanks for your answers in advance, I'm sure you'll all be enthusiastic as always! (even if you enthusiastically tell me to invest in Photoshop!)
Selective Colouring. That's the one!
I did have a (quick) look at Gimp without any luck the other night. But I'll try again now - and find that tutorial.
Thanks all! x
I've used Picnik several times to do SC and find it really effective. You can zoom in on the area to make it easier to effectively erase after you've gone into the B&W on create xx
Far from perfect, but maybe my fault for choosing an inappropriate, overambitious photo for a first attempt?...
I found it easy to work out how to do, but rather fiddly to actually get right because it relies of using freehand. A simpler photo would probably have worked better.
I've downloaded Gimp, and but it seems a lot more complicated to understand...will try and give it a go...
I haven't got a clue what I'm doing with Gimp. I found the tutorial, but having not used Photoshop or Gimp before I'm completely lost with layers etc. I might have to just ask someone to show me one day instead. This could take all night otherwise(!)
Hmmm...I might have been misunderstood how simple this could be...
When I asked the original question, I assumed (possibly wrongly) that by using Photoshop (or another similar software) that colour selection would be "automatic" (!)...not manual and free hand like my Picnik experience (above).
Now that I've looked at various written and youtube tutorials I've just realised that most of them actually describe a similar process to what's offered in the Picnik version. Am I right in assuming that this is how most people use it? Or is there a cleverer way of selecting by colour, or paths (or whatever), to get the software to colour in the desired bits itself (rather than having to go around all the edges with a fuzzy brush)?!
Sorry to sound pathetic, but this editing malarky is all new to me...!
@lluniau I understand... lol
and from what I understand most of the time you have to do the selective coloring by hand.. but then there may be some awesome tool in these programs that Im missing!!!
@nikkers Well...to be honest, that's exactly what I was thinking (hence the rabbiting on above)...but I've accepted now that maybe a bit of effort, time and patience is what I need! Maybe I was expecting it to be too easy!!!
@cookie123 I use the change to black and white and then you just trace over the picture and kind of erase the b/w to put color in. I use Picnik and not Picasa though.
After reading this discussion, I went and experimented with Picnik... This is my first attempt:
Thanks for starting this discussion! I've always wondered how to do this, but never thought to ask!
@lluniau I use getpaint.net it is a windows based product totally free with lots of extra that you can add once you get use to it. I have found that it is a little more user friendly than gimp. You have to do the SC by hand but it's very simple.
1. open orignal picture.
2. add duplicate layer
3. change that layer to B&W
4. zoom in to where you want colored. I zoom to about 500 or 600% (any bigger and the pixels are hard to tell apart)
5. choose the eraser tool - you can change the size of the eraser I use a size that remove the most with out going out of the area.
6. erase the area you want colored. (I keep both layer visable) when I have most of the area erased I zoom in a little further and use a smaller eraser for the edge.
7. Merge the two layers and
8. Finished.
There is also a tool that traces the area (laseo) but it can be hard to get it right. I have yet to master the laseo tool.
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Selective Color
I did have a (quick) look at Gimp without any luck the other night. But I'll try again now - and find that tutorial.
Thanks all! x
It was Picnik I had a quick look at .But it was such a quick look, I hadn't realised you could "select areas to undo the effect".
Thanks again. I'll screw my head back on the right way now, and experiment.
Far from perfect, but maybe my fault for choosing an inappropriate, overambitious photo for a first attempt?...
I found it easy to work out how to do, but rather fiddly to actually get right because it relies of using freehand. A simpler photo would probably have worked better.
I've downloaded Gimp, and but it seems a lot more complicated to understand...will try and give it a go...
I haven't got a clue what I'm doing with Gimp. I found the tutorial, but having not used Photoshop or Gimp before I'm completely lost with layers etc. I might have to just ask someone to show me one day instead. This could take all night otherwise(!)
When I asked the original question, I assumed (possibly wrongly) that by using Photoshop (or another similar software) that colour selection would be "automatic" (!)...not manual and free hand like my Picnik experience (above).
Now that I've looked at various written and youtube tutorials I've just realised that most of them actually describe a similar process to what's offered in the Picnik version. Am I right in assuming that this is how most people use it? Or is there a cleverer way of selecting by colour, or paths (or whatever), to get the software to colour in the desired bits itself (rather than having to go around all the edges with a fuzzy brush)?!
Sorry to sound pathetic, but this editing malarky is all new to me...!
Thanks for all your answers, Elin
and Pos Pro http://download.cnet.com/Photo-Pos-Pro/3000-2192_4-10264444.html
both really good free programs.
and from what I understand most of the time you have to do the selective coloring by hand.. but then there may be some awesome tool in these programs that Im missing!!!
Thanks for starting this discussion! I've always wondered how to do this, but never thought to ask!
1. open orignal picture.
2. add duplicate layer
3. change that layer to B&W
4. zoom in to where you want colored. I zoom to about 500 or 600% (any bigger and the pixels are hard to tell apart)
5. choose the eraser tool - you can change the size of the eraser I use a size that remove the most with out going out of the area.
6. erase the area you want colored. (I keep both layer visable) when I have most of the area erased I zoom in a little further and use a smaller eraser for the edge.
7. Merge the two layers and
8. Finished.
There is also a tool that traces the area (laseo) but it can be hard to get it right. I have yet to master the laseo tool.
Hope this helps.