Hand coloring photographs?

Question

Re-posting since I didn't get but one answer.

When hand coloring black and white photos, do you need a specific paper type or can you print it on regular card stock and color it on that? I really like the art form, but I have no one to really learn from. I have played around with a few pictures of my kids and a flower and it looks neat that way, but is that the way the professionals do it?
Thanks.

Answer 1

Hand colouring is not as easy as 'painting between the lines', the colour is applied with tiny dots of different colours like a pointillism picture, if you try to paint as you would a water colour it will drag the water soluble emulsion and look awful.



It's easier to do it in Photoshop or similar, just turning down the Saturation of any colour image gives a Victorian postcard look especially if you use the Photocopier Filter to a copy layer which makes a line drawing, then turn down the Opacity.. See sample here.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-judge/7678855822/in/photostream



Any kind of art form can be reproduced from any picture, Oil Paint, Watercolour, Pastel, Pencil Drawing, Coloured Pencil can all be created from a photograph in Photoshop. or Elements.



Another technique is to create a line drawing (using the above photocopy filter in PS or Elements), turn down the opacity to create feint guidelines, print it onto watercolour paper using a Laser Printer, prints from laser printers are waterproof, then you can colour it in using any medium.



Chris

Answer 2

I actually attended a class on this. You do have to use a matte type paper. What we did was spray the paper, (after fully dried), with some type of clear sealer. This has been probably 10 years ago since I was in the class, so I cannot remember the name of the spray. I do know the teacher bought it at Hobby Lobby. I seem to think it had some kind of name like Lustre Coat or some such thing, You spray this coating on the photo and it gives a protective surface onto which you can apply paint. I believe we used watercolor paints. We used cotton balls to apply the paint. It takes LOTS of practice to get nice results, but it really looks stunning when done well. Hope that helps some. Just go to any good hobby supply store and look around for some type of clear sealer, perhaps ask someone in the framing department.



steve

Answer 3

If you are working with a real silver print, a matte surface is much better than a glossy surface. Oils adhere better, and if you are using pencils, you need the 'tooth' of the matte surface for the pencil to leave pigment on the paper.



I've never bothered trying to hand color a monochrome print produced digitally, but I would think that the same basic principle applies - a matte surface will be better because of the tooth. What I don't know is how liquid colors (ie, oils) would work with an ink-based print - that is, will there be an interaction between the solvent in the oil and the ink that will cause the image to smear.



But if you are working digitally, you can always apply color digitally rather than on the print itself

Answer 4

The handcolouring process is intended for traditional silver-based prints on fibre paper: it doesn't take too well on resin-coated. I don't know if Kentmere still make their "Art" paper which had a absolute matt finish with a slight texture to pick up crayon if that was to be used - as it often was. Occasionally one sees unopened sets of handcolouring dyes on eBay and they sell cheap

Answer 5

When I did hand coloring, using Marshall photo paints, I preferred to have a matt print done at the processors. Many printer inks do not stand up to paints, but smear.