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Partial Black and White Photos

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Special is a group administrator Special  Pro User  says:

Partial Black and White tutorial

End Result
Masked

This can be accomplished in Photoshop and Paintshop Pro (and surely other software as well) but I chose to write my tutorial based on the method I use in Paint Shop Pro, since it's the way I normally turn my images partial black and white. It's just much faster (for me) this way since it's the method I've used longer. Also.. there are many tutorials out there on how to accomplish this in Photoshop but I've never seen one on Paint Shop Pro using my method.

Many of you probably already have Photoshop and not Paint Shop Pro.. but PSP is easy to come by. You can download a free trial at jasc.com. It's much cheaper than Photoshop, so those of you who are currently without a good digital image editor, you might want to think about getting yourself a copy. I use PSP 6, so while some things have probably changed in the newer versions, I am sure they left the options named the same.

While I tag my images as "masked" as Devos once suggested, they aren't all truly masked and the process I use is quite simple really. You'll see.

First let me just say that it's my opinion that a good masking job never ruins a photo.. but merely adds to it, whereas an awful masking job obviously turns a photo into an eyesore. Practice the method until it doesn't fall into the later category or I will gouge my own eyes out upon viewing your photo.

Deciding which image would look better partial black and white (and for what reasons) is up to you. Decide on an image.. and which parts you want turned black and white and which left in color and then open it in PSP. If you want to edit it any other way (contrast.. color balance) then do it BEFORE you convert it to partial black and white. It's best to start with an image that will be easier to edit. Don't pick an image that's too busy for your first try. Pick an image where the part (or parts) that will remain in color don't have too many twists and turns. Tricky edges are a bitch.

Here's my before image. I wanted to turn everything but the Sexy BC Rich Warlock black and white.

Original Photo
Full Color

Once your image is opened..click on the 'retouch' tool and an option window will pop up. In my version it's a little hand icon. (Noted in the 'at work" screencap below) From the retouch option window.. click the middle tab (might be positioned differently in your version) and select saturation down from the retouch mode. Then go back to the first tab, and make sure that your paintbrush is set for round and that opacity is set at 100%. You should set the size of the brush higher to start and go lower the closer you get to the parts of the image you want left in color.

Conversion in Process
semibwtutorial

You will need to look at the larger version to make out the toolbars.

Essentially what you will be doing is drawing out the color. Every part of the photo that you want converted to black and white, you need to draw on. Zoom in and out if need be. Just make sure you cover every pixel that is suppose to be B&W. I normally start by drawing out the color further away from the parts of the image I want left in color.. then I work my way in.. decreasing the size of the brush (and zooming into the photo) the closer I get to parts that are to be left colororized. It gets tricky when you have to do the edges on what remains color and what is to be converted black and white. It's just like trying to stay between the lines in a coloring book, and i'm sure that's something you all can figure out.

The important thing is that you know the method used.. and you work with it. It's nothing more than using the retouch tool in Paint Shop Pro to 'color' the saturation out.

Here are some more examples. All done within PaintShop Pro (NOT Photoshop).

A Dad's Grave Sandbox Masked Crazy Legs Crayola Crayons

There is a Cutouts group on Flickr and they have links to tutorials on how this can be accomplished in Photoshop and other software.

Hopefully I wrote this in a way that's understandable. If not feel free to ask questions. If anyone finds this method useful I'd love to see the images you used it on.

[tags: manipulation]
Posted at 8:39PM, 15 November 2004 PST ( permalink )

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m.a.x  Pro User  says:

That's very interesting, Special. I hadn't thought of doing it that way.

In Photoshop, a (the?) way to do it is to select the paintbrush and select 'saturation' mode. I just had to go try it out.

Could somebody post about the 'masking' process, because I'm not sure how that one works, either.

Thanks again, Special, that was a really great write-up!
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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Special is a group administrator Special  Pro User  says:

I'll write one on the Photoshop method of doing this and the true masking technique if you want. I can do it both ways. I just thought most people knew that method already. If you want it, give me another day or so since one tutorial a day is my limit. heh.
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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m.a.x  Pro User  says:

No, right now!!!

hehe, just kidding. It'd be great if you get around to it, though, or if you know of a good online tutorial you could point me in the direction of - that'd be splendid, too.
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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Gwen's River City Images  Pro User  says:

Thanks Special! I'll give it a try.
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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Special is a group administrator Special  Pro User  says:

Max, I don't really read tutorials much. I normally stumble onto things on my own while goofing with images. That's how I developed this method, so I don't know of any tutorials on this.. or masking which I also figured out through trial and error. I just know that in the cutouts group people were talking about their methods.

If my 'conversion in progress" screencap confuses you I'm sorry. I just realized you might think "what the heck?" since i have the final product beside a 'working on' version. It's because for the sake of the tutorial i was editing the image again to get a screencap and had both images open for sort of a during and after approach. It is like those stupid cooking shows that take out the food and it's completely done, right after they put it in the oven.
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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m.a.x  Pro User  says:

lol... no I understand your tutorial perfectly - I just like to learn about all sorts of ways of doing things. That's why I started this group ;)

If there's more than one way to skin a cat, I think I should know both ways to skin that darn cat.
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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Special is a group administrator Special  Pro User  says:

Actually, is Devos a member of this group? Because he does the true masking for his partial black and whites. He might want to write the tutorial. I mean, I'll write it if not.. but he might want to write it. To have his say.. so to speak.
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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Nico....  Pro User  says:

When I do this in Photoshop I simply add a duplicate layer of the first over the top, convert it to b&w (using whichever technique is your favourite) and then rub out bits of the top layer to reveal the colour layer underneath.

Is there anything wrong with that method?
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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IanL  Pro User  says:

The duplicate layer method has the advantage of giving you more control over the B&W portion - getting the right saturation, having infra-red style B&W channel only, noise etc.
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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Gwen's River City Images  Pro User  says:

Red Rings for Special!


I don't usually Photoshop my stuff but this was fun.

When I originally saw this playground apparatus the red rings just popped out at me but when I saw the photograph (I'm not digital) they were lost in a muddied background. This technique let me recapture my original feeling for the shot.

Here's the original for comparison.

Red RIngs
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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Special is a group administrator Special  Pro User  says:

ni.co . there's nothing wrong with the method you described. It's whatever works best for you.

Auntie G did you do that in Photoshop or in Paintshop Pro? You said Photoshop your stuff so just curious which method you used.
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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Gwen's River City Images  Pro User  says:

I have Photoshop Elements (much cheaper than full Photoshop) but the method is the same as you described for Paintshop Pro. As I moved inward towards the red parts, I reduced the size of the brush and enlarged the size of the image.
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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wolzi says:

I haven't really explored this option in depth myself, but you can do the same thing with freely available tools. The Gimp is an open source program and they have a tutorial you can follow here:

www.gimp.org/tutorials/Selective_Color/

It seems there are a few more steps involved, but hey, it's free?! BTW, there are also versions available for MacOSX, Linux (UNIX) and yes, even Windows!
Posted 62 months ago. ( permalink )

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deVos  Pro User  says:

Thanks Eric (Snowdeal) for pointing out this discussion. What I usually do in Photoshop (Windows version) is:
1. Zoom in to the picture to a level that is appropriate for selecting the object you want to REMAIN IN COLOR (so it's the other way around compared to Special's approach)
2. Then, using the lasso tool (or any other selection tool), meticulously select the part of the image you want to remain in color.
3. Save the selection (Select, Save Selection)after selecting it as a precaution (actually, you might do that while in the process of getting the selection right).
4. Then zoom out again to "Fit on Screen" (for pasting purposes)
5. Finally copy the selection to the clipboard, set the image to grayscale (Image, Mode, grayscale). Then set it back to RGB color mode and paste the clipboard selection back in.

It has the advantages described by IanL as it will be a seperate layer. Which allows for adjustment to be made afterwards, like the request I did for Special.

Original Mask:
Red Beetle
Pink Beetle at Special's request:
Pink Beetle
Or you can play around with the black and white layer like I did in this one:
Varadero Salesman<
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

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GustavoG  Pro User  says:

I just did a variant on what deVos described, using GraphicConverter on OS X.
1) Prepare two copies of the image, A and B.
2) Desaturate copy A. Adjust brightness, contrast and saturation so the tiger looks best, in copy B.
3) Erase everything around the tiger in copy B by painting it white using various tools at different resolutions.
4) Use the "magic pen" object select tool at a very permissive setting to select the entire tiger image from copy B. Copy and paste onto copy A of the image. Alignment is easy since GraphicConverter shows the pasted object translucent while moving it into its proper place.
5) Finishing touches - minor corrections at some boundaries.

Result:
Siesta
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

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Stitch  Pro User  says:

Nice, thanks for sharing guys.
Posted 61 months ago. ( permalink )

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woodcreeper  Pro User  says:

I’ve used this technique quite a bit with my bird photography, because so often the bird is embedded in a similar colored background. Depending on the desired output, you can make the distinction as subtle or apparent as need be. Here are three images that I did a couple of years ago, but are still some of my favorites.

Anhinga

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

Double-crested Cormorant


The technique I used goes as follows:
(In Photoshop)
1. In layers, duplicate your original image and work off the copy
2. Use the pen tool to create a path around the bird
3. From the paths tab select “create selection from path” (I think I used a two pixel feather for these, but I’ve used up to five, but most often zero)
4. From the SELECT menu, choose select inverse
5. From the channel mixer, check the monochrome checkbox and tweak the channels for a desired balance.
6. At this point, you have an image with only the subject in color, and the rest of the image in grayscale. Select inverse again so you’re working with the subject. At this point I like to bump up the saturation a bit. Especially with these images as they handled it well. Sometimes this gets too gaudy, but what about this process isn’t iterative?
7. Now either duplicate the original image again (if you’re like me, it’s still labeled “background”) or double-click the original image to change it to a layer. Drag the original (or copy of original) up on top of your manipulated image. Bring down the opacity of the color image (top), so you can see through to the gray/color image, thereby “re-colorizing” the image.

The result will be an all-color image with your subject standing out considerably more than the background.
Posted 60 months ago. ( permalink )

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drl.  Pro User  says:

I might be kind of an idiot, but couldn't you also do what woodcreeper is talking out by using the technique described by deVos and upping the saturation of the cutout (or doing whatever other adjustment you wanted?
Posted 60 months ago. ( permalink )

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B e t h says:

The problem I always have with this technique is getting a "line" around the thing I've cutout. Woodcreeper's technique is nice because the difference between the layers is smaller so you don't get an artificial border between the thing you cutout and the background. However, for a true color-in on a desaturated background, like deVos is talking about I'd be interested in hearing people's techniques to eliminate that artificial-looking border. Sometimes I end up using a layer mask and painting around the edges with a brush on flow < 100%, but even then it's hard to get a natural look sometimes. Depends on the subject.
Posted 60 months ago. ( permalink )

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woodcreeper  Pro User  says:

As drlynch points out, there are many ways to skin a cat. I like using layers of images so I can alternately blur backgrounds, change the overlay properties, etc. This morning I used the simple method of just selecting the area I wanted to remain in color, then desaturating the surrounding area. That image is here
Posted 60 months ago. ( permalink )

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matt.ohara  Pro User  says:

the easiest way to not have that hard edge is to feather the selection by 2-5 pixels.

also woodcreeper you should try using the magnetic lasso (click when it won't stick where you want it to) and then Create Mask-->Reveal Selection.
Posted 60 months ago. ( permalink )

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Peptis says:

Hi everyone, I'm new here, but I thought I could share too.

I used a similar technique to bring the flower in this photo to the foreground. I tried not to overdo the effect as to keep it looking natural.

red

Using a technique similar to woodcreeper's (in Photoshop) I used the pen tool to create a path around the flower. After duplicating the layer and masking out the background I reduced the brightness and saturation of the background layer. I then applied a Gaussian blur of 3 pixels to the image mask to make the transition between the layers a bit less harsh.

I've also placed a note on the image where I had to remove a stray leaf from passing in front of the subject of the photo. I did it rather quickly so, if you look closely, you can see where the leaf originally passed. Check out the note for more information.
Posted 60 months ago. ( permalink )

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seanhfoto  Pro User  says:

Not a tough path to cut, but I am a quick mask (alpha channel) kind of guy.
Posted 60 months ago. ( permalink )

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varohaub  Pro User  says:

All of this is great. I agree first and foremost that there are a whole lot of ways to skin a cat.

And I also agree with matt.ohara about both feathering the selection and using the magnetic lasso.



I threw this together in like 10 minutes using first the lasso and then going back and doing minute corrections with the standard selection tool. A quick feather and then an applied mask, and BOOM, we're off to the races.
Posted 59 months ago. ( permalink )

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annafdd  Pro User  says:

B e t h, one way I've found of reducing the sharp border effect is select the cutout zone by whatever means (magnetic lasso, selective color selection, whatever), then create a mask, erase out extraneous areas (this is particularly useful with the selective color selection method) and then apply a blurring filter to the mask. This makes the translation softer. Then you can either turn the cutout or backgroun b&w directly on the image or create a separate layer via copy from the selection, which I find a better method. If you see parts of the selection disturbing the overall effect, you can then switch to the copy layer and work on that.
Posted 59 months ago. ( permalink )

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Simes says:

My first attempt:

lifebelt

I wanted to refer back to this thread when doing it, but the server was down. :)

So this is just a quick hack in Photoshop - I duplicated the image, desaturated the bottommost layer and erased the bits from the top layer that I didn't want. It needs some fringing removed, but that's a subject for another thread...
Posted 59 months ago. ( permalink )

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annafdd  Pro User  says:

Simes, with such a uniformely colored subject, you can simply use select -> color range -> sampled colors and sample for the organge. There's a checkbox somewhere for contiguos, if you uncheck that, it selects the sample color everywhere. Then you can create a layer with the selection, leave it colored and desaturate the background layer to your heart's content. It's what I did with this photo:

Talking on red
Posted 59 months ago. ( permalink )

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Simes says:

Wow. That would have saved me a good hour of squinting. :)
Posted 59 months ago. ( permalink )

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Fintan  Pro User  says:

Fantastic.
Posted 59 months ago. ( permalink )

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meeralee  Pro User  says:

I know this is an old thread, but it's resulted in some neat effects on some new photographs of mine. I was a bit sloppy in the execution, but hopefully that will improve.

Someone's gotta be a heroine

Pretty in

I feel like it's a technique that I need to be careful to use sparingly, because it's so dramatic and fun. But in both these cases I think it works because it clarifies the meaning of the pictures.

Thanks! I had a lot of fun.
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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glueslabs  Pro User  says:

i just did my first of these:

Grrreen
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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Steve Crane  Pro User  says:

Some nice images in this thread. Here's one of mine, done in The GIMP, that made all the difference to a rather busy photograph.

A Daring Leap
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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Sandy Girl  Pro User  says:

Here's one I did in Photoshop. I saturated the grass, I took the colour out of the grain bins and sky and came up with this.

4 grain barns and dandilions

Since it was an overcast day anyway, it made the process much easier.
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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bikeracer is a group administrator bikeracer says:

here's one of mine:

Reflecting Friendship
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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djwudi  Pro User  says:

I love playing with shots like this. Of the ones I've done so far, these three are my favorites:

Boat Station, Camp Tomato, Woodland Park, Seattle, WA

Folklife 2005, Seattle Center, Seattle, WA

Punk Love I - Innocence
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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JackSim  Pro User  says:

Here is my first try (made with Photoshop):

My First Cutout
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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No Middle Name says:

Saw the tutorial, had to have a go:
dead flower tweaked

I used the GIMP, selecting the flower with the magic wand (selects contiguous areas of similar colours), copying into a new layer, then desaturating the original layer. Hooray! I have a new toy!
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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mightymis says:

there's a whole group for this kind of stuff: flickr.com/groups/cutouts/
great stuff there....
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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Joker B  Pro User  says:

In photoshop, the way to go is masks. Select your area by quickmask, lasso, marquee, or some combination, then add a new later (saturation or channel mixer) and set to black and white.

As always with layers, the beauty of it is that you can repeatedly change your mind once you see the results.

Desaturating NOT QUITE ALL THE WAY TO B&W is also very very effective at times.

Soft-edge masks are a good idea, your eye can't really see soft-edge color changes very well if they don't correspond to contrast changes (think watercolor over pencil drawing)
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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dawn m. armfield  Pro User  says:

Special, I followed your tutorial for PSP and it was quite nice. I've been using the magic wand to choose areas and then inverting the selection to convert. However, the magic wand isn't always as easy as I'd like. This was a piece of cake! Thanks for sharing.

pointedly purple
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

Quiplash [deleted] says:

Thanks Special! I use PhotoShop 5.5, but I found that zen's technique (found via you) works great for me...

Desire, Magnified (cutout version)

;-)
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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portorikan says:

Here's my attempt at it as well. I used the select color range method in photoshop and erased any extraneous colors that appeared.

Black and White with Color Technique
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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Spiralz  Pro User  says:

This was my first attempt.
I did it back in January this year, and I am really pleased with how it turned out.

Cutout 'Get well' red rose
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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Coffee_Break says:



Cutouts can be fun :)
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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takekazu  Pro User  says:

postbox
postbox is red in japan
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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f8125  Pro User  says:

In hue/saturation you can go to 'edit' and select 'blues' for example and turn the saturation down which will make all the blue in the picture grey.

You can then repeat this with the other colours available. It's a fast, simple technique which can be combined with others.
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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Robert & Kristin  Pro User  says:

I discovered by accident this Father's Day that my dad's garage door shows up as a nice shade of gray (even though it's really a tan color); all I've done here is up the saturation level and contrast a bit.


Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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gotigersjf says:

Here's my first attempt using layers in Photoshop:

Sandals cutout
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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alephnaught  Pro User  says:

Here's one I did using adjustment layers, and select colour range. Selecting the red range had the interesting side effect of also selecting the browns of the chair and the shoes.

Teatro en Las Ramblas: 02 (18 April 2005)
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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clofresh says:

Here's mine:
Homeless
Magnetic lasso is my friend.
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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Phillip  Pro User  says:

Postbox
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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TarikB  Pro User  says:

Heres one I had done a while ago.

Drops

I love this technique. Can produce some great results.
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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K & P  Pro User  says:

There are some absolutely cracking photos in this thread. I don't have Photoshop but thought I'd try mucking around with the layers in Fireworks MX 2004 and this is my first ever attempt at the technique.

Lauren
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

gabriel paulus [deleted] says:

This is my first attempt.
My First Spot Color
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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Hankerific  Pro User  says:

My first attempt with the Paint Shop Pro technique:
One fish two fish red fish BLUE fish
Posted 54 months ago. ( permalink )

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tonyharrison says:

Maybe not the ideal subject for it, but here's my first try..

New York New York in Las Vegas
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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kapDave  Pro User  says:

I've never done this before. This is my first try.
What do you think?



Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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Virginia G says:

my first attempt:

El pescador - The fisherman
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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wakopaco  Pro User  says:

bloody boring blokes

duplicated layers
desaturated top layer
erased top layer over the red coats
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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djwudi  Pro User  says:

A series of cutouts I just did:

Teatro Zinzanni's Sam Alvarez, Pacific Place, Seattle, WA Teatro Zinzanni's Sam Alvarez, Pacific Place, Seattle, WA Teatro Zinzanni's Sam Alvarez, Pacific Place, Seattle, WA Teatro Zinzanni's Sam Alvarez, Pacific Place, Seattle, WA

Teatro Zinzanni's Sam Alvarez, Pacific Place, Seattle, WA Teatro Zinzanni's Sam Alvarez, Pacific Place, Seattle, WA Teatro Zinzanni's Sam Alvarez, Pacific Place, Seattle, WA Teatro Zinzanni's Sam Alvarez, Pacific Place, Seattle, WA

And a desktop wallpaper I made out of one of the shots in the series:

Teatro Zinzanni Desktop
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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suffe  Pro User  says:

My little addition to the growing list.

Fire

Always keep one of these arround to be safe. =)
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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{platinum}  Pro User  says:

These are my two favorites that I've done using this technique:
HB Beachcruiser Car Show Mazzy Eyes 2
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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gotigersjf says:

Second try:

Black Eyed Susans
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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Trenchfoot  Pro User  says:

Rather than using a desaturate which seems to give rather dull black & white, I did this modifying an initial colour selection as a mask for a monochromatic channel mix layer in photoshop (the majority is blue channel if I remember correctly).


Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

MelinaTgirl [deleted] says:

I created a similar effect (color in bw) by using Corel PhotoPaint 9 and Microsoft Digital Image Pro 10. To enhance the object of interest I removed all items that were distracting. Finally I used Saturation, glow, and Antique effects to complete the image.

Melina_66
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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Gary Jones  Pro User  says:

MelinaTGirl:
I'm not an administrator or anything but...

Could you please edit your post and replace the image with a more reasonably-sized version. That large image is screwing up the formatting of the whole thread (at least on my 1024-wide display).

Thanks.

[ed. done]
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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B I R D  Pro User  says:

Wow I think I got it... just in time too! Using a tablet helps a lot... also not forgetting to use zoom for all of the fine editing. I also experimented a lot with brushes. Using the harder ones to get in the cracks and the soft ones for larger areas. The hardest point on this image was choosing what to reveal. I also found desaturate a little flat….

I found this article mentioned above quite useful Selective Color

You Got 2B Taught

BIRD
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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R.I.Pienaar  Pro User  says:



Done in Photoshop
Posted 53 months ago. ( permalink )

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Bubba Trout  Pro User  says:

Mine too.

reunion
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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lecasio  Pro User  says:

And mine. (with Photoshop)
What about SinCity?
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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Onelog Photography  Pro User  says:

I really like this one, of my recent stuff, this is our drummer playing out in the desert, with his pink converse and bandana...

DSC_1639 copy
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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Tasslehoff Burrfoot  Pro User  says:

another shoot of my wife


Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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Star's says:

My first attempt.
Grandma on a swing
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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Lance McCord  Pro User  says:

Found in Golden Gate Park: a cutout waiting to happen.

Orange Trash
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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Studio E says:

Here's an example of one I did by creating a duplicate layer and painting out the color.

Loner



For this image, I desaturated all the color channels except the blue, because I didn't want to deal with using the brush on all those small areas. Guess I was just being lazy!

Flickr Mission #2: Clear Zone
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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B I R D  Pro User  says:

Same Idea I just used a sample from the original in the mask...
For Mom
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

gabriel paulus [deleted] says:

Waiting...
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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StephenHill  Pro User  says:

Here are 2 of my first attempts at a cutout. This is definately a good reason to buy a tablet. I cut the colour potion to a new layer and desaturated the rest.

Butterfly

Yellow Lillie
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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Gary Jones  Pro User  says:

Millennium Square, Bristol
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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Jughead Toor says:

Here is my attempt.

Birthday Cake
Posted 52 months ago. ( permalink )

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Prozac74  Pro User  says:

I would like to add something to this rather old topic. Interesting effects can be made if you take the cyan channel in portraits as the bw channel. You will get a very soft skin. In my example on purpose I did not brighten up the picture afterwards in order to make the eyes more outstanding. The eyecolor was unchanged. I will further mess around with that effect.
My Wife
Posted 45 months ago. ( permalink )

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geørg  Pro User  says:

I already thought about doing this when I was taking the shot. Like the result:
Couldn't go past these chairs without shooting
Posted 44 months ago. ( permalink )

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Ruthven78 says:

another option you can play with us GIMP is to use the lasso tool, select the area you want to remain colored, then invert the selection, then use the image menu to convert the inverted selection to greyscale. I find it easier sometimes to use the lasso. Otherwise I use the layering method on the tutorial referenced earlier in the thread. If the image is complex though I use the layering method exclusively, especially if the colored areas is broken up by uncolored parts.....sorry dont have any right now I can use as examples.
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

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preritkumarmathur says:

here is my attempt




Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

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ron_harrison says:

My first attempt. Used GIMP.

spirals
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

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Brian-D  Pro User  says:

For selective color photos I find it alot easier to just do a color layer and b&w layer and erase the sections of the b&w layer you want color...no masking, lasso tools or any of that nonsense..And 10x faster.
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

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supersam5  Pro User  says:

Yes. I agree with XtwizX. Using a b/w layer and carefully erasing the areas where you want colors, is the technique I favor a lot too. Here's a recent cutout that I did...

Colours on a London street

Though I must say, to each his own. So I wouldn't say any particular technique is the best. Whatever works for you is the best! :)

Happy New Year, folks!
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

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yellowmello says:

I did my 1st one the other day.

th3 clothing
Posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )

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Anup Payyakkil  Pro User  says:

My Try
Budha (by Anup Payyakkil)
Originally posted 36 months ago. ( permalink )
Anup Payyakkil edited this topic 36 months ago.

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jgodsey  Pro User  says:

MY problem is selecting...i guess i am just not very good at it, but i find the lasso tool nearly useless. i can never get an clean outline of anything.
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

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Ryan Brenizer  Pro User  says:

The new selection tools in Adobe CS3 make the world a better place.
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

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GuppyStorm  Pro User  says:

Thanks so much for this! I have tried it out a bit... Even if they're not good, I'm having a blast!

My first attempts are in a set:

www.flickr.com/photos/guppystormdotcom/sets/7215759446842...
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

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ashwinmudigonda says:

Another way to select is using "Select Color" from Select. You can adjust the region using the fuzziness factor. You can always layer mask the portions that you didnt intend to select. Here is an example:

Bright Groom
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

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alex6bernard  Pro User  says:

Hello all,

I posted two photos using patial black and white technique, the first one was taken "as is" using the special color mode feature of my canon s2 where you can select the color that you want keep :


And a second one where I used the filter proposed in Picasa :
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

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yikes_scoobie says:

The method you describred in photoshop and PSP looks great, anyone ever done it to a black and white photo using watercolours, inks or acrylics?
Time consuming but fun also with equally interesting results. It was very popular in the early to mid 20th century to colourise black and whites. To get more of this authentic feel using software actually make your image black and white and paint in the colours using an overlay layer, some of the dark of the black and white comes through also and it is closer to the original methods using inks and paints. Of course the simple masking and erasing methods are equally valid and make for amazing images also, not better or worse, just a new style for the digital age :)
Posted 35 months ago. ( permalink )

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Anup Payyakkil  Pro User  says:

Another one

Street Musician (by Anup Payyakkil)
Posted 34 months ago. ( permalink )

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sam_samantha  Pro User  says:

Here's mine...I just used the magnetic tool to select the lemon and then desaturate the photo to create the black and white look through one of the tutorials I found here...by copying the layer, going to unsharp mask, play around with the radius, etc...and changing the opacity level of the three or four layers I've created.

Yellow Lemon
Posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )

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empTV says:

fast and simple
only for simple object..
just using picasa..focal b&w the area u want it to be color...and then collage the outputs..

natanz ver .5

never thought this one made it to explore!
Originally posted 32 months ago. ( permalink )
empTV edited this topic 32 months ago.

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ab.17 says:

i downloaded the free version of paint shop like you suggested, and read through your tutorial.. but can't seem to get the hang of it still? any other tips or help?! :)
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

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rashundrayton  Pro User  says:

Firetruck.jpg

Here's my first attempt using PhotoshopCS3
Originally posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )
rashundrayton edited this topic 30 months ago.

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welshbaloney  Pro User  says:

Excellent. I really like partial B&W. Here's a couple of mine...very simple but effective...

Uh...Stop PLEASE?

Sunshine and Showers
Posted 30 months ago. ( permalink )

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Diseuse  Pro User  says:

This is my favorite effect. I made this one using the lasso tool, which is the more pain-staking method.
-- from Diseuse - (?)

I don't remember what method I used to make this one, but I remember I didn't want to completely desaturate the background:
-- from Diseuse - (?)

Used to illustrate patriotism on Memorial Day:
-- from Diseuse - (?)

I used the technique on one of my mom's photos when she shot a wedding:
-- from dcaffeinated - (?)
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

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I Nancy  Pro User  says:

These are some of the most tasteful cutouts I've seen on flickr.

Stage Coach Inn
Posted 29 months ago. ( permalink )

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Yet another Dave  Pro User  says:

Here's one of mine:


The original:


It's not a true monochrome, as I left a little bit of color in it, so I guess I'd call it a "selective partial desaturation".

Photoshop (Elements 5) technique:
I cropped it down and removed some of the hot, blurred areas from the long exposure (areas illuminated by the fire, rather than the flash) using cloning and hue/sat adjustments. Then masked off the flames, duplicated the background layer, and grouped the copy to a levels adjustment layer to paste only the flames from the copy onto the background. I then used brightness/contrast and levels adjustment layers to increase contrast in the background layer, and a gradient map layer to convert it to monochrome. After experimenting a bit with leaving it at that or using a sepia tone, I decided to make another copy of the (original) background, and paste it on top of the lot with a reduced opacity to give it a hint of color. The blue jacket ended up coming through a lot stronger than anything else, so I ignored that and set the opacity for the rest of the image, grouped this copy with a levels adjustment layer and painted the jacket area with a light grey to reduce the opacity of it.
Posted 28 months ago. ( permalink )

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fmk2009 says:

Im totally new to this group, i need help in turning a black and white picture of me wearing my sunglasses.I want everything to stay black and white, but only the sunglasses i want it in color?
I have the older verision of paint shop pro 5.0.
Can someone here give me advice on how to do that?
My email is fawadk@yahoo.com
Thanks.
Fk
Posted 6 months ago. ( permalink )

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