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This tutorial demonstrates how to colourise monochrome. You will find the poppy start image Here. Unzip the file and open it onto Photoshop’s workspace.
This lesson is for beginners to colourising; with experience, you will be able to colourise portraits - briefly outlined Here.
Note
The Colour Replacement Tool can be also be implemented for this type of effect.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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Open your image onto Photoshop’s workspace.
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Then from the top menu, choose Image then choose Adjustments then choose Desaturate. Alternatively, utilise the Channel Mixer, or CS3’s Black and White filter.
Removing Colour Tutorial.
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Now, from the toolbar, activate the Polygonal Lasso Tool.
My lesson Here, demonstrates how to use this tool; you are looking to click-and-stretch a lasso line around the edges of the poppy.
 
Tip
To zoom in, from the top menu, choose View then choose Zoom In.
Tip - retracing your steps
Whilst you are stretching the lasso line (above) and before the marquee is applied; to go back one step, press (either) the Delete or the Backspace key of your keyboard - press your chosen key for however many steps you want to go back - this is for Windows XP users, presently, I am unfamiliar with Mac’s.
Now, after you have completely surrounded the poppy, and passed your cursor over the point where you began, left-click. The lasso line will immediately change to a selection marquee, illustrated below.
Now you have isolated your poppy, it is time for the next step.
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From the toolbar, activate the Brush Tool. Lesson.
And set the following attributes. Note: Set your brushes to Basic Brushes, and choose a Soft brush. Additionally, you may prefer a larger brush (Master Diameter) - depending on your image.
Tip
Quickly change the brush size by tapping (either), the left - or right bracket, of your keyboard - ensuring Caps Lock is Off.
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Double left click the Foreground swatch, and change its colour to an orange/red colour.
Now, left-click and begin painting the poppy. As you paint, you will notice the marquee is constraining the colour, inside the poppy.
Important
Reapplying the brush to the same area, builds up the colour; therefore, apply the paint, and quickly move to another area, this avoids an unbalanced build up.
Try to avoid the centre of the poppy, as this is going to be a different colour - however, you can easily repaint mistakes - or Step Backwards.
Tip
After you have applied the colour, apply a second application, to darken the hue.
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Now, change the Foreground colour to a dark red to brown colour.
And carefully colourise the flower’s centre.
Tip
If you paint over the red area, Step Backwards.
After you have painted the centre of the poppy, you are ready for the next step.
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From the top menu, choose Select then choose Inverse. You will notice the selection marquee now surrounds both the poppy and its outer border, illustrated below.
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Now, change the Foreground swatch to a foliage green colour - illustrated Here, then begin colourising the foliage.
This time, the selection marquee constrains the colourising to just the foliage.
After you have colourised the foliage; finish by changing the Foreground colour to a lighter green, then apply highlights to small areas of the foliage. When you have completed this, press Ctrl and D to remove the marquee.
Tip
If you find a demarcation line between the poppy and its background, as shown here.
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Activate the Blur Tool, and set a very low Opacity. Now, very carefully, soften the areas.
Alternatively, click and drag a selection marquee around the areas you have missed, and carefully repaint them with colour.
   
This technique improves with practise. With experience, you will be able to colourise monochromatic portraits - as I have, with the portrait of Harvey at the start of this
lesson.
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Congratulations, you have colourised your image - my optimising and saving images lesson can be found Here.
Rainbow and glass poppy
I created my poppy and glass effect (at the beginning of this lesson), by applying Photoshop’s Glass filter to the foliage area, and a Gradient to the poppy; the Gradient’s Mode was set to Colour.
Colourising portraits - Notes
 
The biggest consideration when colourising portraits, after time and patience, is reproducing colours - especially skin tones. If you do not have the original colour image, you will have to borrow tones from other images, using The Eyedropper Tool - lesson. Be prepared to invest lots time, and experiment with different colour combinations.
Tip
Apply the colour with the Paint Brush’s Mode set to Normal, then change the Mode to Colour. Setting the Mode to Colour ensures your photograph’s retains its luminosity.
Additionally, for better control, apply each colour onto its own layer; for example, Hair, Skin, Eyes, Dress, Background, Eyebrows, Trousers, etc. Remember, if you are comfortable with the Brush Tool, colourising monochrome is not a difficult technique; however, an additional consideration is being able to view your photograph, close up. Therefore, whenever necessary, zoom into your image, as much as is needed.
Wendi E M Scarth - Top of Page - Home.
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