E1B: Colorization and Color Correction

E1B: Colorization and Color Correction in Photoshop

On This Page:

 


Due

  • Date: Please check Blackboard’s “Due Dates”

Overview

For the second part of the first exercise (1B), you will take the final product of Exercise-1A and color correct it, remove the damaged film edge, and place a new clean border around it. Here are the specific things to need to address:

  1. If the file is in “Grayscale Mode”, convert it back to RGB Mode.  (“Image > Mode > RGB”)
  2. Adjust the tonal range and correct the levels/curves to remove the slightly too-dark color cast on the image.
  3. Give the face a natural skin tone. Hint: you can use a “Hue/Saturation” adjustment layer for this, being sure to keep the whites of the eyes desaturated while keeping them out of the selection.
  4. Select the lips to add another adjustment layer so as to make them pinker. Hint: Magnetic Lasso can be good for this, along with a feather.
  5. Adjust the irises of the eyes to make them paler and give them natural color. The example below uses blue, but you could also experiment with green, hazel, or a light brown. Hint: For this you can try an adjustment layer, or you can duplicate a layer and dodge the irises, and then colorize the iris selections.
  6. If you applied a color adjustment to the entire facial image, then the hair might be a bit reddish. To give yourself more experience using the tools, adjust the hair and eyebrows so that they have more black and less red saturation. Hint: you can use the quick mask mode to make your selections with brushes (watch this week’s videos first!).
  7. When you are finished with color, you can select the facial area (DO NOT EXCLUDE the parts where the borders were!) and save it. You will use this to mask out the damaged film edge, as well as applying a border around it so that it looks like a printed snapshot. To make it look even better, you can add a drop shadow to the border, placing this border layer beneath the main facial layer so that the drop shadow does not extend onto the face in places.

Below are examples of the before-and-after. Remember, the first image would be based on your end product of Exercise-1A, so do your best on Exercise-1A!

Example of 1A REPAIRED (low res example)
Example of 1A REPAIRED (low res example)

 

Colorized face of girl
Exercise-1B Colorization Completed (low res)

 

Quality Expectations:

You are required to keep the original file pixel dimensions (1368 x 1772) and resolution (72ppi) for this assignment. DO NOT shrink the file’s pixel dimensions. I will also zoom into the files to look at details for grading purposes.

Turning It In:

Turn the finished PSD file at “Turn In Assignments > Turn In Exercise-1B Here” by the due date (see main BB “Due Dates” link).


Need Help Getting Started?

This playlist of 3 tutorial videos walks you through an approach to successfully colorizing this file so that it looks natural.

VIDEO 1:

This video covers how to adjust skin tone, color of the irises of the eyes, and shows how to select the whites of the eyes.

Tools Used:

  • Marquee tool
  • Polygon lasso
  • Magnetic lasso
  • Quick Mask mode
  • Paintbrush Tool
  • Saving selections
  • Adjustment Layers: Hue Saturation

VIDEO 2:

This video covers how to adjust the white of the eyes to look normal, how to highlight the irises to add proper luminance and how to adjust the lip color to look natural.

Tools Used:

  • Polygon lasso
  • Magnetic lasso
  • Quick Mask mode
  • Paintbrush Tool
  • Saving selections
  • Adjustment Layers: Color Balance, Hue Saturation (using both “colorize” and not using it)

VIDEO 3:

This video covers how to add a snapshot border around the image and change the layer style to correct the drop shadow. It also addresses adding a background color.

Tools Used:

  • Marquee tool
  • Paint Bucket
  • Layer Styles

Digital Art, Design, and Communication Education