How to Hand Tint a Digital Photo With Photoshop Elements

This is a super-cool technique to enhance an average picture by taking it from boring to dreamy with a hand-tinted look. This technique works best when you have only a couple of spots of color you want to accent. For more detailed hand-painting, you'll want to use a layer mask which will help prevent mistakes and ease do-overs. The original picture of my son was pretty amazing, but his big brown eyes just begged for more emphasis. In only a few quick steps I was able to take the image to the next level. Here's how I did it:

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer
• Adobe Photoshop Elements or similar photo-editing software
• A digital photo
• (optional) Photo printer or printing service to print your final masterpiece.

1. 
    
   Original Photo

   Open up your image and "Save As" a new name to prevent over-writing your original file. Close the original if still open.

2. 
    

   Next, in the layers palette, drag the photo layer (background layer) to the copy icon. That's the little square with turned up corner. This will make a copy of your photo on a new layer. Check the instructional photo to the left to see how the layers palette should look now, and the copy icon is circled in red.

3. 
    

   Target (select) this new layer and press SHIFT+CTRL+U to remove the color from the photo. Now hit CTRL+L to bring up the Levels dialog. I usually hit AUTO to see how it turns out and tweak from there. You can bring the Black slider more to the right to darken the shadows, or move the White slider to the left to brighten the highlights. Click OK when done. Your screen should now look something like the photo to the left.

4. With your top, now black and white, layer still selected, choose the eraser tool with a nice soft round brush set at about 5-10% opacity and about 30 pixels across. With this, you are going to go over any areas where you want to see some color. I am doing the pupils and the lips right now. Don't forget that each pass over the same area will reveal more color, so its OK to start with a low opacity and go over it again, instead of pulling it all out right away and deciding its too drastic. You are going for a nice soft, transparent look, not a harsh blast of color. Don't forget that UNDO (CTRL+Z) is your friend!

5. 
    

   Now, you can change the brush to a larger size to bring some cheek color in and I would also like to add in some red from the Santa hat. Check the photo to the left to see what I have now.

6. 
    

   Now you can merge all layers or flatten and save your fabulous hand-tinted photo! See the before and after side-by-side.

Tips & Warnings

• Adjust the black and white layer carefully, getting nice shadows and highlights as this will be your main image in the end.
• Don't forget CTRL+Z to undo the last step(s) if you erase too much.
• Have fun and be creative, you can make some really cool images this way that are great for gifts.

Resources

• My Website

[nethopperz]

on 3/11/2009 I've been wondering how that technique is done. Very cool. Thank you for the info!