How to Make Pictures Gray & Have One Part Color

Selective coloring adds a touch of color to a grayscale image.

Selective color in a photo retains the color of an object while changing the rest of the image to grayscale. This trick adds a creative touch and draws focus to an otherwise dull or average picture. To achieve the selective coloring effect, Photoshop or a similar photo-editing program is needed and can be completed with a basic knowledge of the software.

Things You'll Need

• Adobe Photoshop or other photo-editing software

Instructions

1. Use Adobe Photoshop or another photo-editing program, open the image to which you want to add selective coloring.

2. Desaturate your image or convert it to black and white. To desaturate the image, click "Image" followed by followed by "Adjustments" and click "Desaturate" from the list of options.

3. Select the "History Brush" from the tools palette, or press the "Y" key if you are using Photoshop.

4. Change your brush settings located under the menu to facilitate the process of painting back in the color. Make sure your opacity is at 100 percent and adjust the hardness anywhere from 75 percent to 100 percent. The hardness slider can be located by clicking the arrow next to the brush size. You may also want to adjust the size of the brush depending on the size of the area you want to paint over.

5. Carefully paint over the area of the image to which you wish to restore color.

Tips & Warnings

• If you make a mistake and need to undo a portion of the image, click the "Edit" menu link and select "Step Backward" from the resulting list. Doing so will remove the entire brush stroke you previously painted. To avoid losing a large amount of brush strokes you previously painted, paint short strokes on your image letting up on the mouse frequently or when you get to a new area. This will ensure a minimal amount of the image will be undone in the event of a mistake.

References

• The Digital Darkroom: Easy Spot Color or Selective Color