Selective Coloring PSP Tutorial
How to color one area of a photograph. This explains the technique for applying color to one area of a black and white photograph and color photographs

Bookmark This Page | Click here for more PSP Tutorials

PSP Tutorials

Selective coloring of one area of a photograph

You may have seen this effect used before on telly or in the movies.

Here is a quick and easy way to selectively color one area of a photo or drawing. It is easier if your photograph is already in color but can simply be applied to black and white photos as well.

This psp tutorial describes how to apply the technique to a black and white photograph and below is the technique if your photo is already colored.

Step 1

Select a black and white photo. If you do not have one, make it black and white by clicking Colors>Greyscale.

Revert it back to 16 Million Colors
Colors>Increase Color Depth>16 Million Colors

Step 2

Select the Magnifying Tool and zoom in on the area to be selectively colored.

Step 3

Click the Freehand Lasso Tool . Select the Toggle Tool Options Window and set the Freehand Tool to;
Point to Point
Feather = 0
Antialias = Checked

Step 4

Draw around your selected area.

Step 5

Select the Flood Fill Tool.

Set your collor palletes "Foreground Color" to the color of your choice and you may set a Gradient Fill.

The "Sunburst Gradient>Fading Foreground" was used in this example.

Flood Fill the selected area with color.

Step 6

While you still have the area selected you may want to apply a Plugin Filter.

The filter "Pool Shadow" was used in the example to give a highlight to the hair and make it a little more "Natural". Play around with all different settings and filters until you get the look you like.

Or check out our tutorial Colorizing Photos for a more in depth explanation of coloring black and white photos, which gives the selected area a more natural look.

Deselect the Area. Ctrl + D

Save As.

You can also selectively color just of one person in a group or an individual item. Here's how!

Open an image. It is good if this is colored. We will use this image of 3 young ladies.

Select the Freehand Lasso Tool set at Point to Point.

Draw around which ever girl you want to be selectively colored.

Copy the selection to your clipboard.

Deselect the image. Selection || Select None.

Go to Colors || Greyscale and turn the image into a black and white photo.

Now back to Colors and Increase Color Depth to 16 Million Colors.

Go Edit || Paste as New Layer.

Move the selected girl over the top of the original.

Merge your layers and save as.