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DiChiaraDesign
Participant
December 8, 2018
Question

Colorizing an image with three colors - one being white while maintaining shadows/highlights

  • December 8, 2018
  • 2 replies
  • 572 views

Hi guys -

I have a background image of wood - barrel staves to be exact which I am trying to "colorize" with the colors

of the Irish flag - Green, White, and Orange. My approach to doing this was to use the hue/saturation feature

with colorize checked. While this works to a point, I am finding the results are sub-optimal, particularly with the white portion.

The white looks more like a foggy overlay than actually turning the wood white - while maintaining the definition that I need.

Does anyone have any suggestions about how to get the result I am after?

Thank you,

L

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    2 replies

    barbara_a7746676
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    December 9, 2018

    Put each color on a separate layer and set the color layers to Color blend mode. For the white area you may need to add a curves or levels adjustment layer.

    Theresa J
    Community Expert
    Community Expert
    December 10, 2018

    I use the same process as Barbara but I prefer to use shape layers instead of pixel layers. Here’s my youtube recording that explains why.

    Product Colorize with Photoshop Shape Layers - YouTube

    Inspiring
    December 9, 2018

    I'm going to take a stab in the dark at what you're up to.

    I would make the barrel staves B&W. Make selections of the staves. And apply masks to them.Using different layers with the flag colors.

    Then, use a blending mode like overlay to apply the color. You can adjust the fill or opacity level to taste.If the color is overwhelming.

    Blending modes preserve shadows and details.