picking out parts in colour...please help!

**chrisw87** · 06 January 2009, 05:28 PM

Hello people. I'm trying to figure out how to pick out parts of a photo in colour... An example would be a photo of a glass of wine, all of the photo is in black & white but I want the wine to show as it's original colour. I thought it might have been as simple as having the colour photo as my background, duplicating it in black & white & then erasing parts of the black & white picture... Once the true Coral Paintshop Pro'ers have finished laughing at my naivety, I would really appreciate it if you could give me some tips.... Ta very much,

Chris

**Chris1963** · 06 January 2009, 06:53 PM

Hey Chris,

I am very interested in this too but like you I am not an expert. I have always sort of done the opposite of what you have suggested. I would copy the whole picture in colour and then paste it as a new image.

Then I would make one black and white and then cut the wine bit out from the colour picture with the 'freehand selection tool', set in point to point on the options on the tool bar above the screen. While the old marching ants are zooming around the selection I would 'copy the selection' and then select the black and white pic' and (Cntrl + E) paste the colour wine bit onto the B&W pic. You can then click and drag the colour bit into position and then click on 'select none' in the selections option on the top tool bar. Once you have done that you can touch up around the join with the various tools.

There has got to be a better way but this might get you familiar with some of the tools before one of the clever PSPers get to reply to you. It has got me by for ages but I am really keen to hear the correct way.

Please if anyone answers would you talk in step by step idiots guide language, I am sure neither Chris or I would take offence.

**Soquili** · 06 January 2009, 10:51 PM

Hi Chrisw87 and Chris1963,

Welcome to Talkgraphics.

I'm not an expert user of Paint Shop Pro. I rarely use it an have to relearn everything each time I do.

I'll try to explain how I made the attached images.

I first thought that using a mask would be the way to make only the red flower in colour but the colours were very dull.

I decided to simply erase a portion of the greyscale image to reveal the colour image on the layer below. This was a more straight forward and easy (for me at least) way to get what I was wanting.

I'm using PSP 8.1 so there may be some slight differece if you are using newer versions.

1. Open the image you want to work with.
2. Click the Edit Menu and click Copy. Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut.
3. Click the Edit Menu and hover your mouse over the Paste option so the fly out menu opens. Click on Paste as New Image. Ctrl+V keyboard shortcut.
4. With the new image selected click the Image Menu then click on Greyscale.
5. Copy the Greyscale image. Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut.
6. Click on the original image to select it then Ctrl+L to paste as new layer. You will see only the new greyscale layer.
7. The new layer should be selected in the Layer Palette. If it is not simply click on the layer in the Layer Palette to select it.
8. Click on the Eraser Tool to select it. Adjust to a size you feel comfortable using the toolbar just above the work area. For Hardness I selected 100, but if you want a soft edge you can select a lower value.
9. Erase the area of the greyscale image you want the colour to show through.

The first attachment is my original drawing of a red rose.
The second attachment is what I got trying to use a mask of the greyscale layer. I did not like the dulled colour.
The third attachment is the result of erasing the area of the greyscale layer so the background layer shows through.

**Soquili** · 07 January 2009, 12:03 AM

I found what I was doing wrong with masking.

1. Open the image you want to work with.
2. Click the Edit Menu and click Copy. Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut.
3. Click the Edit Menu and hover your mouse over the Paste option so the fly out menu opens. Click on Paste as New Image. Ctrl+V keyboard shortcut.
4. With the new image selected click the Image Menu then click on Greyscale.
5. Copy the Greyscale image. Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut.
6. Click on the original image to select it then Ctrl+L to paste as new layer. You will see only the new greyscale layer.
7. The new layer should be selected in the Layer Palette. If it is not simply click on the layer in the Layer Palette to select it.
8. Click the Layers Menu and hover over New Mask Layer so the flyout menu opens then Click Show All.
9. With the Mask layer selected in the Layer Palette.
10. Select the Paint Brush Tool and select Black in the Materials Palette.
11. Paint over the area you want to show in colour.

**steve.ledger** · 07 January 2009, 01:24 AM

I have a somewhat different approach to colour-passing.
This method can be used to isolate one colour or several.

It's quick and gives me great results every time.

**Soquili** · 07 January 2009, 02:16 AM

Thanks Steve. I did not know you could do that in PSP.

**DarkAngel** · 07 January 2009, 07:23 PM

Hope you don't mind this newbee coming in,I've tired doing the wand thing but with the shots that Ive done,wouldn't work well as i had lots of different colors to bring out.I just couldn't get use to it.

What I do is
1.Open the image ,make duplicate and change the duplicate one in Greyscale
2.Right click on the greyscale picture
3.right click on colored picture,and Paste as New Layer.
4.now take your Background Eraser tool and wipe away on the color part you want to come threw.
using the Backround Eraser i find you can get cloer to a subjects face or things without wipeing away to much of what you want to keep as Bl/wh.
But you can also use the Easer Tool.

I've also done the way Soquili mentioned,but i find this is much quicker and easier.
Here is some of my work

**Chris1963** · 08 January 2009, 10:46 AM

Hey Darky,

Like what you did to the pic's.

If you are a newby to PSP then like me I expect you find that this forum is brilliant.

Thanks to all the advice above, I'll be giving it a go soon.

**steve.ledger** · 08 January 2009, 12:09 PM

Hi Chris1963,

Please respect the OP and stay on topic.
Also please respect other posters images and to not alter them and then repost them.
Use your own image for examples.

I have removed the off-topic content of your post.

Thanks