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Black and White photo tinting is a wonderful way to add a bit of nostalgia to your scrapbook
pages. It brings to mind a feeling of yesteryear and the simple life of days past. Hand tinting
has been around as long as photography itself. It began around 1840 when photographers
added oils to their B&W and Sepia toned photos to give them a little color and an added
touch of realism. The art somewhat died out around the 1950’s, when color developing
became an available and affordable alternative. |
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When I first began photo tinting, I found that there were very few in depth articles on the
internet to explain the process. I
am fairly detailed in this article, in order to answer some of the questions that
you may otherwise have a difficult time answering. |
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I will explain the art of using
Marshall's Photo Tinting Oils, not the Spot Pens. I feel
that the oils give a more realistic effect, and they are the product that true
professional photographers use when tinting their photographs.
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First of all, lets start with a list of supplies that you will need. The basic supplies are as follows: Marshall’s
Photo Tinting Oils, cotton balls, Q-tips, a clean
cotton cloth, toothpicks, and wax paper. For more advanced or more detailed work you may also want to have on hand the following: Marshall's
Oil Pencils, Marshall’s Pre-Color Spray, a white eraser, and some small paintbrushes. |
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The next step is to decide what photos you would like to hand
tint. In considering this, look for sharp, clear B&W photos. The
background should be fairly simple, and there should be some contrast in the photo (different shades from light to dark). A lighter
photograph usually works better, because the oils will not show up well on darker areas. If you are taking pictures with photo
tinting specifically in mind,
then it’s a wonderful idea to have your subject wear faded denim, because the oils work beautifully on denim. |
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Once you have selected the photo that you want to tint,
be sure to have it developed on the right kind of paper. Matte paper is usually the
best for hand tinting or practicing on. If you want a really beautiful photograph, I
suggest going to a professional lab and having your
print developed on professional paper. Fiber based (FB) papers accept the oil much more readily than do resin coated (RC) papers. A
professional lab will work with you and give you exactly what you want. |
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All of my hand tinted photos were done on Kodak Professional glossy paper and then sprayed with Marshall’s Pre-Color Spray . This spray
gives you a matte surface to work on and the oils will be easily absorbed.
Be sure to spray the Pre-Color spray in a well-ventilated area and
thoroughly saturate the photo with the spray. Allow 10 minutes or so drying time. The Pre-Color Spray can be found at any professional lab
and will cost about $12 for an 11oz. can. Click
on the picture to the right for a larger view! |
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It is easiest to have a 5x7 or 8x10 photograph to hand tint. This way, you won’t be dealing with such small details. If you are just practicing,
though, a 4x6 is fine. One last and very important thing to note is that you should not tint one of a kind photos or any photo that you do not
have a negative for. I suggest making a copy of the photo on a Kodak ‘Picture Maker’ machine, or a similar machine. These can usually
be found at your local Wal-Mart or you can visit Kodak's
web site to find a location near you. |
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Now you’re ready to decide how much of your photo you want to tint. Some photos look beautiful with only one tiny little part tinted, such as a
rose in a child’s hand. On other photos, you may want to tint the entire photo. The decision is an artistic one and is completely up to you. |
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Now that you’ve prepared your photo and have decided how much of it you want to tint, it’s time to get your oils out.
If you use the oils sparingly, they will practically last forever. Just dab a tiny little bit of oil
onto a piece of wax paper (or a plastic plate). You only need an
amount smaller than a pencil eraser to start with. |
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It’s best to start in the center of your picture and work outwards. If
you plan on tinting someone’s face, then that makes a great starting
point. Just dip your Q-tip into the oil that you’ve squeezed out and gently rub it into the photo in a circular motion. Use the clean side of the
Q-tip to help blend in the color. |
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Once you’ve blended the color,
you may find that it’s still too dark. Dip a new Q-tip into the Marshall’s ‘Extender’ (this comes included with the
oils) and rub it in even more. If you decide that you don’t like the color – you can simply wipe it off with a clean cotton cloth! That’s the magic
of using the Marshall’s Oils. They don’t dry instantly so you can ‘fix’ your mistakes.
Sometimes, you may need to add a little Marshall’s PM
Solution (this also comes with the oils) to the cotton cloth to remove stubborn bits of oil. |
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For larger areas of your photos, such as clothing or backgrounds, use a cotton ball to apply and blend in the colors. Work in a circular motion
and blend outwards. For small areas, such as eyes or fingernails, use a toothpick and cover the tip with clean cotton. Dip the tip into the desired
color and then wipe off the excess. Marshall’s Oil Pencils are also excellent for doing this type of detailed work.
Be sure to click on the photograph
to the right to get a larger view of the image! |
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Another great feature of Marshall's Oils is that you can blend colors to create as many custom shades as you can imagine! My daughter has really light
blond hair and the yellow oil is too bright of a shade to look
natural. So, I mix a little bit of the yellow oil with some flesh or brown oil, and then
I add a
lot of Extender to tone it down. I will often go back and add highlights to certain strands.
I do this by using some white oil and Extender mixed together,
which I can then apply with a very fine paintbrush. The possibilities are endless! |
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It is okay to make mistakes with the oils.
Since the oils don’t dry immediately, you have a little time to ‘play’ with them. As I mentioned earlier, just
wipe off the color with a clean cotton cloth if you aren’t satisfied. Another neat thing about the oils is that you can paint one color on
top of another. If you are tinting a pair of blue jeans and a red shirt, for example, it’s
okay if the blue runs over into the red area. Just wipe some
red right over it and it will magically take the blue away! Also, for small mistakes, or areas such as
someone's teeth, you can use a white eraser
and ‘erase’ the oil from that area. ‘Erase It Up’ is one eraser that I’ve found works well for doing this. Afterwards, wipe your eraser on a clean piece of white cardstock to clean
off the oils. |
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When you’ve finished tinting your photograph, set it aside in a dry area away
from prying little hands! It will take anywhere from a day or two
to a few weeks for the oil to dry. This depends on all sorts of
factors, such as how heavily you applied the oil and what the humidity is in the
area. Once the photograph is dry, you can place it into your scrapbook and even
put a page
protector over it! |
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Click on
the image below to see a larger version! |
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I think you’ll find that the oils create a one of a kind look for your scrapbook pages! The pages usually need very little embellishment, because
the photos themselves are so beautiful. |
| *Special thanks to my
brother, Craig Wactor (photographer extraordinaire), who taught me
everything I know about hand tinting photographs!
-Erin Terrell |
