Those are spectacular pieces. When I tried hand coloring I used pencils and found you needed paper with some too to it. I liked Ilford Art300 paper best. I also found that sepia toning helped with keeping the shadows being too dominant. Also maybe a half stop underexposed on the print helped make the color shine.
thanks for another great article, Andrew! this is quite interesting. personally I experimented a bit of colouring with my cyanotypes lately (as showed in one of my latest posts), not to shift the colours but rather to enhance some highlights for a slightly stronger contrast.
Have you found a brand of dyes with improved permanency, Andrew? I am very ready for some colour in addition to my B&W work, but I'm never quite sure where to start
Hi Wendy, I have been using a set of vintage dyes that were marketed for colouring lantern slides and have not tested any new products. There were sets sold by Johnsons Of Hendon, and Fotospeed which were pretty much the same dyes that I am using. I have no scientific data on the permanency of any of these. You could hand colour a print, scan it and have a quality giclee made to match the original print. That way the effect won't fade.
.. as an aged house painter showed me his tricks - I told him of mine - & not just barns & silos or warehouses. Have also ‘projected imagery at massive scale & scope - motion picture & stills - & re-shot as both - just as I shoot off this iPad or a TV screen. My only suggestion is ‘be fearless - when exploring ‘hand colouring’ ! And same re ‘Presentation ! Whether stills or motion picture
Love the saturation you get via dyes.. Have only worked with Marshall Oils & various markers etc & yes - ‘paper selection’ is critical - but I work with many types of Media including thermal prints & photocopied output etc.. & explore the idea of ‘Perceived Resolution a lot whether am 10 Generations or 3rd Gen from Original Source .. 🦎🏴☠️🍁
A fascinating article Andrew - your image of the flowers is beautifully done. My favourite image of my mum is a a portrait of her made in the late thirties, possibly mid 1940s which has been hand coloured with lovely muted tones. I've always admired those who can use this technique so skillfully.
Loved reading about your technique - some things I want to try out now.
I have been using gouache, not minding the opacity, as it also makes cleaning and corrections a breeze (especially when skies are concerned). I do wonder whether some form of sealant is needed, or which binders might help the print last longer-term.
This is great! Thank you. I am looking first to giving it a shot.
Thanks Mark.
Those are spectacular pieces. When I tried hand coloring I used pencils and found you needed paper with some too to it. I liked Ilford Art300 paper best. I also found that sepia toning helped with keeping the shadows being too dominant. Also maybe a half stop underexposed on the print helped make the color shine.
Thanks Doug, yes sepia underneath colour is rather nice.
I do have a copy of your book covering hand colouring and alt processes, but I have never actually got around to trying it yet.
Do you have a preference towards the Art 300 paper or do you find that matte surfaces are equally suitable?
Hi Keith, I think that Art 300 is the best paper for colouring all round, but good results can be had with many other papers.
Interesting!! And I had to stop for a while and look at the robot/penguin (?) shot. For some reason I was quite drawn to the subject matter.
Thank you.
thanks for another great article, Andrew! this is quite interesting. personally I experimented a bit of colouring with my cyanotypes lately (as showed in one of my latest posts), not to shift the colours but rather to enhance some highlights for a slightly stronger contrast.
Thanks John, I have tried colouring on cyanotypes, but I haven't been happy with my results yet.
Wow, this looks and reads like and artform in itself! Amazing results. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks Susanne.
Have you found a brand of dyes with improved permanency, Andrew? I am very ready for some colour in addition to my B&W work, but I'm never quite sure where to start
Hi Wendy, I have been using a set of vintage dyes that were marketed for colouring lantern slides and have not tested any new products. There were sets sold by Johnsons Of Hendon, and Fotospeed which were pretty much the same dyes that I am using. I have no scientific data on the permanency of any of these. You could hand colour a print, scan it and have a quality giclee made to match the original print. That way the effect won't fade.
Wonderful and inspiring! Thank you.
Thank you Jill.
.. as an aged house painter showed me his tricks - I told him of mine - & not just barns & silos or warehouses. Have also ‘projected imagery at massive scale & scope - motion picture & stills - & re-shot as both - just as I shoot off this iPad or a TV screen. My only suggestion is ‘be fearless - when exploring ‘hand colouring’ ! And same re ‘Presentation ! Whether stills or motion picture
Love the saturation you get via dyes.. Have only worked with Marshall Oils & various markers etc & yes - ‘paper selection’ is critical - but I work with many types of Media including thermal prints & photocopied output etc.. & explore the idea of ‘Perceived Resolution a lot whether am 10 Generations or 3rd Gen from Original Source .. 🦎🏴☠️🍁
A fascinating article Andrew - your image of the flowers is beautifully done. My favourite image of my mum is a a portrait of her made in the late thirties, possibly mid 1940s which has been hand coloured with lovely muted tones. I've always admired those who can use this technique so skillfully.
Thank you Lin.
ever notice that the fence posts in the top left corner of the picture with the "roller car" and the old man, spell "villa"? cheers oli
Well spotted.
Aside from the streaky sky, I like the attempt at oil painting. The blocky buildings look good in flat muted tones. Looks like fun.
Thanks Morgan.
Loved reading about your technique - some things I want to try out now.
I have been using gouache, not minding the opacity, as it also makes cleaning and corrections a breeze (especially when skies are concerned). I do wonder whether some form of sealant is needed, or which binders might help the print last longer-term.