PaulLandscape wrote:
> I've done the searches and seen this and many other related posts.
> And, as helpful as it was to start with, I couldn't mimic this
> because the steps are somewhat generic. For instance "toned" how
> was this toned ie duo tone and if so what colours were used.
> Painting the eye meant selecting colours. Was this simply a brush
> and palete or was this done via layers using a colour burn blend or
> some other method. And then if it was only the paint brush was this
> done by referencing the original colours via the eyedropper?


Hi Paul,
I should have been more specific when I posted the eye coloring mini-tut. Unfortunately, I can't edit that post now ; )

re: Toning -
There are many methods used to tone an image. I personally never use duotones, but that's just me. Here are some the techniques I use to tone. Start with a b+w image.

1 Colorize:
This is probably the easiest, most intuitive method. Open a hue/sat adjustment layer. Check the box labeled "Colorize". It will default to a reddish brown which might be just want you need. Move the Hue slider around to find a look that you like. Then move the Saturation slider to control the strength of the toning. You can also try using "Color" or "Soft Light" blend modes in combination with this. Adjust opacity to taste.

2 Fill layer:
Open a new layer on top and fill it with a medium to dark rusty brown color. This will give a sepia effect. Set the blending mode to soft light or overlay and lower the opacity to taste. You can use other colors for different "moods". Try cooler colors or warmer ones.

The disadvantage of this technique is that it colors everything, including the whites, which can leave some images looking muddy. To get around this and brighten up the whites, highlight the b+w layer, then click Ctrl+Alt+~. You should see the marching ants. Now go back up and highlight the fill layer, then click on the add layer mask icon at the bottom of the palette. The mask should now be in place. Click on it and hit Ctrl+I, this will invert the mask and your highlights will brighten up.

3 Color balance:
This used to be my favorite toning method until I discovered curves. With this, you can separately tone the shadoows, mid-tones and highlights, effectively giving you a duo-tone or tri-tone look. Just move the sliders back and forth until you find something you like. Again, if you don't want to tone the highlights, just leave them at 0.

4 Curves:
This will give you the ultimate control over toning, but it has a steep learning curve. It took me quite a while to learn. If you want to play around with this method, just remember that it only takes a small move of the curve to make big changes. To tone, pull down the menu and make changes to each individual channel.

Thomas Niemann has a very nice collection of toning actons to try here:
http://www.epaperpress.com/psphoto/
Go to Black and White>Classic Tones

re: Coloring
In this particular instance:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1006&message=11038242
I was coloring on empty layers on top of the b+w image using a soft brush. Colors were chosen by playing around with the color picker and blend modes. Some of the modes I used were soft light, multiply, color, IIRC.

The technique I'm using lately is to open a new layer and fill with color. Then add an inverted mask (select the mask by clicking on it, then hit Ctrl+I), and using a soft white paintbrush I color specific areas. Again, play with the blending modes to find what works best.

You can also color by using hue/sat, color balance, curves, etc. Just invert the mask and using a white brush, paint in color where you'd like.

Hope this makes it a little clearer. If not, just let me know.

--
Pam
http://www.pbase.com/pam_r
'art is working on something 'til you like it...then leaving it that way'