color tutorial: with adjustment layer

[kj_svala]

I`ve played with some color setting, and since I want to keep the result, I put together this tutorial. Maybe someone will find some of it usefull

Tutorial: Californication

Program used: PaintShopPro9
Translatable: Yes

This might not be the prefect way for a coloring, but I like the result. I used no textures, only adjustment layer. Everything is just a *can be done*, the results depend on the picture used.

ORIGINAL

1. go to layer - new adjustment layer - curves - normal 100%
(my curve looks like this, it makes the image brighter)

For a long time I just duplicated the base, set the new layer to screen, to make it brighter. Sometimes I still do so, but most of the time I use curves

2. go to layer - new adjustment layer - channel mixer - normal 100%

settings:
RED: 100 / -26 / -15
Green: 3 / 94 / 15
Blue: 10 / -17 / 123

3. go to layer - new adjustment layer - brightning/contrast - normal 100%
setting: contrast 22%

At that point I thought the picture is still too dark, so I added another curves layer. I could have played with the 1st curves layer, but I didn`t want to mess up anything, so, a new layer.

4. go to layer - new adjustment layer - curves - normal 100%

5. go to layer - new adjustment layer - Color Balance (leave midtone marked)
settings: 21 / 2 / -12

6. go to layer - new adjustment layer - Levels RGB channel (Soft Light 70%)
setting:
Input: 10 / 1 / 255
Output: 9 / 255

add: play with the RED, GREEN, and BLUE Level channel also, change the input and/or output, layer settings, it will/might give you all sorts of shiny color effects.

Like this CLICK CLICK
for this I took my final picture, added a new adjustment layer - levels, jumped on the RED, GREEN and BLUE channel, set the layer to soft light, and lowered the opacity to 60%

anyway
RESULT (of the tutorial so far):

Then I thought "nice, but still not what I wanna have" ... sooo, I`ve added another Color Blance Layer

7. go to layer - new adjustment layer - Color Balance (leave midtone marked)
settings: 31 / 16 / -5

FINAL RESULT:

As you can see, the picture used for the preview, and the tutorial picture, is not the same. I`ve done this coloring for an animation, meaning, I made and used a PSP script for an entiere batch.
(the PSP script is the counterpart to Photoshop`s ACTION)

Finished animation:

svala`s animation 101: I always use a script (action) for my anis. I always prepare all pictures for the ani in PSP, I always add fade in/out, text aso in PSP, NEVER in Animation Shop. I use Animation Shop ONLY to slap it all together, make it walk, and change the size.

PSP9 is tricky when it comes to using textures for a script, and since I LOVE to add textures to an animation, I sometimes end up with 3-6 different scripts for one animation

Since I had the script for the Cali picture, I thought why not use it on some other pictures, to see how it looks (and with this you can see that all settings work different on a different picture:

Original


Result


Original


Result

It`s, kind of okay, better than the original anyway, but instead of a script (action) I would have tried changing the above settings for each picture (change the color balance and channel mixer, change the layer setting aso), to get a better result.

EXAMPLE

Original


Result


I changed:
1. the channel mixer, opacity 50%

2. the 2nd curves layer, opacity 60%

3. NO 2nd color balance layer

everything else is like above.

*in* famous last words: levels, color balance and channel mixer are going to be a good friend, if you let them, give `em a chance. Both are fun to play with.

Comments

[spnthebest80]

Thanks for the advice. To my shame, i must add that i'll never fully understand Photoshop, the video editing Sony Vegas program is much more easier for me:). This helped

[kj_svala]

good to know this might be of use for you.

I`ve done this tutorial using Corel`s PaintShopPro, but it works`s, more or less, the same for Photoshop.

Honestly, I didn`t understand photoshop also. This is why I`ve signed up for a photoshop class. At this time we have a break, and I need to work a LOT with Photoshop until the next class. I still don`t understand everything PS, but I`m getting there.

Sony Vegas and I, we don`t get along, at all. Still I managed to get 2 videos done using Vegas (no idea how). But, the program hates my vid clips, and I hate the program. This is why I don`t use it anymore for my videos. I use Corel`s Videostudio Pro X3 (I just love everything Corel has done)