Color Tinting--The Inexpensive Way

by Cheryl Jorgensen

Have you seen those color tinted photos? They are the rage right now. A set of Marshall Oils or Spot Pens are not cheap. They run approximately $35 for a set of eight pens. You must also use *black and white photographs. You can get a similar look that looks great in scrapbooks. It can also be a fun and inexpensive activity to do with younger children.

What you need:
1. Any photograph copied black in white on color copy mode
2. Colored pencils (I used Berol Prismacolor colored pencils, which I've been told are acid-free)

Instructions:
Color various areas on your photocopy with the colored pencils. I like starting with the hair first. I chose to color pretty much the whole picture, but you can be selective. Some people like to color portions of clothing in their picture. Others may color a bouquet of flowers being held by their child. Look at color tinted photos to get an idea of the look you'd like to achieve.

You can use a kneaded eraser to erase or to blend your pencil strokes. A small brush helps get rid of stray pencil crumbs.

1. Four of the best pencil colors to start out with are:
PC927--Light Peach (best for skin)
PC1001--Salmon Pink (cheek color)
PC1072--French Grey 50% (shadows)
PC938--White (blending)

2. For cheeks, elbows, and knee tones blend together the following:
PC929--Pink
PC927--Light Peach

3. Lips can be tinted with the following:
PC1031--Henna

4. For blonde hair, blend together the following using the light color first:
PC1034--Goldenrod
PC916--Canary Yellow

5. For shades of brown hair, blend together the following using the light color first and adding the darker color second until you obtain the shade you desire:
PC945--Sienna Brown
PC946--Dark Brown

*There is a new black and white film out called: Kodak CN film. The CN stands for color negative (i.e. they can be developed at any 1-hour photo place). I've read that you should check to see if your developer uses a photocopy-type machine to make larger reprints as these will streak when you wet your photo to hand tint it.

I'd like to extend a special thanks to Vicky Breslin and Lindsay Ostrom for teaching me this method