PREPARING A PRINT FOR HAND COLORING
By Carolyn Bross

Hand Coloring is an art which dates back to the inception of photography.
There are numerous styles of applying color to black and white prints,
including a realistic style, through which the underlying print is seen; a less
realistic effect uses a heavier application of oils, obscuring the details of
the print beneath.

All of these styles benefit by being applied to a well-prepared print. Painting
will not rescue a poor print! Rather, it leaves one at best with a nice painting
of a poorly printed image. It is preferable to choose a print which offers a
well-composed subject with all technical requirements in place.

Since greatest success is achieved by coloring shades of gray, it is helpful
to limit the areas of solid black or solid white, as paints do not cover these
areas very well. For greatest ease in painting, print on warm-toned, fiber
papers with a matte or semi-matte surface, seeking a good range of tonal
values with details in the highlights and shadows. Leaving a border around
the print for masking makes cleanup easier.

Papers with a full matte surface work well with all media—oils, pastels,
pencils, chalks, and crayons to mention a few. Papers with glossy surfaces
limit choices, since oils tend to slip off the surface. For glossy papers, the
better coloring agents are dry dyes, liquid dyes, and markers. Fiber papers
have better absorbency than resin coated papers, allowing coloring agents
to sink into the emulsion, for a convincing look. Some of the resin-coated
papers have a rough surface that accepts colors, though the colors basically
sit on the surface.

Warm toned developers work well and using a non-hardening fixative
allows colors to penetrate the emulsion.

Toning changes the base color and the way it will receive paint. Sepia toner
is excellent if the image involves skin tones or foliage. White areas, such as
teeth, can be masked off prior to toning to prevent the toner from covering
them. Remember to wash the print thoroughly before toning and tone the
print while it’s wet. When toning a print which has already been dried, pre-
soak it in water for a few minutes so the toner will be absorbed evenly.
To duplicate the results from print to print, record the amount of time in
the bleach or toner (for odorless Sepia, try the Fotospeed brand). Sepia
can be very dramatic on warm-toned papers, but keep in mind that if your
painting is to contain blue, the combination with the yellowish Sepia may
result in green!

Hand colored black and white prints have the longest stability of any type
of “color” photography. Hand colorists have the freedom to express themselves twice — first with the image they print and then again with
the colors they apply.

Happy painting!