Color changing tutorial

[bytch_mynickname]

I need one. I am looking for something to tell me how to change the color of a car but keeping the details such as any glares or shadows on the car and keeping the detail in the "indent" running down the car. Sorry, don't know how to explain it better. Basically, I want to change a car from being white to dark blue. Any help? Please...

should also mention, I am using CS2

 

[Big Mike]

Make a selection of the car's paint, then use the hue/saturation adjustment. Or better yet, make the selection into a layer mask before you make the adjustment.

You could add a color fill layer, with a mask) then use the opacity to adjust the amount of color.

 

[bytch_mynickname]

Make a selection of the car's paint, then use the hue/saturation adjustment. Or better yet, make the selection into a layer mask before you make the adjustment.

You could add a color fill layer, with a mask) then use the opacity to adjust the amount of color.

uh huh, know where i can get a step by step tutorial saything that? I am learning but what you said was gibberish to me. THanks though

 

[Digital Matt]

If the car is a unique color in the scene, ie the car is red and nothing else is, use the dropdown box in the hue/sat dialogue and select "reds", and the changes will only affect the reds in the image, or just the car.

 

[Big Mike]

Yes, if the car is a color that is unique in the image...selecting it can be easy...(or just changing that particular color as Matt said).

The best tools in photoshop is the ability to use layers. Think of it like old school cartoons where they would layer transparencies over one another to create the final image. You can do the same think with photoshop but with many, many different options. Basically, you want to create a layer that is just the car's paint...then you can change that layer to whatever color you want, without changing the rest of the image.

I always start by making a duplicate layer of the background...this way you can always go back to the original image. To select the car's paint, you can use any of the different methods of selection...the magic wand, the magnetic lasso etc. What I like to do, is to use one of those to make the initial selection, then create a layer mask (from the layers pallet). Then zoom in and paint the layer mask on or off, at a high magnification, to make the mask just right. You can do something similar by using 'quick mask mode'. Once you have the selection or the layer with a mask...you can play with all sorts of adjustments to change the color of the car.

Sorry, that isn't much of a step-by-step...but I can't teach you the basics, not right now anyway. Search for photoshop tutorials and concentrate on selections or extractions. It takes practice to get good, so don't expect professional results right away.

 

[bytch_mynickname]

I have looked around a little for a layer mask tutorial but haven't found anything that helps me.

I have what I want to change to a different color selected but it won't let me click on the layer mask buttong. What am I doing wrong? This is really ticking me off....

Thanks to everyone who took the time to help.

 

[elsaspet]

For layer masks tutorials, there is always Adobe Exchange. Also, surprisingly, there are video tutorials of lots of PS subjects on You-Tube.
Hope that helps.

 

[bytch_mynickname]

For layer masks tutorials, there is always Adobe Exchange. Also, surprisingly, there are video tutorials of lots of PS subjects on You-Tube.
Hope that helps.

Thanks, I will look into it.

 

[libeco]

You might want to look at http://www.good-tutorials.com/tutorials/photoshop
However, you might get distracted by one of their 10.000+ other photoshop tutorials...

 

[PnLucas]

I have looked around a little for a layer mask tutorial but haven't found anything that helps me.

I have what I want to change to a different color selected but it won't let me click on the layer mask buttong. What am I doing wrong? This is really ticking me off....

Thanks to everyone who took the time to help.

i had same probelm. figured it out after a month. access layers from the dialogs box. hope this was what you meant.

 

[elsaspet]

To change the color, make a hue/sat adjustment layer. Click on the area you want to change. (The most true portion).
Then switch your Master to what the color is most like.
Now using ONLY the hue, slide the slider. Other portions of the image might change, but don't worry because you are on a mask.
Now go back over portions of the image that changed that you didn't want to in a black brush.
Viola. You just changed the color of pretty much anything.
Hope that helps!
Cindy