On Hand Coloring
Hand coloring (or hand tinting, hand painting) refers to any method of manually adding color to a monochrome photograph or illustration, generally either to heighten the realism of the image or for artistic purposes.
Even though the first permanent black and white photograph was created in the mid 1820’s, the first hand colored photos were daguerreotypes, invented in 1838-1839.
Color photos - even though rare - existed already as early as 1855, but it was much more popular to hand color b&w photos and it remained the most effective method to make full-color photos until the mid-20th century when Kodak introduced Kodachrome color film.
Hand Colored Print on Photo Paper
I use Marshall’s Photo Oils to hand color my work on photo paper. Marshall’s Photo Oils is a dedicated transparent oil paint to color black and white photographs or illustrations. Initially the paints were developed to color only these, but they can also be used to touch up color photographs.
They were produced by the John G. Marshall company, which was founded in 1919 by Lucile Robertson Marshall and was mostly a chemical-supply company. A little later the Marshall’s Photo Oils were developed. They are not produced anymore and remaining inventory is being sold. Fortunately there are still plenty of colors available.
When you order a “Hand Colored Print on Photo Paper” from me, I start off with one of my black and white photographs that is printed on chemically developed photo paper and hand color these with Marshall’s Photo Oils. I use cotton swabs and rounds to add the paint. Depending on the ambient temperature and humidity, these take 2 to 7 days to dry.
Hand Colored Print on Canvas
I use regular oil or acrylic paint when I hand color my work on canvas. I thin the paint with the appropriate medium to a glaze.
When you order a “Hand Colored Print on Canvas”, I print a black and white photograph on canvas and hand color it with the glazes. I use regular brushes to add the paint. These take up to 4 days to dry.
