----- Original Message ----- From: "Rob Brigham" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
(snip) > > You should bear in mind though, that many processors will automatically > assume you want it printed sepia - hey why else would you use black and > whitre, eh? Ideally you want it printed on true B&W paper, but failing > that I would recommend giving the printer an example of the sort of > colouration you want - and stress NOT SEPIA!!! > Well, actually, you do usually begin with a sepia toned print. Reason one is that the sepia gives a good base colour for fleshtones and natural features like stone and soil. Reason two is that the maximum black is reduced and is thus easier to colour over. Reason three is to get enhanced archival property, assuming of course that you use genuine B&W paper and not a sepia balanced colour print. Look at your grandparents (or great grandparents) wedding photos or other studio portraits from 1950s and earlier, and you'll find them to be hand coloured sepia prints. > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Feroze Kistan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] (snip) > > > > Has anyone hand coloured B & W prints and which is the better > > papers to have it printed on. I dont have any oils as yet and > > will be using the Derwent pencils from my art school days, > > would this work. I will seal it after I'm done. > > I doubt that the pencils will apply satisfactorily to the surface of many papers, and especially not to the resin coated aka plastic emulsion papers that are used almost exclusively by consumer labs. The best paper type would be a smooth matte surfaced fibre based paper, and you will look long and hard to find a lab to make prints on that material. The best hand colourant is liquid photo dye that is usually swabbed or painted on like a watercolour wash. Diluted colour inks may work too, but it's preferable that the colourant uses tranparent/translucent pigments. Most pencils/pastels/paints use opaque pigments and you would find yourself obscuring the details of the original print. I have a set of Cibachrome retouching dyes (I guess they're now Ilfochrome retouching dyes if they're still sold) that are perfect for hand colouring, 'though I've only ever used them for retouching colour prints. If they're still in business Marshalls are a good brand of colouring dyes. OTOH most "photo-colourists" now use Photoshop or a similar image editing software. Regards, Anthony Farr
