Technique Hand-colouring

Hand-coloured
Hand-colouring photographic prints is nothing new, but Janine Kilroe has brought the technique bang up to date by using EOS digital cameras, archival inks and paper, and specialist watercolour pencils.

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EOS magazine July-September 2013

EOS magazine July-September 2013

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Technique Hand-colouring

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ALL IMAGES: JANINE KILROE

Three steps to hand-colouring

Left Poppies. The original infrared image straight out of the camera. EOS 400D/ Rebel XTi with an EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 USM lens, 1/100 second at f11, ISO 100. Right After conversion to black-and-white using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 software. Below The final handcoloured artwork.

The reason why I started exploring handcolouring my prints has much to do with the snobbery of the art world. In some circles photography is not deemed as art. The thing about photography is that you can print thousands of identical prints, but I wanted to produce original, individual works of art that are unique. I can do this by hand-colouring my prints. No two hand-coloured prints can ever be the same. Another reason for experimenting with hand-colouring is that I wanted to step out of the photographic box. I wanted to challenge myself. I have been a photographer for over 28 years, but purchased my first digital camera the EOS 400D/Rebel XTi seven years ago. I wanted to recreate my student days when I used Kodak infrared film, so I soon had it converted to infrared, thus rekindling new creative photographic ideas. (For further information about infrared photography and converting your camera to infrared, see EOS magazine July-September 2012, pages 38-45). Initially I started hand-colouring infrared prints as, since my EOS 400D had been converted that was all I could produce. The luminosity of infrared gives a transparency, which helps when it comes to hand-colouring. However, about a year ago I purchased the EOS 5D Mark II, so I can now hand-colour standard black-and-white images too. Hand-colouring photographs is not a new technique, but Ive brought it into the 21st century. I dont want the added colour to detract from the photograph, but to complement it. The hand-colouring aspect of my work is really the icing on the cake for my photography. For more of Janines images visit www.janinekilroe.com and http://janinekilroe.photoshelter.com

Above Brighton Carousel. This image was selected for the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2013 at Janines first attempt at submitting work. EOS 400D/Rebel XTi with an EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 USM lens, 1/125 second at f10, ISO 100. Below Derwent Catbells view. EOS 400D/Rebel XTi with an EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 USM lens, 1/125 second at f7.1, ISO 100. Far right, bottom Eastbourne Pier. EOS 5D Mark II with an EF 16-35mm f2.8L lens, 55 seconds at f11, ISO 100. Previous pages Herdwick sheep in Langdale Valley, Cumbria. EOS 400D/Rebel XTi with an EF-S 10-22mm f3.5-4.5 USM lens, 1/100 second at f5.6, ISO 100.

Workflow
I shoot in raw format as I need as much image information as possible. I import the image into Adobe Lightroom to catalogue and back up. I then convert the image to black-and-white using Nik Silver Efex Pro 2 (www.niksoftware. com). This fabulous software is designed specially for photographers and I find it much more intuitive than Photoshop. I can dodge and burn just like I used to do with film, but with far more control than was ever possible in the darkroom. I also use Nik Software sharpening and noise reduction software. When Im satisfied with the tonal range and detail, I then make final adjustments in Photoshop before printing the image onto St Cuthberts Mill professional quality watercolour paper. Its important to bear in mind that youre going to watercolour your print, so the tonal range needs to be adjusted for hand-colouring rather than a standard black-and-white image. I then leave the paper for a couple of days to dry. Once dry, I selectively add colour using watercolour pencils and wash brushes, creating an original piece of art.

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EOS magazine July-September 2013

EOS magazine July-September 2013

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Technique Hand-colouring
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Artists materials
Left Janine at work during a selling exhibition. Here she is applying the water colours to an infrared print. Right After much trial and error, Janine has found the best watercolour pencils to be made by Derwent. Here she is using an Inktense pencil to colour the bright red sail of a boat on Derwentwater, Keswick. Below West Pier, Brighton. EOS 5D Mark II with an EF 16-35mm f2.8L lens, 113 seconds at f11, ISO 100.

Traditional colour technique

DIY hand-colouring
If you want to experiment with hand-colouring using photographs from your Canon printer, find a matt or textured paper. Canon supplies a matt paper (MP-101) while Fotospeed (www. fotospeed.com) has a range of matt and textured papers, including test packs containing sheets of different finishes. Check the maximum paper weight that your printer can handle. Some of the latest models take up to 300gsm papers which have the thickness of a card. You need a black-and-white print. It does not have to be infrared. You can open a colour image in software such as Photoshop Elements and discard all the colour information. Then adjust the brightness so that the image appears overexposed. This will provide the pale tones suitable for colouring. Start your colouring with watercolour pencils, available from shops that sell artists supplies. Use the pencils at an angle to shade areas of the image. Start with light pressure for a pastel tone. Increase the pressure to build up a stronger tone. Experiment on a sheet of blank (unprinted) paper to see the colours and effects you can create with different pencils. Start with a black-and-white print of a landscape or still-life subject. You can then progress to hand-colouring portraits. Experiment with different colouring materials watercolour paints and even oil colours. Here is a chance for you to develop your own style and create unique images.

After exhaustive research and experimentation, I have finally found the perfect combination of printer, inks and watercolour paper and pencils. Printer I use an Epson Pro 4900 printer (rrp 2154.00), which uses waterproof archival inks. Using waterproof inks is critical so that when you start hand-colouring with watercolour pencils the ink does not smudge. Another important feature is that it accepts a wide range of media up to 1.5mm thick, including top quality watercolour paper. Paper I use Saunders Waterford Watercolour Paper, a professional watercolour paper made by St Cuthberts Mill, which has been making paper since the 1700s. The paper is hand-made in Wells, Somerset, using water from the River Axe. Im delighted with the high quality and consistency of the paper and the fact that it is British made is even better! (www.stcuthbertsmill.com) Pencils Up until this year my colouring medium has also been a case of trial and error. Ive finally found the medium that is subtle enough for me to create a naturalistic

In the family
My family owned the Cumberland Pencil Company from 1912 to 1920. It later became Derwent, so it was a natural decision to give their pencils a try to see if they could be subtle enough, archival, and workable on my chosen St Cuthberts Mill watercolour paper. The answer was an emphatic Yes! It is important that all the materials I use are archival.

finish to my work without overpowering the photograph itself. I use three types of Derwent pencils: Watercolour, Inktense and Graphitint. The Watercolour Pencils are brilliant, but I have also recently discovered the Inktense water soluble pencils. As the name suggests they produce more intense colours, but still with a translucent effect. I have used them on Brighton Carousel (page 70). I have also been trying out Graphitint pencils, and I particularly like the Shadow Graphitint pencil as it adds shadow effects very nicely. What I particularly like about all the Derwent watercolour pencils is how well they blend and complement each other. (www.pencils.co.uk) Brushes As well as applying colour with a pencil, I also use a brush. The brush I like to use for fine detail is the Winsor & Newton Sceptre Gold II 101 Round Size 00 brush. The Sceptre Gold range works very well as the brushes are a mix of sable and synthetic fibres, which gives the brush spring and helps it to hold its shape for the detailed work I do. (www.winsornewton.com)

Hand-colouring monochrome photographs was introduced in Europe in the 1840s before the invention of colour photography. In an effort to create more realistic images, watercolours, oils, pastels, crayons or dyes were applied to the print using brushes, fingers or cotton swabs in much the same way as Janine is doing today. The technique became a particularly popular art form in Japan in the 1860s. Hand-colouring fell out of favour in the mid-20th century when Kodak released Kodachrome colour film and full colour photographic images gradually became mainstream.

This photograph (above) is a hand-coloured portrait of Janines family, depicting her uncle, grandmother and, on the right, her mother. It is a fine example, with subtle colours and skin tones. Janine believes it was created in Preston, Lancashire, possibly by Frederick J Ball. It would be dated around 1941, when my mother would have been nine or ten years old, says Janine. The fact that it is still in pristine condition is a strong testament to the fine craftsmanship and the lasting power and impact of the art of hand-coloured photographs at its best.

Creative note
Most of the images in this article are digital copies of Janines original handcoloured artwork. The copies were all shot using EOS digital cameras. You might think that some of the images show digital noise, but on close inspection you should be able to detect the texture of the watercolour paper.

Right Misty morning view from Borrowdale. EOS 5D Mark II with an EF 16-35mm f2.8L lens, 300 seconds at f16, ISO 100.

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EOS magazine July-September 2013

EOS magazine July-September 2013

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