By converting the image to Grayscale, all color information for this image will be removed. Next we want to add that vintage Sepia toning effect. You can actually use any color tint you want; I myself prefer a kind of brownish-maroon, or cordovan tint. To do this, we need to convert the image to Duotone by selecting Image->Mode->Duotone, like in Figure D.

FIGURE D

Convert the image to Duotone and give it your chosen color tint. Click picture for a larger image.

The Duotone Options window will open allowing you to name your color choice. The default color that's chosen is black, but by clicking on the color box, Photoshop's color picker window will open, letting you choose your color by either moving the selector over the color you want, or by inputting the appropriate numbers for HSB, RGB, Lab, or CMYK. You can see that I went with a maroonish-brown.

As a side note, Photoshop's color picker will give you these number values for any color merely by moving the selector around the color selection area. By moving the slider up and down the color bar, you have complete access to all 64 million (or however many) colors in the scale.

Alternatively, if you want to go with the standard Sepia toning effect, Photoshop will do that for you. If you select the Actions tab in the History/Actions window, you'll find a list of pre-programmed editing actions that Photoshop can automatically execute for you. Scroll down the list to Sepia Toning, click on it, then click the Play button (right-hand facing arrow like on your CD or tape player) like in Figure E to complete the Action.

FIGURE E

Photoshop can automate Sepia toning for you. Click picture for a larger image.

Coloring by hand
We're now ready to start hand-coloring our image. But right now, the image is only Duotone. We want to be able to use any color we want, so we'll have to convert this image back to RGB by selecting Image->Mode->RGB like in Figure F.

FIGURE F

Convert the image back to RGB so we can color it. Click picture for a larger image.

We won't be doing the coloring directly on the image, but on a transparent layer on top of the actual image. This preserves the integrity of the image in case we screw something up. To create a layer, activate the layer menu by clicking on the right-hand arrow in the Layer window, as shown in Figure G, and select New Layer.

FIGURE G

Create a new layer to color your image by hand. Click picture for a larger image.

The image is color converted and we've got a layer to start working with, now all we have to do is decide what we're going to color and what color to make it. I like a little bit of color in a girl's lips. Not like lipstick, but just a hint of color.

In Figure H, you can see that I've now zoomed in on the lips and have colored them in using one of Photoshop's paintbrushes.

FIGURE H

Using a paintbrush, color in your chosen area. Click picture for a larger image.

I chose the color by using the color selector on the lips of the girl in the original, colored image. Be sure to use one of the feathered brushes and not a hard-edged one. You want the color to fade around the edges.