Step 1: Open the image which is to be edited
Scan and save the photograph which has to be edited in your computer. Then open this image in Photoshop by clicking on File -> Open Image. Now a window will open; select the path in which you have stored your image. Now click on the image and click open. The image will appear in your Photoshop screen as below:
Step 2: Make a copy of the image
Make a copy of the image to be edited. This step helps protect the old photograph and recover it, in case there are any mishaps during the editing process. Right click on the image in the layers tool bar which is located on the right hand side corner of the screen and click on duplicate layer. A duplicate layer named as Background Copy is created.
Step 3: Enlarge the image
When you are changing an old black and white photograph to a color portrait, then it is essential that you enlarge the size of the original image. This will help you to make changes in a simple and accurate manner. Click on the zoom icon in the left hand panel of the screen and then adjust the size according to your needs, as shown below.
Step 4: Remove the color
Remove the color in the picture. Click on Enhance option -> Adjust Color -> Remove Color and click ok.
Step 5: Using the Color Replacement tool
To change the black and white picture to a colored one, you have to color the picture as you are working in MS Paint. The Color Replacement tool in Adobe Photoshop will help you paint the picture in a perfect manner. For this, select the Color Replacement tool brush as shown in the figure below. Set the tolerance to 10% and select color in the Mode drop down. You can adjust the size of your brush according to your needs by clicking on the size option.
Step 6: Color the Picture
Now, coloring the picture totally depends on the imagination and the skills of the person. Choose the colors by clicking on set foreground color option as shown below.
Now a color picker window will open as shown in the figure below. Here you can select the color accordingly. It takes time and practice to achieve the exact color shades in your picture. For practice purposes choose any color and start painting the picture.
Step 7: The final colored image
