Tutorial : Change the Color of a car

[ex-static]

Here is a quick way that I use to change the color of a car, it is reasonably simple, and allows you to change to almost any color combination.

First of all, open the picture you want to change color, create a layer to work with then use the Polygon laso tool, and zoom right in on your image so you can get reasonable detail when selecting the outline of the car.

Use the tool to select the whole car. then fill that layer with the color you wish to use.

With the color layer selected, use different blending modes to get different effects and colors, for the one below, I used the Color Blending mode.

Once you are happy with the color, use the eraser tool to erase the color from the parts that arent part of the duco, such as windows, decals, lights etc..

And thats about it! If you save this with the layers (as a .psd or similar) you can come back, and simply refil the color layer with a different color and always be able to change the color on the car no worries.

Once you work out the best way it works for you, you can use the same concept to tint windows, lights, wheels etc..

[funkymonkey]

Ahso daniel san... but how does young grasshopper tint pic of grey car? (Jus testin ya now)

[ex-static]

ahh.. Mr Miagi..

It can be done with this method, just need to use multiple layers, use basecoat of white/ light silver, and experiment with different blending modes..

Its not easy doing it that way, but can be done.. lol.. I'll leave that tutorial up to you

[funkymonkey]

wax on wax off daniel san... i cbf doin that tutorial

[XrSiSt]

Hey Ex-tatic... Those are good clear instructions dude. Always

wondered how everyone done it.

[ex-static]

Originally posted by XrSiSt

Hey Ex-tatic... Those are good clear instructions dude. Always

wondered how everyone done it.

No worries Mate Let me knwo if ya got any q's

[initialD]

dude,

give us some tips on adding bodkits, and such, and wheels, i have problems with wheels.

[funkymonkey]

check the other thread that has a wheel tutorial

[nissanpower]

hey where is the colour blending mode

is this photoshop

[Hicks]

How do you get such a solid colour??

When I try it still shows the original colour of the car but slightly tinted with the custom colour.

[funkymonkey]

the trick is to start with a colour that is a parent of the colour you want to tint it in...

in this example the starting car is white, which is composed of Red, Green and Blue, therefore Yellow (combination of green and blue) is also in white. If you started with say a red car, yellow isn't possible.

To overcome it, what you do is make a selection of the tint area (easy way is to go to the tint layer, and right click on the layer in the layer palette, then select layer transparency, then click on the original layer) and then shift the hue till you come to a colour that contains the colour you want to change it to.

Then you colour blend it as per usual.

never use black coz you can't shift black to anything

If you wanna recolour a black car you need to apply a white screen onto the car, invert the highlights and then tint. (waaaay too much trouble for little effect, jus go get a pic of a white car)

[funkymonkey]

if you wanna cheat a bit, then jus turn the opacity down to about 90% and leave the layer on normal... it'll give it a semi solid tint, and the highlights will be visible too... this is a slightly obvious way tho.

[predator]

Umm..yeah, thats one way to do it..

I'd use the quick mask mode where you can paint the edges of the car better (not as hard) and you can use the airbrush to create different effects in combo with the eraser. Then its not so on/off as painting directly the shape over the top and you get overall a better result. You can always use the alpha channels as well.

Then once you have the selection I prefer to use the hue/saturation to dial up the colour i want. Use "desaturate" to kill the colour and allow you to work with the grey (undercoat style). If you want to get a specific colour you create a flat colour swatch over part of the car and twiddle the hue/sat to match. I've found that gives better results.

[funkymonkey]

lol i was thinkin of that but cbf explainin it... i hate how i can never explain to sum1 sumthing I know, even though its so clear in my mind. I'm gettin old...

[predator]

ark... hah... know the feeling ...and you're 5 years younger than me! i might do a tutorial on something or other sometime

[ultim8DTM5]

I'm working on a large image, is there a way with the lasso to stop it going back to the first point of contact so you can move the image on the screen to continue with the lasso?

[funkymonkey]

instead of lasso work with quick mask then all u do is paint the area u want selected (u can move the pic etc) and then apply the quick mask to the image, and you end up with an antialiased (or hard edged) perfect selection.

[Mr. Oizo]

HOW DO YOU MAKE A BLACK CAR!!!

like.. say.. grey or white INTO black

[funkymonkey]

get a white car and invert it that's the easy way hehe then do sharpen up the highlights.

[d0p3y]

adjust the levels