*** From the Archives ***

This article is from April 9, 2004, and is no longer current.

Photoshop How-To: Going from Brunette to Blond

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Changing hair color – digitally — is often simply a matter of adding a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. However, when the hair needs substantial lightening, such as when converting from brunette to blond, the Selective Color command may be more effective.

When starting with blond, a simple “dye job” can be provided with a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer. Check the Colorize box and adjust the sliders for the look you want.

The original is on the left. In the center, the Colorize box was checked in the Hue/Saturation dialog box and the sliders were set to Hue: 20; Saturation: 35; Lightness: -55. On the right, with Colorize checked, the sliders were set to Hue: 15; Saturation: 57; Lightness: -31.

Going from dark hair to light presents some additional challenges. Sometimes the Lightness slider of the Hue/Saturation adjustment is suitable. Other times you may have good luck with a Curves adjustment. But your best bet may be to head straight for a Selective Color adjustment layer.

When the Selective Color dialog box opens, click the radio button “Absolute” at the bottom, then at the top, switch the pop-up menu from Reds to Neutrals. Reduce the Cyan and Magenta content proportionally, then balance the appearance with the Yellow and Black sliders. Switch from Neutrals to Blacks and repeat.

The correct values depend both on your original image and your intent. The same original dark hair can produce a variety of lighter looks with this technique.

The original is on the left. The three adjustments are, working left to right form the original:

 

  • Left:Neutrals -50/-50/0/-80 & Blacks -47/-42/-16/+25
  • Middle: Neutrals -50/-50/-40/-82 & Blacks -50/-50/-50/+50
  • Right: Neutrals -50/-50/-56/-4 & Blacks -50/-50/+39/+63

 

This story brought to you by the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP). Copyright © 2004 KW Media Group. Photoshop is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems, Inc.

 

  • anonymous says:

    Most of your Photoshop tutorials are downloadable as a PDF. Some are not, including this. If they’re worth offering they should be worth saving as a PDF, right? Thanks, Paul Corsa

  • SandeeCohen says:

    The idea behind the article is clever. Unfortunately the technique must have been created by a man as no woman would have suggested the results as looking natural.

    Except for some Asians, real hair has highlights and dark tones. The results of the technique in the article creates a new hair color that is much too monochromatic. Why do you think many women pay hundreds of dollars every 4 or 5 weeks to have a hair color professional do their coloring? So the hair has a nice variety of tones.

    Look at the first illustration in the article. The original dirty blonde color has a nice range of light blonde, ash blonde, and dark blonde hair. But the two “dye jobs” in the illustration are a rather flat monochromatic brunette and redhead. Does she or doesn’t she? Everybody, not just her hairdresser, knows for sure.

    Even the last illustration shows this problem. Although its hard to see all the tones in the original brunette color, the three results look more like a doll’s hair than human.

    How would I colorize hair? Strand by strand using different hues on a paintbrush set to Hue or Colorize. That is the closest to my own hairdresser’s treatment of highlights.

  • Anonymous says:

    In the third photo, the hair is yellow and not blonde.

  • Anonymous says:

    That is a great idea! I am a model myself, but I also like to edit my own photos. That would be cool to give myself different hair color. Never thought about it! Check out my work if you like: https://www.itsthatgirl.com

  • Anonymous says:

    I was having a hard time turning a redhead into a platinum blonde, this was a huge help thanks :)

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