BnW to Colour

[RAF_Loke]

Does anyone know which is the best way to to identify colours on a Black n White photo?

I know that to hit the exact colour will be impossible, but I've been thinking about making a colour plate using standard colours and then turn them into a grey scale picture. That way the grey tones can be compared with the photo and I can come with a qualified guess.

[adlabs6]

The gray tones for a specific color can vary based on the type of film used. What film type was in use will vary through the years and in different situations.

[RAF_Loke]

Agree 100% Ad, what also can and will inflict is the light. Gonna be a hard one to crack.

I'll post the pic later...

[adlabs6]

Right and don't forget not only the contrast of the print (adjusted by development time in the past, or with paper grades today), as well as dodge and burn techniques during printing.

I'll search for a few sources on film response curves and post them.

[adlabs6]

Here you go, this looks like a good resource on the subject.

Spectral Selectivity - photo.net

[Serval]

Don't forget you need to know if a film was panchromatic or orthochromatic
Look at this film simulation and look at the roundel. Same image, different grey scales.
And note that in both the difference between the green and brown is hard to see. A problem we still have on many photo's while figuring out the pattern of these aircraft.
It even caused people to believe that some aircraft had two color schemes instead of three.

[RAF_Loke]

Ah I see your point Serval.

Well here is the picture in question, a very hot lady.



I imagine that the skin and dress is white, as they often used that colour for the skin on Betty Boop.

[adlabs6]

If possible, use some markings of known colors in the photo to determine which type of film was likely used. Then you can try to estimate what colors would take the shades in the artwork.

Betty Boop also was a very pale pink tone in some renderings.