Online PS Tutorial: Recolor White Flowers

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Home/ PS Tutorials/ Online PS Tutorial: Recolor White Flowers

There are two ways to recolour a white flower: a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer if you want to try colours slowly, or a Solid Color layer set to Multiply if you want something faster and more accurate. Both are covered here, including cutting out the petal selection first and using Colorize to pull the lightness down so the colour reads true. You can try both in Online PS.

Method 1: Hue/Saturation + Colorize (finer control, lightness adjustable)
  1. 1
    Select the white petals

    Use the Quick Selection tool (W) and drag across the petals until all the white petals are selected.
    Tip: setting Options bar → Sample Size → “Point Sample” helps you pick up fine detail quickly.

  2. 2
    Create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer

    With the selection still active, click Layer → New Adjustment Layer → Hue/Saturation, or just click the adjustment-layer icon at the bottom of the Layers panel.

    Photoshop creates a mask for the adjustment layer automatically, so it only affects the petals inside the selection.

  3. 3
    Turn on Colorize and darken the lightness

    In the Properties panel that opens, tick Colorize. Drag the Lightness slider to the left (about 15–30 down) so the petals go from pure white to a grey base — otherwise the white dilutes whatever hue you add next.

  4. 4
    Adjust Hue and Saturation

    Drag the Hue slider to choose the target colour (soft pink, pale violet, light blue and so on), then raise Saturation a little to make the colour livelier.

Tip: If you want the colour to keep a little transparency, lower the adjustment layer’s opacity slightly (80%, say), or try changing the blending mode to Soft Light / Overlay.

Method 2: Solid Color adjustment layer + Multiply (fast and intuitive)
  1. 1
    Select the white petals first, as in method 1

    Make the selection with the Quick Selection tool and leave it active.

  2. 2
    Add a Solid Color adjustment layer

    In the Layers panel click the New Fill/Adjustment Layer icon → choose Solid Color → confirm.

    A mask is created automatically here too, so it only applies inside the selection.

  3. 3
    Pick the target colour

    Choose the petal colour you want in the colour picker and click OK.

  4. 4
    Set the Solid Color layer’s blending mode to Multiply

    In the Normal drop-down at the top of the Layers panel choose Multiply. The white petals now take on the colour you picked.

  5. 5
    (Optional) Lift the contrast

    If the result looks a little dark, add a Levels or Curves adjustment layer above the Multiply layer; it only affects the petals, because the upper layer inherits the same mask.

Advantage: you only grade once — to try another colour later, just double-click the Solid Color swatch. Very efficient.

⚡ Summary:
  • Both methods rely on the same selection → adjustment layer workflow, so the original layer is never damaged.
  • If you want to keep the original detail (the faint shadows on the petals, say), go with Hue/Saturation + Colorize.
  • If you change colours often, or need to process images in bulk, go with Solid Color + Multiply.
When you are happy, remember to save (File → Export → PNG/JPEG) — or, in Online PS, export a PSD with File → Save as PSD so you can keep editing later. Have fun! 🎨

References

  • Adobe Photoshop official documentation
  • HTML5 and the principles of modern front-end image processing
  • Online PS
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