Understanding Handcolored Photography as a Unique Art Form

A hand colored photograph is one form of unique fine arts as well as a long-lasting treasure. Oil paint is one of the most commonly used mediums. It is applied straight to the surface of the black and white photograph. The oil paint in fact protects the surface of the photograph, resulting in the hand painted image being more archival than an unchanged black and white artisan photograph. The artisan is in no way bounded to oil paint. A wide mixture of mediums can be used in the technique of coloring photographs. Watercolor, acrylic paint, color pencil, oil pastel, crayon, felt-tipped makers - the sky’s the limit! The surface of the photographic print must be taken into consideration, however. A paper stock with “tooth” is essential for pencil technique, for example.

Since the conception of photography in the early 1800s, photographers have been making hand colored photography. The exhilaration upon seeing a real life image recorded for the 1st time in history gave way to quick dissatisfaction owing to the fact that the vividness was not recorded. Not long after the process was formulated, daguerreotypes and tintypes had color added to the surface for the aim of having them look more natural.

The large majority of patrons for the new up-and-coming photographers sought out portraiture and the sole way to please these patrons was to add color by hand. Hand colored picturesque postal cards also became quite prominent. This trend continued into the mid-twentieth century prior to the unveiling of colored film. Once color photography was honed for general use, hand-painted photographs were no more in vogue.

During the 1960s and 1970s, hand painted photography could be found in commercial work, generally for advertising uses. Now, some artists carry on the tradition of this process in and of itself as an art form. Digital photography now allows both pros and novices alike to enjoy the tradition of colouring their photographs with ease, as well as providing a way to make a fine art photographic print. However there is still nothing like an original black and white image that has been hand colored. There is an divine quality to hand painted fine art photography which is entirely unequal to either the daring bright colors in ektachrome or kodachrome colour imagery. There is also a rich quality to the original colored by hand photograph that far exceeds that of a digital photographic print.

Unique hand-painted photography is being done in a vast array of styles from gently tinted photographs to the contemporary heavily painted photos of the notable artist Holly Roberts. An uncomplicated image where merely a single object is hand colored can be exceedingly effective. A young boy gripping a rose where only the rose has a gentle, subtle tone added to it creates a captivating statement. Yet every bit as effective is an image that has been metamorphosed into a personal artistic vision. The work of award winning artist, Padgett McFeely, is a perfect case in point. Her work ranges from the classical hand painted photograph to the extreme heavily painted photograph. In her words, she “enriches her photographs with her hand painting techniques allowing her to amplify the mystic and intrigue of a particular scene, enhancing the emotional and spiritual content with the paint.”

McFeely discusses her imagery with a sense of reverence. “Capturing illusions of reality on film by utilizing the raw purity of black and white photography is intrinsic to my art. As my photography advances through a variety of stages, I am in essence searching for that dream in the back of my mind”. Enter into her dream world and delve into the whimsy of a hand painted photograph.

To see samples of McFeely's Hand Colored Photographs visit www.GoodHandArts.com.
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