How did I do this in PSP?

[tod_tevebaugh]

I was working on making adjustments to a portrait using Paint Shop

Pro 9. The adjustments I was making were to the saturation, hue and

contrast & brightness. Things were not going well and in

frustration...I clicked and dragged on something and I ended up with

a rather interesting photo. The photo was a semi-nude done in a

portrait studio with subject sitting on a black sheet and a black

background was used. The results after my little temper tantrum are

as follows: The skin has been changed to three different colors.

Normal skin tones and the blonde hair are now yellow. Any shadows

and highlights in the hair are now bright red. Any bright spots from

the flash are now solid white. The sheet and the background are now

solid black. I have tried all kinds of ways to try to duplicate what

I did to no avail. I made the mistake of showing my screw up to the

model and now she wants many others done the same way! In all

honesty, the pictures really look pretty darn cool...but I will be

darned if I can figure out how I did it! To see a before and after

picture please contact me via email. Thanks in advance for any

suggestions on how to duplicate my error!

[ted_marcus1]

I'd guess that's "posterization," a fancy term for reducing the number of colors in the image. Reducing the tens of thousands of colors in a typical image down to, say, 16 will produce results like you describe. The process "maps" the colors in the image to the nearest of the available colors in the reduced palette. Skin tones and blonde hair could "map" to the same shade of yellow, with highlights and shadows possibly turning to the available red. The gradations high-key whites in the specular highlights ("bright spots from the flash") turn solid white.

 

PSP does have a tool to reduce the number of colors, although I've never used it myself. You may have accidentally clicked on it.

[briany]

Showing us the photo would help

[tod_tevebaugh]

Thanks Ted...I will look a little deeper into that function. Brian,yes, it would be easier if I posted the picture, however, I prefer not to put the picture in a public forum. I can and will share them privately with someone that is willing to take a look and offer suggestions.