Hand tinting 101:

[Clicking on the highlighted text below will open a 15 second video. I'm not sure how helpful the little videos are, but it sure was fun making them. If they load choppy, right click them and save them to your desktop. You can play them from there, then easily delete them.]

In hand tinting, the single most important factor contributing to a satisfying result is the paper surface. I use either a fiber base paper to print my images, or an RC paper with a heavy tooth, such as Kodak P-Max RC. I have never had a good result using surface spray on a print.

The second most important factor is the making of the skewer. I use barbecue skewers and 100% cotton (either the kind purchased at the drug store or cotton balls from the Dollar Store...as long as it's 100% cotton). Hold the skewer in your dominant hand. While pinching the tiniest piece of cotton in the other hand, turn the skewer.

I mainly use Marshall's oil paints for hand tinting. Put a little bit of PM solution on the cotton. Add a tiny bit of paint and rub it onto the surface. Blend it with a clean bit of cotton. When adding color, especially a different color, simply add it on top of the existing color and blend, don't dip the cotton skewer into the PM solution a second time. More PM will simply remove the existing paint. A larger area can be tinted using a cotton ball, or one half of a cotton ball. I use a kneadable eraser to remove excess paint.

A Marshall's product called Marlene can also be used to remove paint. Applied with a cotton swab, Marlene works well on larger areas. Marlene can also be used to remove pen marks from prints.

Breaking the "rules":

Regular "drug store" photos can be tinted. Using photo oils, I simply rub the the paint into the print, without using the PM solution. It takes extra time to dry.

I usually tint color prints, or RC prints (what I sometimes refer to as "drug store" prints) with retouch dyes. These are a lot like watercolor paints in that they're first dissolved in water, them added to the print. Keep in mind, the color can't be easily removed once applied. Retouch dyes can also be used on negatives. When working on negatives, the opposite color from the one desired is applied to the film. If you want orange, apply purple. When the negative is printed, it'll print orange.

More stuff to know:

I've had poor luck using Marshall's drier. Some colors, such as yellow and especially white, take longer to dry than others. I've added drier to the white paint and had it turn yellow-ish a couple of years down the road.

Don't leave your print taped to the board for more than two days. Otherwise, the tape will attach itself and you'll tear the print when you try to remove it.

Suppliers of supplies:

You can buy most of this stuff at a good art store, but if you live in an area like the one I live in, there are no good art stores.

I purchase 100 % cotton balls at the Dollar Store. I also purchase my Q-tips there. They have Q-tips that must be seconds lots, or something, because there will be many odd size tips in a box. Not good for cleaning out your ears, but the variety of sizes are great for hand tinting!

You'll need to tape your print to a board using drafting tape. Drafting tape can be purchased at Staples office supply.

I purchase my photo oils and retouch dyes through Rainier Photographic in Seattle 1-800-ALL-FILM.

 I have found some great deals on tinting supplies on eBay! I've purchased entire sets for $5. (And I need another set like I need a hole in my head.)

I purchased a great set of Prismacolor oil pencils at Costco. They don't blend quite as well as Marshall's pencils, but they still work well and open up a larger variety of colors than Marshall's.

A silly note:

Marshall's PM Solution was once called PMS Solution. The first kit I bought came with a bottle of PMS Solution. Then one day, for no apparent reason, the labeling was changed to read PM Solution. 

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