Click on the thumbnails for a full-sized image.

The aim is a natural-looking hand-tinted image as From Days Gone Bye - so my best tip is not to colour all the image. Choose just a few details: skin and hair, or maybe hair and one item of clothing, and keep the colours fairly faded/pastel, for the most realistic result.

PHOTO TINT PENS

These work really well on the old magazine images - just stroke on lightly and don't saturate the paper (so there are no pen marks, and the paper doesn't begin to "pulp" and disintegrate). Of course, they also work on any photo paper, old postcards etc and also commercial collage sheets. Letraset Tria markers also work - and will work on those cheap & nasty toner-based black & white photocopies and even newsprint! The pigment will soak through to the back of the page, though, so be aware of this and perhaps matt the piece onto another layer.

PIGMENT INKS

These also work well - apply direct to the paper from the pad (I recommend Clearsnap's CatsEyes Q or Option Plates or Tsukineko's Brilliance Dew Drops - normal sized pads are too big) or use the Colourbox Stylus Tool (Clearsnap).  Pick up the pigment ink from the pad and apply and blend with the Stylus Tool foam tip. Alternatively, try cotton buds - or even a finger!

PASTELS

Apply with a light hand and a cotton bud. You might need to use a fixative spray (any art shop) if it smudges (so much depends on the type of paper). Or you could use any hair spray, if you are not worried about the archival quality (hair spray will not last forever, but will do the job at a pinch). To fix, hold the spray about 12 inches away and mist very lightly. Allow to dry, test with a finger to see if anything smudges, and add a second coat if necessary. Some older papers will absorb the pastels, and won't need a fixative.  Experiment on the back of the image or a scarp of similar paper first!

WATERCOLOUR MARKERS

These are the ones you buy in a rubber stamp store, eg: Marvy Uchida. The colours are usually very dense/wet/highly pigmented, so I would advise scribbling a little marker onto a glass plate (or the acrylic block you use for your unmounted stamps) then pick up the colour with a damp paintbrush and apply to the image that way. Using a fresh marker pen directly on your photo might very well swamp it!

DISTRESS INKS

Tim Holtz Distress Inks (by Ranger) were made exactly for this purpose, but mostly for all-over tinting of a modern image to make it look older. These inks stay wetter for longer, giving you time to blend. Use cotton wool buds or the specially made Cut'n'Dry Nibs. 

LAST WORD

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