Change Highlight Color in Adobe

Wondering how you can change your hair or eye color in an image? I love to play with the highlighted color. In this tutorial, I am going to share how quickly and easily you can change highlight color in adobe Photoshop. For this, I selected two images. The first one, where I will change the color of hair, and this technique is simple. In the second one, I will change eye color, and it is a bit complex. So, fasten your seat belts. Let’s run the show on this road

Changing Hair Color

First, choose an image that you would like to change the highlight color. Make sure; you have selected a photo that has excellent resolution

Step 01: Firstly, select the Quick Select Tool. Around the hair shape, make a selection to isolate it. If accidentally you go over the ends, don’t forget to press Alt key on Windows/Option on Mac and paint to fix selection.

Step 02: Have a look at the top toolbar. There you will find Select and Mask option. Choose this option. In the select mask, hit Refine Edge Brush Tool. This selection is to refine the rough edges of the hair that is selected by the Quick Select Tool. To improve this selection, you need to work with another few options. Increase the Radius, turn on the Smart Radius, and Decontaminate Colors. Remember to create a New Layer with Layer Mask. Then left-click on OK.

Step 03: Now, an adjustment needs to set up. To have a glance at the full image, turn on the background. Select the adjustment layer from the layer panel as we are going to create 2 empty adjustments. 2 adjustments are Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer and Curves Adjustment Layer. To control the color, Hue/Saturation Adjustment will do the needful, and Curves Adjustment Layer will work for adjusting the brightness.

Step 04: In this step, the adjustment layers will move every layer underneath. We would like to control them to just the layer with the hair cut out. You can complete this task in 2 different ways described below

1. Go to the Properties Panel; there you will find a little square arrow icon. Click on this; this icon will take care of every adjustment layer.

1. Or else, press and hold the Alt key on Windows/Option on Mac and move the cursor onto the line between 2 layers. When you the square arrow will appear, click to apply. This is a clipping group. Ensure you do this to both adjustment layers.

Step 05: We are almost there to complete our task. Adjusting Saturation will allow you to change your hair color. To do so, go to the Adjustment layer and click on the Hue/Saturation, open the Properties Panel Window, then Properties. Now adjust Hue/Saturation.

Let’s start with Black hair color. Pull the Saturation bar all the way left. Choose the Curves Layer to get dark black. Drag on the curve as shown to add contrast for a perfect black sheen.

Let’s try a dark brown color. Select Hue/Saturation layer again. Pull Saturation up. You will get dark brown hair successfully.

Step 06: Let’s turn the hair to Blonde. Reset Hue/Saturation and Curves.

Choose the Curve layer. Pull the curve up in shape shown in the image (an n-shape) to get the tone you need.

Pulling down the Saturation a little bit will give you Platinum and less gold color.

Step 08: Don’t you think to change the hair colors are fun? If you are thinking about dying your hair a more fun color, I highly recommend trying it here in Photoshop first.

Drag the bar of Hue/Saturation to get different colors and effects. (smear a curves adjustment when you need to lighten or darken it).

Copper/Red hair

Purple hair

Blue hair

Grey hair

Brown

Green

You can add multi-color steaks to your hair using Photoshop. For long and straight hair, it is easier to complete the task efficiently. But if your sample is with curly hair, you need to be careful while working with brushwork.

Step 01: In this case, you need to add 3 Hue saturation adjustment layers. It is mandatory to clip the layer as we did in above step # 04. Let me remind you again. Press Alt and click between the two-layer and move your cursor. Simply click Apply when the square arrow box appears.

You can make a blue, purple, and green adjustment, respective on each hue/saturation layer.

Turn upside down each mask by selecting and clicking Ctrl/Cmd+I.

Add a curves adjustment at the top for any tonal tweaks.

Step 02: Now, everything is set to put colors in the hair.

Choose a brush and set the color to white. Set the opacity level to 50.

Select the layer mask on the first adjustment layer Paint the colored strokes.

Change to a different mask and paint.

You can alter brush settings (choose a softer brush and play around with opacity settings), so that color strokes blend in better.

Hers is the final output.

Bang! You have been hit with the bull’s eye perfectly. Don’t forget to practice this option unless you will forget within a short period.

Changing Eye Color in Photoshop

The next tutorial is on changing the eye color. This tutorial you can do on animal or even humans. As said earlier, this tutorial will be a complex one. This method is not only practical but also nondestructive too. Generally, good practice will lead you to a good editor. So let’s get down to business

Step 01: Open an image that focused correctly on your model’s eye.

Step 02: Firstly, we need to set up everything so that when we change the color, only eye color will vary, and no effect will come on the balanced areas of the image. We will create an adjustment payer. (curves and a layer mask. All adjustment layers come with covers, the mask will separate the adjustment).

Select the small icon in the Layers panel that opens adjustment layers (in the middle bottom of the panel, the button that looks like a half-filled circle). A pop up will appear when you click the button. Choose Curves.

The layer panel will show you the adjustment. It will show Curves 1. There are 2 portions; the modification is a grid that looks like S- thing and a white-colored rectangle. Choose the curve icon to alter adjustment layer settings (curves). Click the rectangle to work with the masks.

Step 03: Open up the Properties Panel if you are on CC. It is an adjustment to the earlier version. You can double click the curves icon to accomplish this task. 

Click the left button and grab the curve (1) and drag it diagonally to the top left. We are merely creating a radical change for the time being.

Click on the mask (2) Press Ctrl+I to invert the mask. The curves adjustment should be hidden now.

Step 04: As I said earlier, we want to adjust to appear only in the eyes. Ensure that the mask is turned on. We are going to paint with white color, and this will permit the adjustment to appearance, though. (and also isolate it to just the eyes).

Select a round brush, fix the hardness to 100%, select the size in such a way that it is the same sizes as the eyes are. 

Click and choose the eyes in the image. We will paint this part of the mask first. To get a pure white color, adjust the curve to the top left. If you are not finding the pure white complexion, don’t let sweat your forehead. It’s just a sign so we can identify where the mask is painted.

Step 05: Now, choose the brush color to Black. Few portions of the eyes overlapped the eyelids. So, with this black colored brush, we are going to give a little paint.

Double click the mask to open the Masks in the Properties panel. Regulate the feather slider to make the edge of the mask soft.

If you have an earlier version than CS4, you can continue with the same thing following Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur.

Step 06: Find out the circular button at the bottom area and select the reset button in the curves panel.

Now, this time we need to set up the masks. Everything is ready so that only the eyes will be affected when we make changes, (don’t you love masks). We have also reset the curves to default so that there are no changes to the image at this moment.

Step 07: Now, it is time to do fun with eyes color.

To change the colors of the eyes, the color channel in curves is the best choice to continue. This is one of the best features to make these types of changes in Photoshop.

In the curves panel, you will get a drop-down menu. Click on that and select Green.

Click on the diagonal line and firmly move the curve up. Slightly go a long way. Look, we can alter the eye color to green. Notice that the eye also holds its secondary colors, so it looks natural.

Step 08: Let’s go with a different color. Don’t forget to use a new adjustment layer or reset the curve.

To alter the eye color to blue, select the blue channel and move it up until it looks accurate to you.

Step 09: To adjust the darkness or lightness, you need to make changes to the composite channel. Hence, you already tried it. On the dropdown, choose the RGB.

Let’s look at changing the tone curve on the blue color. It’s a necessary element to get the real eye color that we are seeking. Drag the curve down to darken and get that beautiful deep blue like Liv Tyler’s eyes.

Step 10: You can also drag the curve up to brighten the eyes. In this case, we have a more common lighter blue.

Step 11: Now, let’s say, you want to make the eyes brown, but there is no Brown channel. So, what need to be done? We can adjust more than one channel.

In this term, improve the red and minimize the blue. Doesn’t it look better now? But believe me, still not perfect, let’s do another thing. Eye’s colors are showing faux.

Step 12: Again, from the drop-down menu, choose RGB.

Drag the curve down; brown color will become darker than before. Still, I think it is not perfect.

Step 13: You can load more than one curve layer together, I joined the half-assed brown from earlier one with the Green adjustment and bingo, now we achieve a cute Natalie Portman deep brown that looks natural.

Now I believe that you grasp the tutorial appropriately. Following the same tutorial, you will be able to turn any color into any color you desired. Find the image below where I changed the eye color to freshly fed vampire’s eyes.

Final Thoughts

Changing hair color and style is fun because after changing both, you will not be able to identify yourself. Hair and eye play a vital role in our styling. I believe you enjoyed both tutorials. Post images in social media that contain your colored hair and eyes and impress your friends. If you enjoyed this, you might want to boost up your skills. Happy Photoshopping!