Marshall Photo Oils
Marshall Pencils (optional)
1 doz. wood skewers
100% cotton - cotton balls
wax paper (roll)
8 x 10 piece of cardboard
Post-it Correction & Cover-up Tape (made by 3M)
Black & White print on matte paper

     Choosing the correct paper for your print is very important. You can use either an RC paper in a matte finish or a fiber base matte paper.  You'll have some people tell you, you should use fiber base paper exclusively. Either one is fine, personally, I prefer a matte finish RC paper for several reasons. It's readily available in a large variety of sizes at reasonable prices. Fiber base is very difficult to find in sizes larger then 16x20 and because it is more expensive than RC prints (approximately twice the price of an RC print) I find a lot of people become inhibited, because they're in fear of ruining the print. This doesn't make for a pleasant experience. Remember we're having fun here. Whichever paper you choose, it must be matte. Don't bother to try to work with glossy or pearl finish paper, you'll only get frustrated. When handcoloring portraits I prefer to begin with a toned print, the warm skin tones makes a nice base to work with.

     In order to see your colors better put a piece of white paper between the wax paper and cardboard base. You can use anything that is a solid surface for the base of your palette, ie: glass, plexiglas or wood. Wrap wax paper once around your 8 x 10 piece of cardboard and tape it to the back to hold it in place. You will use this for your palette. Puncture the top of the oil tube with the piercing pin and put a small dab of each color on the palette (about the size of a small pea), it goes a long way so don't use too much.

     Choose a solid table with good lighting. Be sure to have a waste basket handy to discard used cotton from the skewers. I like to tape my pictures to a piece of cardboard, it makes them easier to handle and easy to store while they dry. I only use Post-it Correction & Cover-up Tape made by 3M, it sticks but then peels right off without damaging the print. It is available in different widths. I use 1" wide Post-it (item #658) it's sold in most office supply stores.
DO NOT USE REGULAR TAPE. IT WILL DAMAGE THE PRINT.

     You begin applying color to the larger areas of the print first with a cotton ball. Dab the cotton ball lightly in your oil to pick up only a little bit of color. Apply the color in a circular motion to the large areas of the print. The more you rub, the lighter the color will appear. You can also add different colors for blending. If you want your color to appear darker, do not add more color all at once. Allow some drying time, (4 hours min.) and then apply color in thin layers to achieve a darker tone.

After applying color to your large areas you are ready to work on more detailed parts of the print. This is where you use your skewers to apply color. You use different size skewers for different size areas to color. Pick up a little bit of oil on the cotton tip of your skewer and apply the color in a circular motion. If you work your color into an area that you don't want colored you can erase it using the Marlene solution. Dip a clean cotton skewer into the Marlene bottle to get a small amount of liquid on the cotton. Wipe it along the edge where your color is not desired and it will remove it like an eraser. Make sure you always use a clean cotton skewer for best results.

You can apply colors in layers or you can mix colors on your palette. You can come up with an infinite number of color possibilities this way. If you don't like anything you've done simply wipe the print clean with Marlene. Then wipe it dry with cotton balls and start over.

For more detailed areas you can use Marshall Pencils, but I recommend allowing at least 24 hours for the oils to set before working on the print with pencils. You do not need to prepare the print in any way before using your pencils.

When you are finished you can discard your wax paper with left over oil. If you know your going to be working on some prints again in a day or two you can cover the wax paper with a second piece of wax paper and it will keep the oils from drying too quickly. This allows you to work with the same palette for a few days.

It takes approximately 2 to 3 weeks for a handcolored print to dry properly. You should allow a minimum of 1 week drying time before matting or framing. Always remember to use acid free matte board. Handle the print with care during this time so you don't smear the colors.

To see more handcolored images click here to go to our Gallery pages