Question Regarding Black & White?

[Julianne Lowman]

Here's a new one for me. I was recently commissioned to paint two children from a black and white reference photo. I am assuming I will use the photo as a reference, but will need to take color photos or work from life to get the most accurate skin tones possible. Since black and white can only translate values, I have no idea if the values are warm or cool, red or green, purple or yellow, etc. Has anyone out there ever done a color portrait from only using a black and white reference. If so, can you post your results and the original reference? Funny how non-artists think you can just make this stuff up. Perhaps I SHOULD be able to make it up, but I'm just not good enough for that.

All my paintings are done from black and white photos. I like the simplicity, and I don't trust the colors a camera comes up with anyway. I'm starting to use color studies from life now (thanks, Marvin), and when I finish up I double check temperature.

I posted for a critique of Rosa here. She was from a photo + a little life. But honestly, the light was so extreme I don't think I would have been able to do the range of these colors reliably from life. They were more or less figured out while painting from an 8 x 10 b/w, plus a color study of her "local" color in sunlight. But as you mention, the color temperature is an iffy thing, and on the ear, I could still tweak it.

So go for it!