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Glite Dictionary
to handcolor

to handcolor

8.1
To add color to a black and white photo or print by hand
  • verb
  • /ˈhændˌkoʊlər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : colorear a mano
  • Some artists prefer to handcolor their prints for a unique touch.

Examples

  • The gallery features several handcolored vintage postcards from the early 1900s.

  • She loves to handcolor her photographs.

  • My grandmother used to handcolor black-and-white photos to make them more lifelike.

  • The artist handcolored the sketches beautifully.

  • She decided to handcolor the black-and-white photograph to give it a vibrant touch.

  • The artist took her time to handcolor each detail of the sketch with care.

  • He wanted to handcolor the old map to make it more visually appealing.

Synonyms

to paint
vsto handcolor
854 1.0

To put coloured liquid on a surface to protect or change how it looks

manually add pigment to images rather than using machines or software
to color
vsto handcolor
  • US
228 1.0

To make something a different shade by painting or dyeing

limits this to manual pigment addition for images rather than any method
to color in
vsto handcolor
  • US
7 1.4

To fill parts of a picture with crayons or paint

manually add pigment to photographs or drawings rather than by machines or software
to colorize
vsto handcolor
  • US
4 4.8

To add color to black-and-white photos or films using software

focuses on manual pigment addition to photographs rather than digital color work
to finger-paint
vsto handcolor
2 3.8

To put paint on paper using your fingers

involves manual pigment work on images rather than machine or digital methods
to paint up
vsto handcolor
1 2.5

Put paint on something to make it look better

manually add pigment to photographs or drawings instead of general decorative work
to recolor
vsto handcolor
  • US
1 3.4

To make something a different shade by painting, dyeing, or editing

specifies manual pigment addition to artworks rather than digital alterations
to hand-dye
vsto handcolor
1 5.7

To color fabric or yarn by hand to make different shades

applies the same manual idea to photographs and drawings rather than fabrics

Antonyms

digitally
  • Specialized
32 3.9

To use computers or electronic devices to make and store information

mechanically
11 3.7

In a way done by a machine or without a person doing it

How Colorful

to paint
854 1.0
to color
  • US
228 1.0
to handcolor
  • Archaic
8.1
to tint
24 3.6

Surface Forms

handcolor infinitive
handcolored past
handcolored past participle
handcoloring present participle
handcolors third person singular

Morphology

handcolor = hand + color (transparent) = hand + color

Meaning is directly derived from 'hand' + 'color' (i.e., to apply colour by hand), a straightforward compound.

Etymology

The word handcolor is made of two simple words: hand- meaning 'by hand' and color meaning 'to add color'. So to handcolor a photo is to add color to it by hand, not by a machine or computer, which is why handcolored pictures often feel more personal and lifelike.