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Stunning colourised photos bring black and white shots from history to life… from D-Day to the Queen’s Coronation

The talented artist spends hours layering the different shades to create the perfect image

BREATH-TAKING retouched photos show how colour can bring historic black and white photos to life.

Artist Marina Amaral, from Brazil, has redefined history as we know it by Photoshopping colourless photos.

Colourisation of Czesława Kwoka, a Polish Catholic child who died in the Auschwitz concentration camp at the age of 14
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Colourisation of Czesława Kwoka, a Polish Catholic child who died in the Auschwitz concentration camp at the age of 14Credit: Marina Amaral/Twitter

After stumbling across some colourised snaps online, she decided to give the painstaking technique a try.

Each image has been created following hours of research into the subject pictured, in order to make the retouching as realistic as possible.

Marina told The Sun: “I have always been fascinated by history since I was a kid, but the colourisation itself came into my life in a random and unexpected way.

“I was bored surfing the internet when I found a few colorized photos from the World War II in a forum.

“I was using Photoshop as a hobby for many years, so I already had a sense of how the software works and what tools I should use.”

Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy relaxes in his Boston apartment
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Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy relaxes in his Boston apartmentCredit: Getty Images
Marina has brought the 35th President of the United States to life by layering different tones on the image using Photoshop
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Marina has brought the 35th President of the United States to life by layering different tones on the image using PhotoshopCredit: Marina Amaral
1963: Mugshot of President Kennedy's killer Lee Harvey Oswald, before and after the Photoshop retouching work by Marina Amaral
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1963: Mugshot of President Kennedy's killer Lee Harvey Oswald, before and after the Photoshop retouching work by Marina AmaralCredit: Marina Amaral/twitter
2nd June 1953: Queen Elizabeth II leads the state procession with her Maids of Honour after her Coronation in Westminster Abbey
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2nd June 1953: Queen Elizabeth II leads the state procession with her Maids of Honour after her Coronation in Westminster AbbeyCredit: Getty Images
There's no doubt that the colourisation process can be lengthy, especially looking at the incredible detail in this coronation image
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There's no doubt that the colourisation process can be lengthy, especially looking at the incredible detail in this coronation imageCredit: Marina Amaral

Marina has spent years honing her craft, using her love of history to develop the technique of painstakingly adding the different tones by hand.

She explained: “It was not as simple and easy as I first thought, but since then I've been practicing, developing my own techniques and trying to improve a little bit every day.

“I'm such a perfectionist, so I haven't given up on testing thousands of different techniques until the point that I was able to develop my own workflow.”

1944: Medics from the US 5th and 6th Engineer Special Brigade help wounded soldiers on Omaha beach
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1944: Medics from the US 5th and 6th Engineer Special Brigade help wounded soldiers on Omaha beachCredit: Getty
This D-Day scene captures a small naval craft on the bloodied beach where 34,000 troops lost their lives
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This D-Day scene captures a small naval craft on the bloodied beach where 34,000 troops lost their lives
1963: Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc poured petrol over his body and set himself on fire in protest of the Vietnamese government
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1963: Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc poured petrol over his body and set himself on fire in protest of the Vietnamese governmentCredit: Alamy
The roaring fire is brought to life in Marina's realistic colourisation of the historic snap
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The roaring fire is brought to life in Marina's realistic colourisation of the historic snapCredit: Marina Amaral
1964: In the White House, US President Lyndon Johnson meets with Civil Rights leaders Roy Wilkins, James L. Farmer Jr., Martin Luther King Jr. and Whitney Young
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1964: In the White House, US President Lyndon Johnson meets with Civil Rights leaders Roy Wilkins, James L. Farmer Jr., Martin Luther King Jr. and Whitney YoungCredit: Marina Amaral/Twitter
1902: Iconic protrait of English novelist and critic Virginia Woolf
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1902: Iconic protrait of English novelist and critic Virginia WoolfCredit: Getty Images
The Mrs Dalloway author has been brought to life by the intricate Photoshop technique
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The Mrs Dalloway author has been brought to life by the intricate Photoshop technique

Although at first glance it may appear that the colours have been selected randomly, Marina uses the help of experts and research to keep the images as realistic as possible.

Each project takes hours to complete, with the Photoshop fanatic carefully looking into descriptions of colours of the skin, eyes, hair and clothing.

Artist Marina confessed: “As I always like to say, I'm aware that this is history and it is not my business to make things look the way I want them to look.

“I need to be respectful. Sometimes I have a little trouble with that part, so I need to seek the help of historians and experts. They are always very generous and helpful to me.”

1943: Canadian infantrymen advance cautiously up a narrow lane in Campochiaro
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1943: Canadian infantrymen advance cautiously up a narrow lane in Campochiaro
Marina researched the historic military uniforms in preparation for this breath-taking project
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Marina researched the historic military uniforms in preparation for this breath-taking projectCredit: Marina Amaral
1899: British statesman and writer Winston Churchill aged 26
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1899: British statesman and writer Winston Churchill aged 26Credit: Getty Images
Marina researches complexion and eye colour before creating the images, like this one of the former British PM
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Marina researches complexion and eye colour before creating the images, like this one of the former British PM
1914: A French boy introduces himself to Indian soldiers who had just arrived in France to fight alongside French and British forces, Marseilles
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1914: A French boy introduces himself to Indian soldiers who had just arrived in France to fight alongside French and British forces, Marseilles
Photoshop expert Marina dedicated this image to the 74,187 Indian soldiers that lost their lives during World War I
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Photoshop expert Marina dedicated this image to the 74,187 Indian soldiers that lost their lives during World War ICredit: Marina Amaral
1904: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, whose assassination was a trigger of World War I
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1904: Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, whose assassination was a trigger of World War ICredit: Getty Images
Marina's colourised version of the portrait of Archduke Ferdinand was created by building layers of colour on Photoshop
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Marina's colourised version of the portrait of Archduke Ferdinand was created by building layers of colour on PhotoshopCredit: Marina Amaral
1946: Nazi military leader Hermann Goering stands trial after World War II
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1946: Nazi military leader Hermann Goering stands trial after World War IICredit: Getty Images
Marina describes the length colourisation process to an artist painting a picture
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Marina describes the length colourisation process to an artist painting a picture

Digital colourist Marina also revealed that while Photoshop is a helpful tool, she still has to build up the different tones by hand.

She said: “The process may seem simple, but it can be very complex and time-consuming. Everything is coloured by hand.

“Photoshop offers me the workspace and the tools, but the rest is all up to me.

“I need to go building up the colours through many different layers for every little detail until the point that I'm satisfied with the general look of the piece.

“It is like a giant colouring book or very similar to the process of traditional paintings.”

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