Creating a Color Wash Look (feat. DaVinci Resolve)

The Double-Side Technique: An Alternate Approach

In MixingLight Insight 141, Robbie Carman shared his technique for a two-tone color wash using Power Windows for a completely custom approach for this effect.

In this Insight I share an alternate method of achieving the same Look—but with a bit less flexibility. It’s advantage is speed.

Using Resolve’s Generators

I’ll be using DaVinci Resolve’s Generators to provide a base upon which to create our color wash. It’s a technique I haven’t shared before because Resolve doesn’t let us color correct Generators. BUT – at NAB this year I learned how to turn a Generator into a clip. And we can then color grade this generator-turned-clip which quickly and easily lets us create two- and three- tone color washes that can be as forceful or subtle as we wish.

But there is a caveat…

Jumping between Edit and Color Tabs

If there is one disadvantage to this method over Robbie’s method… we can’t get this effect to happen working just within the Color tab. We need to jump into the Edit tab to switch between a clip-level effect that we can’t access in the Color tab… and then we switch back to the Color tab to color correct the clip itself to give us our color wash. Not quite sure what I’m talking about? Watch the video and all will become clear to you.

What do you think of this Insight?

Leave comments below to share your thoughts. Use the Like button up above to let your fellow MixingLight members if you recommend this video.