A Comprehensive Method for Example-Based Color Transfer with Holistic–Local Balancing and Unit-Wise Riemannian Information Gradient Acceleration

Abstract

Color transfer, an essential technique in image editing, has recently received significant attention. However, achieving a balance between holistic color style transfer and local detail refinement remains a challenging task. This paper proposes an innovative color transfer method, named BHL, which stands for Balanced consideration of both Holistic transformation and Local refinement. The BHL method employs a statistical framework to address the challenge of achieving a balance between holistic color transfer and the preservation of fine details during the color transfer process. Holistic color transformation is achieved using optimal transport theory within the generalized Gaussian modeling framework. The local refinement module adjusts color and texture details on a per-pixel basis using a Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM). To address the high computational complexity inherent in complex statistical modeling, a parameter estimation method called the unit-wise Riemannian information gradient (uRIG) method is introduced. The uRIG method significantly reduces the computational burden through the second-order acceleration effect of the Fisher information metric. Comprehensive experiments demonstrate that the BHL method outperforms state-of-the-art techniques in both visual quality and objective evaluation criteria, even under stringent time constraints. Remarkably, the BHL method processes high-resolution images in an average of 4.874 s, achieving the fastest processing time compared to the baselines. The BHL method represents a significant advancement in the field of color transfer, offering a balanced approach that combines holistic transformation and local refinement while maintaining efficiency and high visual quality.