Drawing colored bufferedImages on greyscale BufferedImages

Question

I create a BufferedImage from a base black and white image like this:
image = new ImageIcon(image).getImage();
BufferedImage bimage =  new BufferedImage(image.getWidth(null), image.getHeight(null), BufferedImage.TYPE_INT_RGB);
Graphics g = bimage.createGraphics();
g.drawImage(image, 0, 0, null);Image renders just fine in a JFrame
I then take a color image (a .png icon file) and run it through the same process (it retains its color when test drawn on a JFrame) and then draw the resulting BufferedImage from the icon file on the original image using the g.draw(BufferedImage) method. This resulting image has the icon on it, but the icon, which was originally in color, is now in greyscale. How do I draw color images on top of black and white images and retain the color in the overlay? I have tried using the ConvertColorOp on the overlay inside the draw call and that does not do anything. Any help is greatly appreciated

Answer 1

I then take a color image (a .png icon file) and run it through the same process (it retains its color when test drawn on a JFrame) and then draw the resulting BufferedImage from the icon file on the original image using the g.draw(BufferedImage) method. This resulting image has the icon on it, but the icon, which was originally in color, is now in greyscale.This requires an SSCCE. I don't really understand it: you draw colored image #1 onto #2. Then you draw #2 back onto #1, and #1 is now gray? Under normal circumstances this is impossible. But I'm probably just misunderstanding you. Hence the need for an SSCCE.
How do I draw color images on top of black and white images and retain the color in the overlay?This I can answer: you can't. A black and white image can only contain the colors black and white. You would need to create a new image and draw the black and white one and the colored one onto the new image.