Lost tutorial
A tutorial requested at ask the maker at icon_talk. :)
18 steps
Using Photoshop CS5
As usual;
I almost always work with a 200x200 canvas, and since the psd is saved as 100x100, I had to re-create the step by step images, but the outcome should be somewhat the same. :)
The base:
I absolutely love this cap and everything about it.
01. It's too dark, so let's duplicate the base and set it to screen 61%.
02. Too get that monotone coloring later, we need to make it b&w first to preserve the contrast. I use a black&white gradient map.
03. And as (almost) always, I love me some glow. So let's stamp the layers (ctrl+shift+alt+e) and use gaussian blur 14px. Set the layer to soft light.
04. I want more depth in the icon. Gradient fills are great for this. Pick a black&white gradient and set the angle to -164,05 and the layer to soft light. Add a layer mask and erase over her left eye, we don't want it to look like she's got a black eye (but hey, it's Lost).
05. More glow! Repeat step #3.
06. It's time to sharpen. I use paint daubs with both settings on 1 and brush type simple. Re-size the icon to 100x100px.
07. The right side of her neck (lower left corner in the icon) looks too bright to me. Make a new layer and pick a soft edge brush and black color and paint over it. Set the layer to soft light 100%. I also think the upper right corner is a bit too dark, so let's do the same thing but with a white color and the layer on soft light 50%.
08. Now onto the grungy part. Stamp the layers and set it to multiply. Stamp them again, but this time set the layer to screen 49%. See what nice contrast we got now? :)
09. Time to add some color. My favorite way of adding color to b&w icons is through gradient maps. And this is one of my favorite gradient maps: #2f082e on the left and #c33f42 on the right.
10. I think it's too dark, add a brightness/contrast layer with brightness +70.
11. I want it more blue. And because I love variations, let's use it! Click once on more cyan.
12. To make things more interesting, add this texture by raiindust. Set it to soft light.
13. The colors are bit dull, we'll fix that by repeating step 3 again.
14. I think it's too pink, so I'm using variations again (remember to stamp your layers first). Click once on more cyan and once on more green.
15. I want to add another gradient because I think it's pretty. :P Choose a b&w gradient, set the angle to 172 and the layer to soft light. And let's throw in a brightness/contrast layer with brightness +40 as well, as the icon had become a bit dark.
16. It's a teensy bit too bright on the far left side, so pick a soft edge brush, black color and paint over. Set the layer to soft light 50%. (This is just me nit-picking, you can probably just skip this step.)
17. A final brightness/contrast layer with brightness +35. Erase over her right eye.
18. Now I just want a little bit more sharpness. I use high pass (filter>>other>>high pass) 1,5 px. Set the layer to soft light 30%.
And finito!
18 steps
Using Photoshop CS5
As usual;
I almost always work with a 200x200 canvas, and since the psd is saved as 100x100, I had to re-create the step by step images, but the outcome should be somewhat the same. :)
The base:
I absolutely love this cap and everything about it.
01. It's too dark, so let's duplicate the base and set it to screen 61%.
02. Too get that monotone coloring later, we need to make it b&w first to preserve the contrast. I use a black&white gradient map.
03. And as (almost) always, I love me some glow. So let's stamp the layers (ctrl+shift+alt+e) and use gaussian blur 14px. Set the layer to soft light.
04. I want more depth in the icon. Gradient fills are great for this. Pick a black&white gradient and set the angle to -164,05 and the layer to soft light. Add a layer mask and erase over her left eye, we don't want it to look like she's got a black eye (but hey, it's Lost).
05. More glow! Repeat step #3.
06. It's time to sharpen. I use paint daubs with both settings on 1 and brush type simple. Re-size the icon to 100x100px.
07. The right side of her neck (lower left corner in the icon) looks too bright to me. Make a new layer and pick a soft edge brush and black color and paint over it. Set the layer to soft light 100%. I also think the upper right corner is a bit too dark, so let's do the same thing but with a white color and the layer on soft light 50%.
08. Now onto the grungy part. Stamp the layers and set it to multiply. Stamp them again, but this time set the layer to screen 49%. See what nice contrast we got now? :)
09. Time to add some color. My favorite way of adding color to b&w icons is through gradient maps. And this is one of my favorite gradient maps: #2f082e on the left and #c33f42 on the right.
10. I think it's too dark, add a brightness/contrast layer with brightness +70.
11. I want it more blue. And because I love variations, let's use it! Click once on more cyan.
12. To make things more interesting, add this texture by raiindust. Set it to soft light.
13. The colors are bit dull, we'll fix that by repeating step 3 again.
14. I think it's too pink, so I'm using variations again (remember to stamp your layers first). Click once on more cyan and once on more green.
15. I want to add another gradient because I think it's pretty. :P Choose a b&w gradient, set the angle to 172 and the layer to soft light. And let's throw in a brightness/contrast layer with brightness +40 as well, as the icon had become a bit dark.
16. It's a teensy bit too bright on the far left side, so pick a soft edge brush, black color and paint over. Set the layer to soft light 50%. (This is just me nit-picking, you can probably just skip this step.)
17. A final brightness/contrast layer with brightness +35. Erase over her right eye.
18. Now I just want a little bit more sharpness. I use high pass (filter>>other>>high pass) 1,5 px. Set the layer to soft light 30%.
And finito!