2013 - tutorial #1 & tutorial #2
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Requested by: kayable & kirtash_girl
Program: PS CS5
Translatable: Unfortunately not, due to an extreme abuse of Vibrance layers, among other tools.
[Dianna Agron Tutorial]
So probably important to note - half of this (up to the blurring and sharpening) was actually made in a 200x200 size canvas. However as there were no strange or wacky happenings I left the images as 100x100 for ease. So where there are larger than icon sized textured involved, they haven't been resized or cropped unless noted.
The base layer remains untouched. I copy the base layer, use the Topaz Filter (Crisp) and lower the opacity to 30%. I then copy merge this layer, paste a new image on top and use either Variations (to whatever degree) or Auto Curves. I honestly can't tell which layers have been used here, there is minimal distinction - but one was used and the the other was used.
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The true secret to the colours of this icon is the Vibrance tool available in PS. It gives such an intense colour, and can be enhanced even more when adding Saturation into the mix as well. The settings for the first layer are: +50 Vibrance, +20 Saturation. This layer is set to normal, duplicated, and the second Vibrance layer is set to colour.
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I then copy merged the icon, pasted a new layer on top and I think used variations to enhance the yellow tones - then set the layer to 50% opacity.
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I was still obsessing over the yellow (because it calls to me) so I used a Deep Yellow Photo Filter layer next, followed by a Hue/Saturation layer (Master: Hue: 0, Saturation: +20, Light: +5) to amp up the vibrancy a little more.
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The second secret? Textures to add even more colour. This texture by mm3butterfly was set to Screen at 100% opacity. This texture by unknown was set to Overlay at 50% opacity, and this texture by mm3butterfly was set to Screen at 80% opacity, with a slight mask layer over the left side.
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After this I added some Selective Colour layers to enhance the main colours of the icon. The first layer was to play with the yellows, blues and purple tones (Yellows: Magenta: -5, Yellow: +30, Blues: Red: +100, Magenta: -15, Yellow: -40 & Magentas: Magenta: +50, Yellow: +35). Then just to make sure the yellows popped out, I added a second Selective Colour layer playing with the Yellows yellow only, at +35.
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In case it wasn't vibrant enough, I added another Vibrance layer with the following settings: Vibrance: +50, Saturation: +10, and I then added this texture by mm3butterfly, set to Soft Light at 21% opacity.
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Now to text. I resized and inverted this texture by jaehos@tumblr then set it to Screen at 100% opacity. I then used the font OpenDyslexic to create quotation marks, using brighter versions of colours prominent in the icon.
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To finish, I copy merged the icon and pasted it on top. This layer was Gaussian blurred (at a low level) and set to 25% opacity. The icon was copy merged again, and this layer was Sharpened and was set to 75% opacity.
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A final vibrance layer was added (Vibrance: +50), followed by a Brightness/Contrast layer (Brightness: +5), then to provide a slight blur I copy merged everything, used the Crosshatch filter on a low setting, and set the layer to 15% opacity.
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Requested by: kirtash_girl
Program: PS CS5
Translatable: Probably not again. I swear I quit this Vibrance abuse for a little while.
[Revenge Tutorial]
I began with a 200x200 pixel image (which is something I generally do) because I didn't really know where I wanted the icon to go. The base layer remains untouched, the second layer is filtered with the Topaz Filter (Crisp) and lower the opacity to 30%. I then copy merge this layer, paste a new image on top and use either Variations (to whatever degree) or Auto Curves. I honestly can't tell which layers have been used here, there is minimal distinction - but one was used and the the other was used. The aim however, was to bring some richer yellow tones into the icon rather than the reds that were prominent in the image.
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I then wanted to bring a softer feel to the right side of the image, which would help focus on Emily rather than the busy background. Using #adc3a3, I painted over the background in two canvases, setting the layers to 50% each.
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After this, I took this texture by pamkips and set it to screen at 100% opacity to add some more colour and to continue to remove the people from the background.
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Several adjustment layers were then used to intensity the colour. A Vibrance layer (Vibrance: +50, Saturation: +20), a Curves layer (RGB channel point, simply to lighten the icon), a Photo Filter layer of Deep Blue, a Selective Colour layer (Yellows: Cyan: -14, Magenta: +15, Yellow: +40; Greens: Yellow: -100, Cyans: Magenta: -100, Yellow: -100) and a Black & White layer set to Soft Light at 11% opacity.
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To bring some blue back into the icon, I added a gradient of #67eafa to the left side of the icon at 50% opacity, followed by this texture by mm3butterfly set to Soft Light at 25% opacity, and this texture also by mm3butterfly, flipped vertically and set to screen at 100% opacity.
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More adjustment layers for brighter colours. A Hue/Saturation layer (Master: Hue: +2, Saturation: +20, Lightness: +5), a Photo Filter layer (Cooling Filter 52, with the right half masked), a Brightness/Contrast layer (Brightness: +5), and a Vibrance layer (Vibrance: +20).
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At this stage I wanted to lighten the icon a little, so I added this texture by mm3butterfly, set to Saturation at 10%, added a gradient of #c1a577 to the right side of the icon and set it to Soft Light at 50% opacity, and added a final curves layer to add some final lightness.
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I wasn't happy with the top half of the icon, so when I began to resize, I cropped some out and resized to this. I felt the yellow and blue needed to stand out more, so I added one Selective Colour adjustment layer (Yellows: Yellow: +100) set to 47% opacity, to enrich the colours of her hair, while masking away the area on her face, and a second Cyans: Cyan: +50, Magenta: +100, Yellow: -100) to brighten the Cyan tones.
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This texture by myself was then set to Soft Light at 20% opacity, then a Channel Mixer adjustment layer (Output Channel Blue: Green: +5) was added and set to 60% opacity.
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I wanted to add text, and the symbol that represents this show wholeheartedly is that of Infinity. I didn't have any exact symbols on hand, so I used Pirmokas font to make an 8, then rotated it 90 degrees clockwise, and duplicated the layer to make it stand out. The bottom font layer colour is #6b693d, while the top is #f8ed09.
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Final touches are a Brightness/Contrast layer (Brightness: +5) and a Vibrance layer (Vibrance: +30, Saturation: +5).
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