Tutorial #2
Requested by herinia & dragonsquee (I'm sorry I didn't tutorialize the variation of this one like you asked for... this one was already so long :()
to
Made with Photoshop CS3. Is graphic heavy with a lot of steps and involves selective colouring.
Start off with our base. Now, because the base is so dull, I use a Curves Adjustment Layer to bring out the blues and give a tad bit more life.
Next thing I want to do is lighten the image a bit, so I duplicate my base, bring it to the top and set the blending mode to Screen and lower the opacity to 20%. Then I add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer with a value of +27. Because the base image is so light to start off with, my screen layer needs to be at a lower opacity and my hue/saturation value should be high.
Create a new layer and fill with #021948 and set to Exclusion, 100%.
Add a new layer and fill with #4B0D0D and set to Exclusion and lower to opacity. I lowered mine to around 34%, but it's really up to you how much you lower the opacity.
Fill another new layer with #D2F1FE, and set to Color Burn, 100%.
Add a new layer and fill with #FDC2D9, set to Soft Light, 50-80%.
I added an extra colour layer this time: #ABD2DD on Soft Light, 100%. This was the first real step towards giving the icon the bright, blue color scheme I had wanted.
Enough with the colour layers eh? So next I duplicate my base twice and bring both layers to the top. Set the blending mode of the first layer (the bottom one) Multiply, 10% to darken the icon a bit. Now set the blending mode of the second layer (the top one) to Soft Light, 100%.
As my icon is looking ridiculously washed out, it's time for me to use adjustment layers to solve this problem. First up, I use a combination of a Colour Balance Layer and a Selective Colour Layer to get rid of the washed out effect and give me something I can work with.
Now I'm not too happy with this yet. I don't like how monotone the blues are and Takanari's skin is much too pale. So next I add two Channel Mixer Layers to give his skin nicer tones and to lighten the blues a bit. Then I add a Levels Layer to lighten the image.
Before I add some light textures, I darken the icon a bit by adding a colour layer with #E5E5E5 set on Multiply, 30%. Now I grab a texture by _iconographer. A texture like this can create a nice gradient effect and add depth to an icon when set to Soft Light. So that's what I did, only I rotated the texture and played with the opacity. And of course, I duplicate the texture and set to Screen, and lowered the opacity to 50%.
Another light texture by soaked set to Screen, 59%
Last texture, I promise. I take a texture by _iconographer, set to Screen, 56%. At this point, the icon's look washed out because of the textures, so duplicate the base and bring it to the top and set to Soft Light, 63%.
Again I bring out the adjustment layers. First a Channel Mixer Layer to give life to Takanari's skin tones. Second, two Selective Colour Layers to enhance the colours of the icon. Lastly, a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer
Again I bring out the adjustment layers. First a Channel Mixer Layer to give life to Takanari's skin tones. Second, two Selective Colour Layers to enhance the colours of the icon. Lastly, a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer
Almost done! I Select > All (Ctrl + A), Copy Merged and Paste. You basically get a new layer that looks exactly like your icon; I like to do this instead of merging everything in case you need to go back and change something. Anyways, set to Soft Light and lower the opacity. Next I add a Gaussian Blur of about 2-3 pixels. And my last touch is a Selective Colour Layer (I know I love this tool... I'm sorry). And I'm done!!!
As always, tutorials require experimentation as results will vary depending on your image and the settings you use. Feel free to ask any questions, give feedback or show me your results. Please remember that tutorials are meant to be guides and not copied like a recipe book, hence no adjustment layer values. :3
Watch amarylis?
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to
Made with Photoshop CS3. Is graphic heavy with a lot of steps and involves selective colouring.
Start off with our base. Now, because the base is so dull, I use a Curves Adjustment Layer to bring out the blues and give a tad bit more life.
Next thing I want to do is lighten the image a bit, so I duplicate my base, bring it to the top and set the blending mode to Screen and lower the opacity to 20%. Then I add a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer with a value of +27. Because the base image is so light to start off with, my screen layer needs to be at a lower opacity and my hue/saturation value should be high.
Create a new layer and fill with #021948 and set to Exclusion, 100%.
Add a new layer and fill with #4B0D0D and set to Exclusion and lower to opacity. I lowered mine to around 34%, but it's really up to you how much you lower the opacity.
Fill another new layer with #D2F1FE, and set to Color Burn, 100%.
Add a new layer and fill with #FDC2D9, set to Soft Light, 50-80%.
I added an extra colour layer this time: #ABD2DD on Soft Light, 100%. This was the first real step towards giving the icon the bright, blue color scheme I had wanted.
Enough with the colour layers eh? So next I duplicate my base twice and bring both layers to the top. Set the blending mode of the first layer (the bottom one) Multiply, 10% to darken the icon a bit. Now set the blending mode of the second layer (the top one) to Soft Light, 100%.
As my icon is looking ridiculously washed out, it's time for me to use adjustment layers to solve this problem. First up, I use a combination of a Colour Balance Layer and a Selective Colour Layer to get rid of the washed out effect and give me something I can work with.
Now I'm not too happy with this yet. I don't like how monotone the blues are and Takanari's skin is much too pale. So next I add two Channel Mixer Layers to give his skin nicer tones and to lighten the blues a bit. Then I add a Levels Layer to lighten the image.
Before I add some light textures, I darken the icon a bit by adding a colour layer with #E5E5E5 set on Multiply, 30%. Now I grab a texture by _iconographer. A texture like this can create a nice gradient effect and add depth to an icon when set to Soft Light. So that's what I did, only I rotated the texture and played with the opacity. And of course, I duplicate the texture and set to Screen, and lowered the opacity to 50%.
Another light texture by soaked set to Screen, 59%
Last texture, I promise. I take a texture by _iconographer, set to Screen, 56%. At this point, the icon's look washed out because of the textures, so duplicate the base and bring it to the top and set to Soft Light, 63%.
Again I bring out the adjustment layers. First a Channel Mixer Layer to give life to Takanari's skin tones. Second, two Selective Colour Layers to enhance the colours of the icon. Lastly, a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer
Again I bring out the adjustment layers. First a Channel Mixer Layer to give life to Takanari's skin tones. Second, two Selective Colour Layers to enhance the colours of the icon. Lastly, a Brightness/Contrast Adjustment Layer
Almost done! I Select > All (Ctrl + A), Copy Merged and Paste. You basically get a new layer that looks exactly like your icon; I like to do this instead of merging everything in case you need to go back and change something. Anyways, set to Soft Light and lower the opacity. Next I add a Gaussian Blur of about 2-3 pixels. And my last touch is a Selective Colour Layer (I know I love this tool... I'm sorry). And I'm done!!!
As always, tutorials require experimentation as results will vary depending on your image and the settings you use. Feel free to ask any questions, give feedback or show me your results. Please remember that tutorials are meant to be guides and not copied like a recipe book, hence no adjustment layer values. :3
Watch amarylis?
Resources
Affiliates