Spotlight Tutorial // PhotoshopCs
Method 1. 
; Method 2.
I've been seeing questions about the "spotlight" icons, so I thought I'd make a tutorial. There are two different methods that I use, and you can see both below. This is for Photoshop/Cs.
Background Layer
Start out with your base. I forgot to save my original one, so this might look different from the rest.
(click the thumbnail)
Go to Filter >> Render >> Lighting Effects...
Play around until your settings are similar to the ones above. You can decide for yourself on the shape and size of your "spotlight"... by dragging the points on the left of the window where you see the icon. Once you've done that, click OK.
Background Layer
This is what we have now. I can see some of the base behind the black parts, though, so we need to get rid of that.
Background copy
Duplicate this base layer, and set it to soft light. Grab your eraser. Use a size 50px soft brush, and erase what's inside the circle.
Hold down Ctrl (or the apple key for Mac users) and click on this layer in the Layer Palette (Should be called Background Copy or Layer 1). Now it's selected. Invert the selection, Shift+ Ctrl + i. You should see something similar to above.
You can just stop here, or you can continue on.
Layer 1 & Layer 1 copy
Create a new layer. Go to Edit >> Stroke. Pick out the "ring colour" that you want. This will kind of... "glow" on the edge of the spotlight. Set the width to about 5px, the location: outside. If you are super precise in erasing (step 3), and your circle selection is perfect, then make the location: inside. If you choose inside, be sure to blur this afterwards. If you choose outside, you won't need to. Click OK. Now, the blend mode depends on your icon. Sometimes you may need to use Multiply, Screen, Colour Burn, etc. Here, I used Overlay. I then duplicate this layer, and set it to soft light. TA DA. :) Confused?
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Background Layer
Start out with your base. Yada Yada.
Layer 1
Create a new layer and grab your Elliptical Marquee tool. Style: Fixed Aspect Ratio; Width - 1, Height - 1
Make your "spotlight" selection wherever you want to in the icon. Go to Select >> Feather (Alt + Ctrl + D). Feather it to 2px and click OK.
Now invert the selection, Shift+ Ctrl + i. Fill the selection with black.
You don't have to do this, but I like to. It makes it more realistic. Using your Rectangular Marquee tool, select the lower half of the icon. Make sure that you're still in the layer with the black fill. Go to Select >> Feather (Alt + Ctrl + D). Feather it to 8px and click OK.
Go to Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian Blur. Blur it to about 3.4. :) See, I like the way it looks. Also, to make it sharper at the top... After you've blurred the lower half, invert the selection and sharpen the top half about three times.
Layer 2
Now, create a new layer under the black fill. Hold down Ctrl and click on the black fill layer in the Layer Palette, which is probably called Layer 1. Now it should be selected. Once again, invert the selection, Shift+ Ctrl + i. Go to Edit >> Stroke. Pick out the "ring colour" that you want. Set it to 5px and location: inside. Click OK.
Layer 2 & Layer 2 copy
Go to Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian Blur >> 3.4. Once again, the blend mode depends on the icon. I set this layer to Overlay, and duplicated it once.
Confused?
And there you have it. :] I hope it wasn't too confusing.
; Method 2.
I've been seeing questions about the "spotlight" icons, so I thought I'd make a tutorial. There are two different methods that I use, and you can see both below. This is for Photoshop/Cs.
Background Layer
Start out with your base. I forgot to save my original one, so this might look different from the rest.
(click the thumbnail)
Go to Filter >> Render >> Lighting Effects...
Play around until your settings are similar to the ones above. You can decide for yourself on the shape and size of your "spotlight"... by dragging the points on the left of the window where you see the icon. Once you've done that, click OK.
Background Layer
This is what we have now. I can see some of the base behind the black parts, though, so we need to get rid of that.
Background copy
Duplicate this base layer, and set it to soft light. Grab your eraser. Use a size 50px soft brush, and erase what's inside the circle.
Hold down Ctrl (or the apple key for Mac users) and click on this layer in the Layer Palette (Should be called Background Copy or Layer 1). Now it's selected. Invert the selection, Shift+ Ctrl + i. You should see something similar to above.
You can just stop here, or you can continue on.
Layer 1 & Layer 1 copy
Create a new layer. Go to Edit >> Stroke. Pick out the "ring colour" that you want. This will kind of... "glow" on the edge of the spotlight. Set the width to about 5px, the location: outside. If you are super precise in erasing (step 3), and your circle selection is perfect, then make the location: inside. If you choose inside, be sure to blur this afterwards. If you choose outside, you won't need to. Click OK. Now, the blend mode depends on your icon. Sometimes you may need to use Multiply, Screen, Colour Burn, etc. Here, I used Overlay. I then duplicate this layer, and set it to soft light. TA DA. :) Confused?
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------
Background Layer
Start out with your base. Yada Yada.
Layer 1
Create a new layer and grab your Elliptical Marquee tool. Style: Fixed Aspect Ratio; Width - 1, Height - 1
Make your "spotlight" selection wherever you want to in the icon. Go to Select >> Feather (Alt + Ctrl + D). Feather it to 2px and click OK.
Now invert the selection, Shift+ Ctrl + i. Fill the selection with black.
You don't have to do this, but I like to. It makes it more realistic. Using your Rectangular Marquee tool, select the lower half of the icon. Make sure that you're still in the layer with the black fill. Go to Select >> Feather (Alt + Ctrl + D). Feather it to 8px and click OK.
Go to Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian Blur. Blur it to about 3.4. :) See, I like the way it looks. Also, to make it sharper at the top... After you've blurred the lower half, invert the selection and sharpen the top half about three times.
Layer 2
Now, create a new layer under the black fill. Hold down Ctrl and click on the black fill layer in the Layer Palette, which is probably called Layer 1. Now it should be selected. Once again, invert the selection, Shift+ Ctrl + i. Go to Edit >> Stroke. Pick out the "ring colour" that you want. Set it to 5px and location: inside. Click OK.
Layer 2 & Layer 2 copy
Go to Filter >> Blur >> Gaussian Blur >> 3.4. Once again, the blend mode depends on the icon. I set this layer to Overlay, and duplicated it once.
Confused?
And there you have it. :] I hope it wasn't too confusing.