A Crash Course in Textures
The 4 Types of Textures
Program: Photoshop
Uses Blend Modes, but that's about it.
A word of warning first:
This is a general overview of textures. I'm presenting a view that I think might be helpful to someone who's beginning to work with textures, but I encourage deviation from my suggested guidelines. There's no right way to make an icon.
In terms of iconmaking, textures are 100 x 100 graphics that are used with another image to create an icon. They're usually abstracted somewhat, and are often characterized by dots, lines, floral prints, or images of lights, or cracks/dirt/stains (used to give an icon a more grungy feel).
In my experience, there are a few "types" of textures.
Type 1: Lighter textures that you set to Multiply
Type 2: Dark textures that you set to Screen or Lighten
Type 3: Colorful textures that you set to Hue, or maybe Soft Light
Type 4: Busy textures that you paste things on top of, or use as accents.
Below are some examples of each texture type. In almost all the images below, the icon on the left (the texture) is pasted into a blank layer above the image in the middle (the base) and set to a specified Blend Mode in order to create the icon on the right (the completed icon). All texures and icons were created by me.
Type 1:
Here's a great example of a Type 1 Texture: mostly white with a little color.
Here, the texture is set to Multiply...
And here, it's set to Color Burn.
This is also a Type 1: most of the image is white, with some shadow on the side. Type 1s like this look really great with bright and colorful images.
Here the texture is set to Multiply: this is a popular look these days.
Here it's set to screen, which I don't think is as effective as Multiply.
Type 2:
This Type 2 has a lot of a dark color with a sort of 'frame' in a lighter color.
Here, it's set to Lighten. I like this effect a lot.
For a more dramatic and dark look, try setting a Type 2 to Overlay, as I did above.
This is a very classic Type 2: a "light texture". It's mostly dark with some streaks or swirls or spots of a lighter color.
Here it's set to Screen: Screen and Lighten are the most common settings for textures like this.
And here it's set to Saturation.
Type 3:
Type 3s provide color, and this texture is a good example of a Type 3. Type 3s work well with color images, but they're also effective set to Multiply over a black-and-white image.
The texture is set to Soft Light, giving just a hint of color to the base beneath it.
And here it's set to Hue, creating a more artificial effect.
This is one of my favorite textures, and it's very versatile.
Here it is set to Multiply (which is what I usually have it set to)...
and here it's set to Hard Light.
Type 4:
Often Type 4s require more fancy iconmaking. This one is no exception.
Here it's set to Color Burn, but first I erased the part of the texture that was above the lady on the left side of the icon.
Here the whole thing (with no erasing involved) is set to Screen.
This next texture is colorful, but busy enough that I'd put it in Group 4.
The icon on the right involves a partially-erased white layer with the texture underneath it. Often Type 4s end up at the bottom of the Layers stack, set to Normal.
Here, though, I dragged it to the top (and deleted the white layer!) and set it to Overlay.
More Examples of Textures and Types (and textures can cross over between types...):
Type 1:
Type 2:
Type 3:
Type 4:
For more on how to make and use textures, check out my second-most-recent tutorial here.
That's just a basic overview. Once you're comfortable with figuring out what type of texture you're using, try all sorts of blend modes, and then try making a copy of the base and dragging it to the top (above the texture) and setting IT to a different blend modes. The important thing is to have fun and to experiment until you have something you like.
Program: Photoshop
Uses Blend Modes, but that's about it.
A word of warning first:
This is a general overview of textures. I'm presenting a view that I think might be helpful to someone who's beginning to work with textures, but I encourage deviation from my suggested guidelines. There's no right way to make an icon.
In terms of iconmaking, textures are 100 x 100 graphics that are used with another image to create an icon. They're usually abstracted somewhat, and are often characterized by dots, lines, floral prints, or images of lights, or cracks/dirt/stains (used to give an icon a more grungy feel).
In my experience, there are a few "types" of textures.
Type 1: Lighter textures that you set to Multiply
Type 2: Dark textures that you set to Screen or Lighten
Type 3: Colorful textures that you set to Hue, or maybe Soft Light
Type 4: Busy textures that you paste things on top of, or use as accents.
Below are some examples of each texture type. In almost all the images below, the icon on the left (the texture) is pasted into a blank layer above the image in the middle (the base) and set to a specified Blend Mode in order to create the icon on the right (the completed icon). All texures and icons were created by me.
Type 1:
Here's a great example of a Type 1 Texture: mostly white with a little color.
Here, the texture is set to Multiply...
And here, it's set to Color Burn.
This is also a Type 1: most of the image is white, with some shadow on the side. Type 1s like this look really great with bright and colorful images.
Here the texture is set to Multiply: this is a popular look these days.
Here it's set to screen, which I don't think is as effective as Multiply.
Type 2:
This Type 2 has a lot of a dark color with a sort of 'frame' in a lighter color.
Here, it's set to Lighten. I like this effect a lot.
For a more dramatic and dark look, try setting a Type 2 to Overlay, as I did above.
This is a very classic Type 2: a "light texture". It's mostly dark with some streaks or swirls or spots of a lighter color.
Here it's set to Screen: Screen and Lighten are the most common settings for textures like this.
And here it's set to Saturation.
Type 3:
Type 3s provide color, and this texture is a good example of a Type 3. Type 3s work well with color images, but they're also effective set to Multiply over a black-and-white image.
The texture is set to Soft Light, giving just a hint of color to the base beneath it.
And here it's set to Hue, creating a more artificial effect.
This is one of my favorite textures, and it's very versatile.
Here it is set to Multiply (which is what I usually have it set to)...
and here it's set to Hard Light.
Type 4:
Often Type 4s require more fancy iconmaking. This one is no exception.
Here it's set to Color Burn, but first I erased the part of the texture that was above the lady on the left side of the icon.
Here the whole thing (with no erasing involved) is set to Screen.
This next texture is colorful, but busy enough that I'd put it in Group 4.
The icon on the right involves a partially-erased white layer with the texture underneath it. Often Type 4s end up at the bottom of the Layers stack, set to Normal.
Here, though, I dragged it to the top (and deleted the white layer!) and set it to Overlay.
More Examples of Textures and Types (and textures can cross over between types...):
Type 1:
Type 2:
Type 3:
Type 4:
For more on how to make and use textures, check out my second-most-recent tutorial here.
That's just a basic overview. Once you're comfortable with figuring out what type of texture you're using, try all sorts of blend modes, and then try making a copy of the base and dragging it to the top (above the texture) and setting IT to a different blend modes. The important thing is to have fun and to experiment until you have something you like.