Icon Tutorial #01
purefetish wanted me to make a tutorial and gave me some icons...but some are made with curves and these curves usually only apply to one picture because they depend on the image...so I picked one with no curves. If you want to request a tutorial btw, you can do that at any time. I'm just happy when I can help other people out. :)
For the credit...I'd like to have some...but as long as you refer other people who'd like to see this tutorial to idol_iconized and don't claim it as *your way and idea* by copying the tutorial...I'm happy.
Okay, so today we're going to make this icon.
Now, the thing is - I work here with a cap, so I'm not sure how much it'll work with other pictures, but you might want to adjust the contrast in the end maybe if the work doesn't fit your expectations. I'm gonna try it out at the end of the tutorial. In addition I have to say, that I work with a German PS CS, so I'm not aware of all function translations. If you really can't find the function, lemme know and I'll upload a screencap. If you do this one for the first time, I advise you to use my cap to see if you do everything alright and if it looks the same like my work. But do not plagiarize my work!
Step 1
Get a picture/cap, resize and crop. Because my image is very dark and has no contrast, I duplicate the base twice, set both to screen. On the second duplication, I use the sharpen function. If it's too sharp (you'll see that), use the fading tool. Okay, I have no idea how it's called in the english version, as I'm using the german one. It's basically Shift-CRTL-F. Reduce to 70%-50% maybe, depending on your image quality. Make a new layer. Merge all layers to the new layer: ALT-CRTL-Shift-E. Set that last layer to screen as well.
This is where your work may vary...if your image is already bright, don't do it or only once. If the contrast it high, reduce it, otherwise you won't see the colors later.
This is what I got so far...pretty ugly heh. ^^
And that's my layerwindow.
Step 2
Create a new layer at the top. Fill with #114168, set to exlusion. Opacity 70%.
Another layer. Fill with #8BBEE1, set to soft light. Opacity 100%.
So far...
Layers...
Step 3
New layer, merge all again on the new layer (ALT-CRTL-Shift-E). Set it to burn...I think it's burn...maybe color burn. -.-° Depends on your version of Graphicprogram.
People usually stop here - but I got sick and tired of these pinkish colors so...I opened the colorbalance window (CRTL-B).
Cyan: -100%
Green: 100%
Blue: 100%
So far...
Layers...
Step 4
Wanna stop? Do so. But I want more contrast. New layer. Merge on new layer (ALT-CRTL-Shift-E) and set to (color)burn. Again, if your picture doesn't have much colors, reduce the opacity. Play around, it should work anyhow.
Now we're done with the color work, you can add text, brushes, textures ect. I added some text ("it's in our eyes
it's how we operate"), font violation, size 8pt. I also added some colorstripes. Bright colors, rectangles, circles, whatever, set to screen for some extra colors.
&I was done.
Layers
Remember that your result might vary, depending on your image. I made some examples where I played around with the result because I wasn't happy. I did this AFTER I had followed the tutorial though, not before!
1)
;image
The base image was only duplicated once. At the end I reduced the last burn layer to 60% and set down the contrast and brightness of both base layers (~35%):Layers
2)
;image
Worked fine with duplicating the base once. I only reduced the last burn layer to 50%:Layers
As a final word, I just want to say that whatever you're doing, you should always play with the colorbalance window. It's the tool I use the most often because then i don't need curves - this window does it all.
For the credit...I'd like to have some...but as long as you refer other people who'd like to see this tutorial to idol_iconized and don't claim it as *your way and idea* by copying the tutorial...I'm happy.
Okay, so today we're going to make this icon.
Now, the thing is - I work here with a cap, so I'm not sure how much it'll work with other pictures, but you might want to adjust the contrast in the end maybe if the work doesn't fit your expectations. I'm gonna try it out at the end of the tutorial. In addition I have to say, that I work with a German PS CS, so I'm not aware of all function translations. If you really can't find the function, lemme know and I'll upload a screencap. If you do this one for the first time, I advise you to use my cap to see if you do everything alright and if it looks the same like my work. But do not plagiarize my work!
Step 1
Get a picture/cap, resize and crop. Because my image is very dark and has no contrast, I duplicate the base twice, set both to screen. On the second duplication, I use the sharpen function. If it's too sharp (you'll see that), use the fading tool. Okay, I have no idea how it's called in the english version, as I'm using the german one. It's basically Shift-CRTL-F. Reduce to 70%-50% maybe, depending on your image quality. Make a new layer. Merge all layers to the new layer: ALT-CRTL-Shift-E. Set that last layer to screen as well.
This is where your work may vary...if your image is already bright, don't do it or only once. If the contrast it high, reduce it, otherwise you won't see the colors later.
This is what I got so far...pretty ugly heh. ^^
And that's my layerwindow.
Step 2
Create a new layer at the top. Fill with #114168, set to exlusion. Opacity 70%.
Another layer. Fill with #8BBEE1, set to soft light. Opacity 100%.
So far...
Layers...
Step 3
New layer, merge all again on the new layer (ALT-CRTL-Shift-E). Set it to burn...I think it's burn...maybe color burn. -.-° Depends on your version of Graphicprogram.
People usually stop here - but I got sick and tired of these pinkish colors so...I opened the colorbalance window (CRTL-B).
Cyan: -100%
Green: 100%
Blue: 100%
So far...
Layers...
Step 4
Wanna stop? Do so. But I want more contrast. New layer. Merge on new layer (ALT-CRTL-Shift-E) and set to (color)burn. Again, if your picture doesn't have much colors, reduce the opacity. Play around, it should work anyhow.
Now we're done with the color work, you can add text, brushes, textures ect. I added some text ("it's in our eyes
it's how we operate"), font violation, size 8pt. I also added some colorstripes. Bright colors, rectangles, circles, whatever, set to screen for some extra colors.
&I was done.
Layers
Remember that your result might vary, depending on your image. I made some examples where I played around with the result because I wasn't happy. I did this AFTER I had followed the tutorial though, not before!
1)
;image
The base image was only duplicated once. At the end I reduced the last burn layer to 60% and set down the contrast and brightness of both base layers (~35%):Layers
2)
;image
Worked fine with duplicating the base once. I only reduced the last burn layer to 50%:Layers
As a final word, I just want to say that whatever you're doing, you should always play with the colorbalance window. It's the tool I use the most often because then i don't need curves - this window does it all.