Tutorial #1
So I was asked to do some stuff over at ATM on icon_talk and the first tutorial was for by fouroux. Because I don't save .psds, I have tried to recreate the icon using my usual processes, it doesn't really look like the original but you get the gist lol
->
->
#1 - I choose my screencap. For this icon I chose this screencap of Jess from True Blood because I love her and I load it into Photoshop. I use CS4 btw
#2 - Next I duplicate the screencap onto a 200x200px canvas. I always work in 200x200 and then zoom in when I am working on colouring. So I just move the screencap about, resizing as I go until I find the right composition
#3 - So now its clear that I will have to erase the background as I am working with negative space so I apply a layer mask and with quite a large brush, paint over most of the background then zoom in, reduce the paint brush size and go along the edges.
Once I finish masking the layer, I use Gaussian Blue just to soften the edges of the image, it's usually 0.4 or something.
#4 - Now I choose and place my textures in the background. I am using this, this and this texture from vikyvampirs90. It's just a case of moving them about and finding a good composition. I made the original icon as an entry for the complex round at 20inspirations so I probably wouldn't have made it otherwise lol
#5 - Now I stamp my layers together to form the base of my icon. Now I duplicate and screen a layer and then duplicate and use Gaussian Blur on a layer to create some contrast as I set it to soft light. I usually use 0.5 of blur. I adjust opacity of layers accordingly.
#6 - I create a curves layer, just to brighten the image and create a bit more contrast again. Values vary between icons.
#7 - I create a new layer and with a round brush, about 8px in size and with a beige colour, I create lightblobs to add some softness to the light areas of the icons. I blur the layer and adjust the opacity of the layer.
#8 - I use a colour balance layer to adjust the colouring to my liking. I usually enhance the colours already present in the icon.
#9 - I use another curves layer as well as a selective colouring layer to just slightly tweak the reds and yellows.
#10 - I apply a gradient map on soft light to create some more colour. I usually use the preset orange and red one found in the gradient map menu. I adjust the opacity accordingly.
#11 - I create another layer of light blobs to soften the icon.
#12 - I create a new layer and paint different colours onto it to create more vibrant colouring. I usually use colours already present in the icon. I blur the layer, move the layer just above that of the original screencap and adjust the opacity accordingly.
#13 - I stamp my layers together, Gaussian Blur to 5.0 and set to soft light. I learnt this trick from one of endearest's tutorials ages ago and have never looked back lol and as always, I adjust the opacity accordingly.
#14 - I use Curves and a Brightness/Contrast layer to help bring up the whites and just put the finishing touches to the icon. I then stamp the layers and apply a Surface Blur filter, adjust the opacity, stamp another layer and sharpen. I usually then fade the sharpen to 60% then resize to 100px and Save for Web and Devices as a .png.
#15 - That was that, then I realised that the colouring of my recreation was so different from the original so I used another selective colouring layer to try and attain the colours of the original but didn't really get there lol
So that's my first ever tutorial completed, it's probably terrible and I might try to do something else for the other tutorials I have to do but hopefully you can get the gist of what I am trying to do :-)
->
->
#1 - I choose my screencap. For this icon I chose this screencap of Jess from True Blood because I love her and I load it into Photoshop. I use CS4 btw
#2 - Next I duplicate the screencap onto a 200x200px canvas. I always work in 200x200 and then zoom in when I am working on colouring. So I just move the screencap about, resizing as I go until I find the right composition
#3 - So now its clear that I will have to erase the background as I am working with negative space so I apply a layer mask and with quite a large brush, paint over most of the background then zoom in, reduce the paint brush size and go along the edges.
Once I finish masking the layer, I use Gaussian Blue just to soften the edges of the image, it's usually 0.4 or something.
#4 - Now I choose and place my textures in the background. I am using this, this and this texture from vikyvampirs90. It's just a case of moving them about and finding a good composition. I made the original icon as an entry for the complex round at 20inspirations so I probably wouldn't have made it otherwise lol
#5 - Now I stamp my layers together to form the base of my icon. Now I duplicate and screen a layer and then duplicate and use Gaussian Blur on a layer to create some contrast as I set it to soft light. I usually use 0.5 of blur. I adjust opacity of layers accordingly.
#6 - I create a curves layer, just to brighten the image and create a bit more contrast again. Values vary between icons.
#7 - I create a new layer and with a round brush, about 8px in size and with a beige colour, I create lightblobs to add some softness to the light areas of the icons. I blur the layer and adjust the opacity of the layer.
#8 - I use a colour balance layer to adjust the colouring to my liking. I usually enhance the colours already present in the icon.
#9 - I use another curves layer as well as a selective colouring layer to just slightly tweak the reds and yellows.
#10 - I apply a gradient map on soft light to create some more colour. I usually use the preset orange and red one found in the gradient map menu. I adjust the opacity accordingly.
#11 - I create another layer of light blobs to soften the icon.
#12 - I create a new layer and paint different colours onto it to create more vibrant colouring. I usually use colours already present in the icon. I blur the layer, move the layer just above that of the original screencap and adjust the opacity accordingly.
#13 - I stamp my layers together, Gaussian Blur to 5.0 and set to soft light. I learnt this trick from one of endearest's tutorials ages ago and have never looked back lol and as always, I adjust the opacity accordingly.
#14 - I use Curves and a Brightness/Contrast layer to help bring up the whites and just put the finishing touches to the icon. I then stamp the layers and apply a Surface Blur filter, adjust the opacity, stamp another layer and sharpen. I usually then fade the sharpen to 60% then resize to 100px and Save for Web and Devices as a .png.
#15 - That was that, then I realised that the colouring of my recreation was so different from the original so I used another selective colouring layer to try and attain the colours of the original but didn't really get there lol
So that's my first ever tutorial completed, it's probably terrible and I might try to do something else for the other tutorials I have to do but hopefully you can get the gist of what I am trying to do :-)