NUMBER SEVENTY Q&A A TEXTGUIDE
Sorry, it took me so long to do this, but I was quiet busy with school and rl, you know..
I have been asked to do a text guide (by nastyakireeva) and what my favourite textures are (which will be another guide) I am not certain if this will be any helpful, but here it is anyway :)
MAIN TIPS/TECHNIQUES:
COLOURS:
#0 If you haven't used much colourful text yet, go try it out! There are so many pretty colours, so why neglecting them? You won't regret it :)
#1 Using colours that are in the icon itself is something I do quiet often. That way it fits the colourscheme and usually looks nice :)
#2 If you have three lines, you could make each a different tone of the colour you want to use. But make sure your icon itself isn't already too coloutful.
#3 When your icon is very colourful there are two ways to make your text stand out:
#3.1Try using neutral colours. White is an option but also try other light/dark colours that may fit. Just be aware that there are other options to make your text stand out than just some white letters.
#3.2. Make it even more colourful by using colours you haven't used in the icon yet and make them pop out! RAINBOW TIME :D
FOR COLOURSCHEMES: If you are using PS CS4 (not sure if older version have it) you can use the little program calles KULER which can be found here: Window>Extensions>Kuler
You can type in keywords there and it will give you shitloads of colourschemes which are just so fabolous *-* Try it out!
TECHNIQUES:
#4 If you think you have found a colour that fits the icon perfectly but you can't read all of the written clearly or think it looks a bit boring, try adding a dropshadow that's a bit darker/lighter/different colour than the font colour itself. It really helps!
#5 If you're working in PS, play around with the layer modes maybe you will find something that looks much more interesting than when it's set to 'normal'. :)
(set to soft light)
COMPOSITION:
#6 Comosition, placement and WHAT YOU WRITE play a huge part in this, so let's try and find some easy ways to do this:
#6.1 Find text that perhaps describes the person you're iconing or something they say often. You can also write lyrics down or maybe just a symbol? (Example: The house sigils if you make a Game of Thrones icon) but don't only put their name on the icon. It seems a bit uncreative (at least to me) and can ruin an amazing icon, tbh. Remember: text makes others look closer at the icon (to read the what's written there, obsviously). If you only write down their names people don't read it, because it's clear at first sight.
#6.2. Make individual layers for each word and try moving them around to find out what looks interesting. Also make the most important words of the written another colour/size. I think it looks great if you have only those words coloured and the rest black/white. But that's up to you for sure.
Possible options of pimping your text: different angle of rotation, different sizes, different blending modes, spherizing etc.
#6.3 Never place your text on a busy part of your icon! Try to find a neutral area (for example a dark part or one that's very light.) Also try not to cover parts like eyes or hand gestures etc. because it looks weird. (If you intend to cover those it's okay of course :D) If you are iconing the profile of someone you can place your words on the back of the head (like in the examples) or if you have lots of negative space, place it above the person, or next to it. Like it pleases you :)
FONTS:
#7 Play around with fonts! There are so many available -standart and free downloads. A fancy font can make or brake an icon, tbh. Just try some out :) (A good font source is dafont
My favourite fonts:
QUESTIONS & ANSWERES: (by my dear friend vampire_sessah)
What makers inspire you most?
I usually get inspired by all I see on LJ. Everywhere are very cool colour combinations, crops and blendings. But these are some of the makers that really inspire me:
hiparion His colourings and blockings are so amazing and he always comes up with something new and very original!
sarisafari Her Game of Thrones and Harry Potter icons inspired me a lot the past months. She has a very orginal style and everything is always so creative and colourful! But also the monochromic icons of hers seem to have started a new trend. *-*
saxify To me a very new iconer around here but from the very first post I loved what she did and also that name is something you just have to keep in mind. I feel like I use more grungy and spacey textures since I have found out about her icons.
vetica His one Lost icon (the one that is blurry in the foreground and sharp in the beackground) made me want to get such pretty colours too (yes, a pretty sepia) but I haven't made it yet. It's imposible! He also has pretty nice colours in his actual coloured icons. I also started sharpening mine more often since I noticed everyone seemed to like that if it's not too sharpened (I was always afraid people would complain about that, if I did.)
vampire_sessah I love how she always tries out new things and finds out new techniques. And she always helps me choosing which of my alternates look best and gives me advice and tips on how my icons might look better when I am not certain /already despairing/ what to do anymore :D
wildpages BECAUSE SHE MAKES ME WANT TO KEEP ON MAKING QAF ICONS INSTEAD OF QUITTING BECAUSE THE CAPS ARE DOING MY HEAD IN :D And because her icons are super pretty!
fuuurs Because she makes such amazing textures and her icons are super inspiring, especially the Misfits and Skins ones <3
And tons more! If I wrote about every of them I'd still be sitting here tomorrow! :D
Do you have an inspiration folder?
Yes, I do. It's not that full of icons yet, because I always forget to save the ones I like, but here's what's in there. (If any of you wants a dl-link feel free to ask)
That's it :) Hope it helped :D
Previous Iconpost: (23rd Januray)
CAN BE FOUND HEREEE :D