Tutorial 001: Gollum
This is my first tutorial ever. I used Photoshop 7.0, and you probably can't translate this into Paint Shop Pro as it doesn't have the "Gradient Map" feature.
I started off with this photo. This was my entry for thefirefly.It won second. I cropped it to 100x100 and duplicated the background layer three times. I set the two layers above the BG layer to Screen (since the cap was so dark) and the next one to Soft Light at 50% fill.
Flattened the image and the duplicated the BG layer again and sharpened it TWICE(Filter->Sharpen->Sharpen).
Created a new layer and applied a navy blue fill (#041E5E) to it and set the layer to EXLUSION.
This following technique is a technique that i borrowed from sans_espoir and edited for my own use.
Next i created a nice purple-ish gradient map by going to Layer->New Adjustment Layer->Gradient Map. A box pops up with information and i changed the layer type to Color at a 50% Fill. Another box pops up with gradients and properties at the bottom. I go to the properties part and there are a couple of options: Gradient Type and Smoothness. The default settings are Solid (for Gradient type) and Smoothness. Change Solid to Noise and Smoothness becomes Roughness. Now there are a bunch of coloured lines on your icon. We don't want that so change the roughness to "15". Then you just have to randomize the colours until you get something you like. I got a nice purple-ish tone.
Here is a picture of the gradient properties:
Here was the gradient i chose:
And here was the icon with the gradient:
Just that purple is rather boring, don't you think? So, i add more gradients. I go back to the Layer menu but this time i go to New Fill Layer (Layer->New Fill Layer). The first dialogue box pops up and i choose Multiply for the layer type at 35% fill. Click "OK" and then the next box pops up. I made this gradient from my "Draco King" icon and so i use it for this one.
Here is the gradient:
And here is the icon with the gradient:
It looks a bit dark and boring still so i add another Fill Layer. I set the mode to Color Dodge Opacity 59%. Click "OK". I set the Gradient Type to Noise again and Roughness to 10%. I randomize the colours and find a nice green gradient to use:
On the icon:
That seems a bit too much glow, so i lower the fill to 59%.
That looks too bright, so i add a layer of brown(#5C5307) set to Multiply at 19% Fill.
I like that colour, so that is all i do to the colour of the icons.
Now, for brushes. I love brushes more than anything. I have TONS of them saved on my PS (it loads REALLY slow b/c of it =X). So here is where the fun starts!
crumblingwalls made a post with aged brushes and that is mostly what i use to create a lot of my effects.
I applied an aged brush (colour=#91AB80 found IN the icon) and erased most the parts over Gollum's face. Set that layer to Soft Light:
Here is the icon with that brush:
Used another aged brush by crumblingwalls and set that to Soft Light 68% fill.
And on the icon:
Used another blur brush in color #788092. Set the layer to Hard Light.
On the icon:
I then applied a big star type brush found here i believe and set the layer to Color Burn 73% Opacity 46% Fill.
On the icon:
I applied another lines brush made by quebelly. Set the layer on Color Dodge 52% Fill.
On icon:
Those are all the effects i used on that icon. I tried my best to find all of those brushes for you guys so that you can get the same effect. =)
Now, for text. One thing you must know is I HATE text. Its a pain in the ass for me and i dont like it.
Since, Gollum is wicked i used that for the text of this icon. The color is #97B889.
Here are the properties for the "wicked" text:
Here is the icon:
I didn't think that looked complete, so i added "tricksy and false" in the font Carpenter ICG at 5 pt.
On the icon:
I added one of shagalote's border brushes, set the layer to Soft Light and that was it.
Brush:
The finished icon:
This was my first tutorial, so please tell me what you think and if you found this helpful! =) This also took me over two hours to write so feedback would be great!!
~Sadako
PS- I will be making more tutorials in the future so it is to your advantage to friend this journal (hinthint)
I started off with this photo. This was my entry for thefirefly.It won second. I cropped it to 100x100 and duplicated the background layer three times. I set the two layers above the BG layer to Screen (since the cap was so dark) and the next one to Soft Light at 50% fill.
Flattened the image and the duplicated the BG layer again and sharpened it TWICE(Filter->Sharpen->Sharpen).
Created a new layer and applied a navy blue fill (#041E5E) to it and set the layer to EXLUSION.
This following technique is a technique that i borrowed from sans_espoir and edited for my own use.
Next i created a nice purple-ish gradient map by going to Layer->New Adjustment Layer->Gradient Map. A box pops up with information and i changed the layer type to Color at a 50% Fill. Another box pops up with gradients and properties at the bottom. I go to the properties part and there are a couple of options: Gradient Type and Smoothness. The default settings are Solid (for Gradient type) and Smoothness. Change Solid to Noise and Smoothness becomes Roughness. Now there are a bunch of coloured lines on your icon. We don't want that so change the roughness to "15". Then you just have to randomize the colours until you get something you like. I got a nice purple-ish tone.
Here is a picture of the gradient properties:
Here was the gradient i chose:
And here was the icon with the gradient:
Just that purple is rather boring, don't you think? So, i add more gradients. I go back to the Layer menu but this time i go to New Fill Layer (Layer->New Fill Layer). The first dialogue box pops up and i choose Multiply for the layer type at 35% fill. Click "OK" and then the next box pops up. I made this gradient from my "Draco King" icon and so i use it for this one.
Here is the gradient:
And here is the icon with the gradient:
It looks a bit dark and boring still so i add another Fill Layer. I set the mode to Color Dodge Opacity 59%. Click "OK". I set the Gradient Type to Noise again and Roughness to 10%. I randomize the colours and find a nice green gradient to use:
On the icon:
That seems a bit too much glow, so i lower the fill to 59%.
That looks too bright, so i add a layer of brown(#5C5307) set to Multiply at 19% Fill.
I like that colour, so that is all i do to the colour of the icons.
Now, for brushes. I love brushes more than anything. I have TONS of them saved on my PS (it loads REALLY slow b/c of it =X). So here is where the fun starts!
crumblingwalls made a post with aged brushes and that is mostly what i use to create a lot of my effects.
I applied an aged brush (colour=#91AB80 found IN the icon) and erased most the parts over Gollum's face. Set that layer to Soft Light:
Here is the icon with that brush:
Used another aged brush by crumblingwalls and set that to Soft Light 68% fill.
And on the icon:
Used another blur brush in color #788092. Set the layer to Hard Light.
On the icon:
I then applied a big star type brush found here i believe and set the layer to Color Burn 73% Opacity 46% Fill.
On the icon:
I applied another lines brush made by quebelly. Set the layer on Color Dodge 52% Fill.
On icon:
Those are all the effects i used on that icon. I tried my best to find all of those brushes for you guys so that you can get the same effect. =)
Now, for text. One thing you must know is I HATE text. Its a pain in the ass for me and i dont like it.
Since, Gollum is wicked i used that for the text of this icon. The color is #97B889.
Here are the properties for the "wicked" text:
Here is the icon:
I didn't think that looked complete, so i added "tricksy and false" in the font Carpenter ICG at 5 pt.
On the icon:
I added one of shagalote's border brushes, set the layer to Soft Light and that was it.
Brush:
The finished icon:
This was my first tutorial, so please tell me what you think and if you found this helpful! =) This also took me over two hours to write so feedback would be great!!
~Sadako
PS- I will be making more tutorials in the future so it is to your advantage to friend this journal (hinthint)