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Icon Tutorial
by impression
I've been posting a tutorial once a month over in icon-tutorial, and decided I would start posting them here as well since most of them are for anime/manga icons.
Since a lot of people were hoping to see another tutorial from me on my last one, I've put together another series of experiments that you can try. I've picked up one or two new ideas since the last tutorial, so just bear with me this time, eh?
I'll show you how to go from:
to
Experience: Beginner to Interimediate // Basic Photoshop skills needed // Previous Tutorial knowledge
Program used: Photoshop 7 (TRANSLATABLE)
Sources Included
Disclaimer: The following tutorial is not meant to be used exactly step by step with all icons. They are merely different ideas to be applied as the artist sees fit. In other words, don't complain if you followed this tutorial step by step and didn't get the results you wanted. Thank you~
1. Okay, same deal as last time. Open up your source image, take the rectangular select tool, and crop the area you want to icon. Again, I like the obscure angles, but that's up to you.
Edit > Cut the area, then go to File > New and paste the area onto the ...thing.
Go back up to Image > Resize and make it 100x100 so it's the right size for an icon.
2. Allright, I don't really like how that base image looks, so before I even copy it, I'm going to mess around with the contrast until I get something I want to work with. Go up to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast
Now, you'll get a nifty little window that lets you edit the brightness and contrast of your base.
You can fiddle around with it until you get the base how you want it to look. I kind of like how mine came out:
2. Now we're getting into some familiar territory. Go and copy your base so in case you don't like something, you'll always have that original at the bottom.
Go over to the Blending Options on your Layers window, and set it to Overlay to give it a nice, bright glow.
Oops. Looks like we've got that little detail issue again from the last tutorial. Go back to your original base, and go to Filter > Sharpen > Sharpen.
3. Now, to start getting the right colours going, go on up to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation and change the saturation to -35. Make sure it's between the two image layers.
I know, doesn't look like much of a change now, but just wait.
4. On top of all the layers, make a new layer, fill it with white and set it to Overlay with an opacity of 25%. This will not only make it look brighter, but also make sure the new layers we're about to make don't overpower the image.
5. Now, directly under that white layer, make a new layer. Go choose kind of a dark blue colour (it really does matter this time) and fill the layer with it.
Okay, now. This is probably something you've seen in tutorials a million times over, but over in the blending options, go change this blue layer to Exclusion. You don't have to worry about opacity or anything yet.
I know a lot of people wonder just what exactly the "Exclusion" option does, and it's really hard to explain. I know I can't. D: I do know that I like the effect it has on certain images.
6. Allright, we're starting to get there. Now, on top of the Hue/Saturation layer, make one more new layer and fill it with black.
Go and set that layer to Overlay with an opacity of 50%.
Now that'll bring out the lines of the image.
7. Allright, now. Go back to your blue layer, and go change the opacity until it looks how you want it. I changed mine to 67%.
Now that you've done that, Serenity doesn't look so...I can't really remember the word. I'll get back to you on that.
8. Allright. Now, I kind of like her tears, but I wish they'd stand out more. So, go back to your original base layer at the very bottom, and go up to Filter > Render > Lens Flare.
Now, when the new window comes up, you need to choose what level of flare you want, and how bright it'll be. It's hard to judge what the outcome will look like since the "preview" only shows the base layer with nothing else. So, it's kind of a guess and try thing. Keep trying until you find one you like.
When you do this, make sure the little cross thing is on top of whatever you want to stand out. I said I wanted her tears, so I'm putting the target over her tears. Makes sense, no?
I kind of like the result this gave me, so I think I'll stick with it.
9. Man, I kind of wish this icon would have a little more texture than the flat look it's giving me. Let's go open up another texture from Vered. Again, like last time, take your rectangular select tool and get what area you want to use from the texture, then move it over to your icon window.
Ew. Go change the blending option to Overlay. How it looks depends on where exactly you put it in your layers, so just move it around until you get an effect you want. Like last time, I like it right above the original base layer.
10. Now that we've got our image the way we want, it's time to look at text. Change your foreground colour to white and get your text tool. Again, I'm using Times New Roman, but you can choose what font you want for this.
Pick whatever text you want to put for your image. For this? Based on the scene the screencap is from and how she looks, I'm using DESPERATE.
I want this icon to be a little different than normal, so I'm going to go up to Edit > Transform > Rotate 90 degrees CCW. What that'll do is flip the text so it's laying on the back of the "D". After that, I just move it to where I want it.
11. Just like last time, this text isn't really standing out much. But, rather than messing with the look of the icon that we already have by making text area, let's do something else.
On your text layer, go and click that little "f" at the bottom, and go to Drop Shadow.
Now, you'll have to choose where you want the shadow to be going. I like mine going just to the right of the text. To make it look a little nicer, go and change the Distance to 1, and the Size to 0. Over in your working window, you can see a preview of how it'll look.
Allright, almost done with this layer. Now, go and change the Fill however much you need until you like how it looks. Changing the fill only changes how the white part of the layer looks. With the drop shadow there, the text will still be readable.
12. So, you can leave it at that, or you can go my kind of route and add one or two other little things. Go get your text tool again, and make sure you click the white layer so you can change the text size. Make it about four sizes bigger than the font you chose and click anywhere on the image. What are you typing? The traditional "&".
Now, go and repeat steps 10 through 11. Basically, you're rotating the text, moving it just slightly off the image behind the other text, and changing the fill. Only, this time? Do not add a drop shadow.
Now, being the person I am, I just can't leave it at that. If you want to continue, by all means.
13. Allright, now. Click the layer under your text again, and get a font size of 1.5 px. That's right. Tiny text. With this, you can type whatever text you want, no one will know what it says but you. I'm a dork and always use song lyrics that I think fit the image. So, go type it so it's almost the width of the icon, then rotate it and move it just under your original text layer.
You can change the fill on this if you want, I don't really see the need to.
14. Now, all you've got to do is merge your layers together and save the image and you've got a finished icon!
Again, not everything shown here works with all images, so you just have to experiment with how things look.
And again, feel free to use the finished icon. Just be sure to credit seems or safire-icons
x-posted to icon-tutorial.
by impression
I've been posting a tutorial once a month over in icon-tutorial, and decided I would start posting them here as well since most of them are for anime/manga icons.
Since a lot of people were hoping to see another tutorial from me on my last one, I've put together another series of experiments that you can try. I've picked up one or two new ideas since the last tutorial, so just bear with me this time, eh?
I'll show you how to go from:
to
Experience: Beginner to Interimediate // Basic Photoshop skills needed // Previous Tutorial knowledge
Program used: Photoshop 7 (TRANSLATABLE)
Sources Included
Disclaimer: The following tutorial is not meant to be used exactly step by step with all icons. They are merely different ideas to be applied as the artist sees fit. In other words, don't complain if you followed this tutorial step by step and didn't get the results you wanted. Thank you~
1. Okay, same deal as last time. Open up your source image, take the rectangular select tool, and crop the area you want to icon. Again, I like the obscure angles, but that's up to you.
Edit > Cut the area, then go to File > New and paste the area onto the ...thing.
Go back up to Image > Resize and make it 100x100 so it's the right size for an icon.
2. Allright, I don't really like how that base image looks, so before I even copy it, I'm going to mess around with the contrast until I get something I want to work with. Go up to Image > Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast
Now, you'll get a nifty little window that lets you edit the brightness and contrast of your base.
You can fiddle around with it until you get the base how you want it to look. I kind of like how mine came out:
2. Now we're getting into some familiar territory. Go and copy your base so in case you don't like something, you'll always have that original at the bottom.
Go over to the Blending Options on your Layers window, and set it to Overlay to give it a nice, bright glow.
Oops. Looks like we've got that little detail issue again from the last tutorial. Go back to your original base, and go to Filter > Sharpen > Sharpen.
3. Now, to start getting the right colours going, go on up to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Hue/Saturation and change the saturation to -35. Make sure it's between the two image layers.
I know, doesn't look like much of a change now, but just wait.
4. On top of all the layers, make a new layer, fill it with white and set it to Overlay with an opacity of 25%. This will not only make it look brighter, but also make sure the new layers we're about to make don't overpower the image.
5. Now, directly under that white layer, make a new layer. Go choose kind of a dark blue colour (it really does matter this time) and fill the layer with it.
Okay, now. This is probably something you've seen in tutorials a million times over, but over in the blending options, go change this blue layer to Exclusion. You don't have to worry about opacity or anything yet.
I know a lot of people wonder just what exactly the "Exclusion" option does, and it's really hard to explain. I know I can't. D: I do know that I like the effect it has on certain images.
6. Allright, we're starting to get there. Now, on top of the Hue/Saturation layer, make one more new layer and fill it with black.
Go and set that layer to Overlay with an opacity of 50%.
Now that'll bring out the lines of the image.
7. Allright, now. Go back to your blue layer, and go change the opacity until it looks how you want it. I changed mine to 67%.
Now that you've done that, Serenity doesn't look so...I can't really remember the word. I'll get back to you on that.
8. Allright. Now, I kind of like her tears, but I wish they'd stand out more. So, go back to your original base layer at the very bottom, and go up to Filter > Render > Lens Flare.
Now, when the new window comes up, you need to choose what level of flare you want, and how bright it'll be. It's hard to judge what the outcome will look like since the "preview" only shows the base layer with nothing else. So, it's kind of a guess and try thing. Keep trying until you find one you like.
When you do this, make sure the little cross thing is on top of whatever you want to stand out. I said I wanted her tears, so I'm putting the target over her tears. Makes sense, no?
I kind of like the result this gave me, so I think I'll stick with it.
9. Man, I kind of wish this icon would have a little more texture than the flat look it's giving me. Let's go open up another texture from Vered. Again, like last time, take your rectangular select tool and get what area you want to use from the texture, then move it over to your icon window.
Ew. Go change the blending option to Overlay. How it looks depends on where exactly you put it in your layers, so just move it around until you get an effect you want. Like last time, I like it right above the original base layer.
10. Now that we've got our image the way we want, it's time to look at text. Change your foreground colour to white and get your text tool. Again, I'm using Times New Roman, but you can choose what font you want for this.
Pick whatever text you want to put for your image. For this? Based on the scene the screencap is from and how she looks, I'm using DESPERATE.
I want this icon to be a little different than normal, so I'm going to go up to Edit > Transform > Rotate 90 degrees CCW. What that'll do is flip the text so it's laying on the back of the "D". After that, I just move it to where I want it.
11. Just like last time, this text isn't really standing out much. But, rather than messing with the look of the icon that we already have by making text area, let's do something else.
On your text layer, go and click that little "f" at the bottom, and go to Drop Shadow.
Now, you'll have to choose where you want the shadow to be going. I like mine going just to the right of the text. To make it look a little nicer, go and change the Distance to 1, and the Size to 0. Over in your working window, you can see a preview of how it'll look.
Allright, almost done with this layer. Now, go and change the Fill however much you need until you like how it looks. Changing the fill only changes how the white part of the layer looks. With the drop shadow there, the text will still be readable.
12. So, you can leave it at that, or you can go my kind of route and add one or two other little things. Go get your text tool again, and make sure you click the white layer so you can change the text size. Make it about four sizes bigger than the font you chose and click anywhere on the image. What are you typing? The traditional "&".
Now, go and repeat steps 10 through 11. Basically, you're rotating the text, moving it just slightly off the image behind the other text, and changing the fill. Only, this time? Do not add a drop shadow.
Now, being the person I am, I just can't leave it at that. If you want to continue, by all means.
13. Allright, now. Click the layer under your text again, and get a font size of 1.5 px. That's right. Tiny text. With this, you can type whatever text you want, no one will know what it says but you. I'm a dork and always use song lyrics that I think fit the image. So, go type it so it's almost the width of the icon, then rotate it and move it just under your original text layer.
You can change the fill on this if you want, I don't really see the need to.
14. Now, all you've got to do is merge your layers together and save the image and you've got a finished icon!
Again, not everything shown here works with all images, so you just have to experiment with how things look.
And again, feel free to use the finished icon. Just be sure to credit seems or safire-icons
x-posted to icon-tutorial.