I c o n _T u t o r i a l
Program Used: Photoshop Elements 2.0
Note: This tutorial works best on screencaps with dark backgrounds.
ba4ever requested a tutorial for this icon:
Today we are going to make this:
Right-y O then, I hope this makes sense ^_^. We start off with this icon base of Charles Gunn.
1. Whoa, super dark. Duplicate the base three times. Set the first two layers to screen. Then set the top layer to soft light and desaturate(Shft+Ctrl+U) it. Lower the opacity of the top layer to 15% and then merge all layers (Shft+Ctrl+E).
2. Now sharpen the image (Filters>Sharpen>Sharpen). Hint: If the 'sharpen' is too strong for the image don't sharpen directly on it. Duplicate the layer and sharpen the duplicated layer (not the original layer). Then lower the opacity, thus reducing how much the image is sharpened.
3. Create a new layer and fill it with this colour #FAAC4F (anything orange really). Set this layer to mulitply, and reduce the opacity to 30%. Create another new layer and fill it with this colour #4FC8FA(light blue-ish). Set this layer to colour burn and reduce the opacity to 5%. Do not merge layers
4. Copy and paste the layer of Gunn onto another canvas. Resize the image to 80 x 80 (Image>Resize>Image Size).
Then copy and paste(Ctrl+A, Ctrl+C, Ctrl+P) it back onto your original canvas -UNDERNEATH the two coloured layers.
Go back to the second canvas and resize the image to 65 x 65.
And again copy and paste it back onto the original canvas -UNDERNEATH the two coloured layers.
It will end up looking like this:
5. So we now have a big Gunn, a medium Gunn and a small Gunn. Duplicate the small Gunn layer and set it to screen. Reduce the opacity slightly, then merge it down onto the small Gunn layer. If the small Gunn layer has lost its focus from the resizing, sharpen it using the method I mentioned in Step 2. Invert(Ctrl+I) the medium Gunn layer.
6. Create a new layer and add this light stock image by
awmp, which you can find
here.
Set the layer to soft light and reduce the opacity to 73%.
7. Create another new layer and add this light stock image by
awmp,which you can find
here.
Set the layer to hard light.
8. The light effect is a bit too overpowering, but the effect it gives the icon at the top looks good. So we need to bring the good effect down and get rid of the bad. Grab the move tool and stretch the bottom right corner down.
9. Now add text. I used the font 'Violation' and positioned it within the inverted frame. Merge all visble layers and adjust the brightness and contrast for a final touch up.
Final Note: This tutorial was not intended to be followed to a tee. You will need to adjust the settings depending on the condition of your icon base. Opacity is your friend, play around with it.