Monochrome coloring guide + icon tutorial
A super-late, requested guide to monochrome coloring along with a specific tutorial for one icon. :)
A tutorial for this icon:
Let's start with the tutorial, which shows the way I usually make monochrome icons, with gradient maps.
Base:
This might look hard to work with and a bit low quality, but the heavy shadows are perfect for a monochrome coloring.
When you do monochrome colorings, you've sort of got to make it look less, well, monochrome. Idk if you get what I mean. :P
Basically something to make the icon look interesting and not boring. And I love deep shadows.
Step 1:
Because it's so dark, I duplicated the base twice and set both layers to Screen.
2:
My favorite way of adding monochrome coloring to icons: Gradient maps.
I think this might be my favorite gradient:
Color codes: #261127 and #e21232
Make the gradient of your choice and use it as a gradient map (layer>> new adjustment layer>> gradient map).
3. When you use gradient maps you can often lose details in your image. This is why sharpening is necessary.
Stamp your layers (alt+ctrl+shit+e), and use a sharpening method of your choice. I use Paint Daubs, and since I always start working on a 200x200 canvas, when I re-size to 100x100 it looks perfectly sharp (to me) and to too sharp which it can look at 200x200. I have a sharpening guide here if you want to learn about my different ways of sharpening. :)
4.
It's a bit too dark, so I use a brightness/contrast layer with brightness +10.
5.
Now the text, which I wanted to be tiny so it wouldn't be distracting from the rest of the icon, but still readable. This text, along with the texture in the next step "breaks" with the monochrome in the icon, creating a contrast, so that the icon doesn't look bland. I think monochrome icons need something like this, but not always of course.
The font is Splurge, text size 8, anti-alias sharp, tracking (the space between the letters) is 200.
6.
The final step! A wanted to add light texture, for the same reason as stated above.
I used this texture:
by lemonpunch
I think it's a fantastic texture. It's so great to use when you feel like your icon lacking just one little thing to be complete.
Set it to Screen 45% opacity.
I didn't like the really white parts (lower right, upper right), so I added a layer mask and erased those parts.
And it's finished! Simple, right?
As always, if you have any questions, just ask! :)
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Gradient maps are fantastic, because you can use so many different color combinations!
Some examples with the gradient on top, icon on bottom. (I've included a .zip file with my favorite gradients, along with examples, further down in the post. :)
But, what shall we do after this? Well, I like to play around with lighting and textures. And sometimes, if I'm not happy with the color of the icon, I use variations and click around until I find something I'm happy with.
Let's take the first example:
It's a bit boring, so lets add some textures.
First I used the blue part of this texture by accio_glow, blurred on Soft Light.
And then this texture by accio_glow.
I used the texture twice, both times on Screen, but on varying opacities and different parts of the texture.
This is after some sharpening and a little brightening.
You can use more sharpening than usual when you're using gradient maps like these. I just think it fits. :P
I'm not sure what more to say, because this is how I usually do my monochrome icons.
You can also use different gradient maps on different opacities in the same icon to get other colors out. And you can always use curves and other adjustment layers after you've added the gradient maps to alter colors and such.
Here's a zip file with my favorite gradients (I made them, but you don't need to credit, as they're really easy to make :P).
A tutorial for this icon:
Let's start with the tutorial, which shows the way I usually make monochrome icons, with gradient maps.
Base:
This might look hard to work with and a bit low quality, but the heavy shadows are perfect for a monochrome coloring.
When you do monochrome colorings, you've sort of got to make it look less, well, monochrome. Idk if you get what I mean. :P
Basically something to make the icon look interesting and not boring. And I love deep shadows.
Step 1:
Because it's so dark, I duplicated the base twice and set both layers to Screen.
2:
My favorite way of adding monochrome coloring to icons: Gradient maps.
I think this might be my favorite gradient:
Color codes: #261127 and #e21232
Make the gradient of your choice and use it as a gradient map (layer>> new adjustment layer>> gradient map).
3. When you use gradient maps you can often lose details in your image. This is why sharpening is necessary.
Stamp your layers (alt+ctrl+shit+e), and use a sharpening method of your choice. I use Paint Daubs, and since I always start working on a 200x200 canvas, when I re-size to 100x100 it looks perfectly sharp (to me) and to too sharp which it can look at 200x200. I have a sharpening guide here if you want to learn about my different ways of sharpening. :)
4.
It's a bit too dark, so I use a brightness/contrast layer with brightness +10.
5.
Now the text, which I wanted to be tiny so it wouldn't be distracting from the rest of the icon, but still readable. This text, along with the texture in the next step "breaks" with the monochrome in the icon, creating a contrast, so that the icon doesn't look bland. I think monochrome icons need something like this, but not always of course.
The font is Splurge, text size 8, anti-alias sharp, tracking (the space between the letters) is 200.
6.
The final step! A wanted to add light texture, for the same reason as stated above.
I used this texture:
by lemonpunch
I think it's a fantastic texture. It's so great to use when you feel like your icon lacking just one little thing to be complete.
Set it to Screen 45% opacity.
I didn't like the really white parts (lower right, upper right), so I added a layer mask and erased those parts.
And it's finished! Simple, right?
As always, if you have any questions, just ask! :)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Gradient maps are fantastic, because you can use so many different color combinations!
Some examples with the gradient on top, icon on bottom. (I've included a .zip file with my favorite gradients, along with examples, further down in the post. :)
But, what shall we do after this? Well, I like to play around with lighting and textures. And sometimes, if I'm not happy with the color of the icon, I use variations and click around until I find something I'm happy with.
Let's take the first example:
It's a bit boring, so lets add some textures.
First I used the blue part of this texture by accio_glow, blurred on Soft Light.
And then this texture by accio_glow.
I used the texture twice, both times on Screen, but on varying opacities and different parts of the texture.
This is after some sharpening and a little brightening.
You can use more sharpening than usual when you're using gradient maps like these. I just think it fits. :P
I'm not sure what more to say, because this is how I usually do my monochrome icons.
You can also use different gradient maps on different opacities in the same icon to get other colors out. And you can always use curves and other adjustment layers after you've added the gradient maps to alter colors and such.
Here's a zip file with my favorite gradients (I made them, but you don't need to credit, as they're really easy to make :P).