xxxii. tutorial - textures

[fuuurs]

My Ask the Maker thread is here if you have any burning questions you need answered.  If anything in this tutorial isn't clear enough, don't be afraid to ask me about it. ♥texture tutorials

resources
I recommend using screencaps and/or pictures you've taken yourself (even pictures taken from a cellphone can be helpful) in order to create textures.  Yes, there is a lot of inspiring stuff on ffffound and weheartit, but if you use stuff from there you run the risk of being tempted to just "crop and run" which can lead to embarrassing situations of you and 10 other people wanting credit for the same image.  If you're going to use stuff from those types of sites, be sure to edit the image and switch things up.  I'm not very opinionated on the whole subject, but it has been frowned upon in the past to yank stuff from there, stuff it into a 100x100 box and call it your own.

grunge
The key to making grunge textures is to find a picture or screencap that already has a lot of noise/texture going on in it.
I took this picture (if only to capture the sheep smiling at my mom), but there are a lot of rich details in the image that would work really well for grunge textures.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

base → invert base → hue/sat (-118) → duplicate base, drag to top, set to soft light → sheepy fluff pasted on top → sheepy fluff set to 6% → grass pasted on top → grass inverted, set to soft light & w/ hue/sat (-180) clipped to it

 
 

this gradient map → f8f2c9 color fill set to multiply → duplicate gradient map and drag to top
I made the following textures using the same image and methods, as well as using the Fibers, Film Grain, and Ocean Ripples filters:

 
 
 

gradients/color blobs
I have an extremely lazy method of making these sorts of textures.  I don't even look for pictures or screencaps, I just use my last posted icons. :\

 
 
 
 
 
 

"base" → transform base so it's small → transform so it's big → transform so it's small → transform so it's big → merge everything, gaussian blur (10.5) → duplicate, set to soft light
Please note... I only do this with my own icons.  More examples:

 
 

frames
I typically use pictures of architecture for these (I am lazy.)

 
 
 

base (the taj mahal) → b/w gradient map → painted over → brightness/contrast

alternatively
→if you have a scanner, scan the bejeezus out of everything you can get a hold of
→if you have a camera, look up tutorials on how to create interesting (texture worthy) images
→if you paint/draw/sculpt/print, take close-ups of your process (I had a lot of sketches/uncompleted projects/finished disasters saved/photographed/scanned in that I've used from time to time)
→try EVERY filter photoshop has to offer (some fun ones include dry brush, fresco, paint daubs, smudge stick, underpainting, angled strokes, dark strokes, ink outlines, ocean ripple, chrome, halftone pattern, torn edges, polar coordinates, and dust & scratches)

current favorite textures*
*past favorites can be found here

 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

01-16: cielo_gris


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

17-21: innocent_lexys; 22-25: jasoncourtney; 26-27: mm3butterfly; 28-30: nokitas; 31-32: pandavirus


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

33-35: poshing; 36-40: rebel; 41-42: windsonnetss; 43-44: mine

favorite lg textures

 
 
 
 
 

01-06: slayground


 
 
 

07-09: pandavirus; 10: neverlands

favorite texture makers
pandavirus @ welt_herrschaft ( texture tag); colourmayfade @ justaquicke ( texture tag); emonet25 @ krimson ( texture tag); poshing @ a_darkdesign ( texture tag); bijoou ( texture tag); cielo_gris @ velvetb0x ( texture tag); vikyvampirs90 ( texture tag); prettybutt @ atomicapples ( texture tag); lemonpunch @ iconpunch ( texture tag); ohfreckle @ oh_freckle ( texture tag); bijoou ( texture tag); drankmywar @ defaultsettings ( texture tag); innocent_lexys @ satine_violet ( texture tag); shoqolad@ distractiions ( texture tag); kawaii_chicken @ magicmachine (post); endearest @ magicmachine (post); slayground (texture tag); http://accio-glow.tumblr.com/; http://dunham.tumblr.com; http://callmebrandon.tumblr.com/; http://-redux.tumblr.com/; http://rosebein.tumblr.com; http://neverlands-.tumblr.com; http://northerndawn.tumblr.com; http://olmes.tumblr.com/; http://yellowlemon.tumblr.com/; http://stabmeintheneck.tumblr.com/; http://stewark.tumblr.com/tagged/textures; http://ex-posed.com;

note。
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