Texture tutorial!
PLEASE READ: Yes, I know the images are broken. I'm very sorry that I haven't taken care of it, but my host's server crashed a while ago, and around the same time I moved to a new computer. For some reason, the images got corrupted in the move between computers, and that is why I haven't fixed anything. One day, if I can get the motivation, I will redo all the images. But until then, I'm very sorry, and I hope you can still get something out of the tutorial. IF by any random chance you happened to save any of the images from this or any of my other tutorials, PLEASE send them to me! I would be forever grateful!!
Finally got around to makin' another one!
Step 1: I opened this picture and cropped it.
Step 2: Then I sharpened it twice. (Layer -> Filter -> Sharpen)
Note: Sharpening, to me, is one of the most important things when it comes to icons. Blurry icons, even purposely blurry icons, look sloppy and imprecise. Howeverm make sure you're not sharpening too much. If the image looks pixely, or if there's something of a rough white outline around it, you've sharpened too much.
Tip: If sharpening once isn't enough, but twice is too much, try using the Unsharp Mask. (Filter -> Sharpen-> Unsharp Mask)
I get this:
Step 3: Mess around with the Brightness/Contrast until you're satisfied. Try to achieve an effect that's not too bright and at the same time, not too dull. Remember, you can work with this continually throughout the making of the icon; so don't feel like you have to get it perfect right now.
Step 4: Duplicate the layer and set the duplicate to soft light. I like my icons to have an effect that's slightly faded, so I open Hue/Saturation and lower the Saturation until I'm satisfied.
Tip: If lowering the Saturation darkens your image too much, I'd suggest some more messing about with the Brightnesss/Contrast.
Step 5: So now I have this:
And now we'll move onto coloring and texture. I start with an exclusion layer, which gives the image a color scheme that I absolutely love. Exlusion layers are excellent for achieving that faded, muted, aged effect.
My method: I open a new layer on top and flood fill it with a random dark blue color (I tend to stray towards the greener end of blue). Set it to exclusion; then open Hue/Saturation and play with the Hue, Saturation, and Lightness until the image takes on the effect you desire.
I settled on the color #031032. The change is slight, but it does a nice job of warming the image up a bit.
Step 6 I created a new layer and filled it with a gradient. This is only the beginning. I proceed to screw around with blend modes, opacity, and hues until I get it perfect.
So I usually start with blend modes; I'll usually find an effect I like, but the color of the gradient isn't right. This is easily fixed with the Hue/Saturation tool. I mess around with Hue, Saturation, and Lightness until the color works in a way I like. If the color is too harsh, lowering the opacity is an excellent way to fix it.
In the end, I ended up setting this gradient to Vivid Light at 70% opacity.
To maintain the warmth, I drag this layer underneath the exclusion layer.
Step 7: This gradient is next. Again with the fooling around. I ended up setting it to Color Burn at 50% opacity. Again, I keep the exclusion layer on top.
Step 8: Yep, another gradient. It's the last one, I swear. I end up with this gradient set to Color at 50% opacity.
And I've got:
It's a little dark, but don't worry...a few textures will fix that.
Step 9: I take this texture by gender and set it to Lighten at 100% opacity. Then I erase some of it off, so it doesn't cover details such as faces.
Step 10: I select a texture by colorfilter and set it to Hard Light at 100% opacity. I erase most of it away, so you can still see the details of Anakin and Padme's faces and bodies.
Step 11: I kind of feel like the textures are taking over my subjects at this point. So I drag the duplicate of my base (the one set at Soft Light) on top of all the textures and gradients. The exlusion layer is still on top.
So far I've got this:
Step 12: A texture by candycrack. This one is set to Soft Light at 100% opacity. Again, underneath the exlusion layer.
Step 13: Then I take a disappearicons texture and desaturate it, setting it to Overlay at 100% opacity. Exclusion layer? Still on top.
Step 14 Another texture, by lily_sunshine. It's set to Overlay at 50%. This is the last thing I have underneath the exclusion layer.
And here I am now:
Step 15: Then all that's left is text and a few finishing touches. I used Baramond in a medium brown color set to Linear Burn, with the opacity lowered only slightly. This is often the hardest part, and I find the simpler the text, the better.
Tip: If you have something in the background that obstructs your text (being either to dark or too light) You can do one of two things:
1. Use either the Burn or Dodge tool to make the background colors more similar.
2. Select one of the small gritty brushes from Photoshop's provided Natural Brushes. Then use the eyedropper tool to find a light tannish color from within the image. Open a new layer and brush the color on in the shape of the text - use a blend mode that makes the text more visible (I usually use Screen or Overlay). Like this:
And you did it! Here's our finished product:
Hopefully you picked up some new tricks along the way. :) Don't hesitate to let me know if you have questions!
--> Thanks to everyone who filled me on who to credit! I don't feel dirty anymore. :D
Also, I would love to see anything you come up with!
Finally got around to makin' another one!
Step 1: I opened this picture and cropped it.
Step 2: Then I sharpened it twice. (Layer -> Filter -> Sharpen)
Note: Sharpening, to me, is one of the most important things when it comes to icons. Blurry icons, even purposely blurry icons, look sloppy and imprecise. Howeverm make sure you're not sharpening too much. If the image looks pixely, or if there's something of a rough white outline around it, you've sharpened too much.
Tip: If sharpening once isn't enough, but twice is too much, try using the Unsharp Mask. (Filter -> Sharpen-> Unsharp Mask)
I get this:
Step 3: Mess around with the Brightness/Contrast until you're satisfied. Try to achieve an effect that's not too bright and at the same time, not too dull. Remember, you can work with this continually throughout the making of the icon; so don't feel like you have to get it perfect right now.
Step 4: Duplicate the layer and set the duplicate to soft light. I like my icons to have an effect that's slightly faded, so I open Hue/Saturation and lower the Saturation until I'm satisfied.
Tip: If lowering the Saturation darkens your image too much, I'd suggest some more messing about with the Brightnesss/Contrast.
Step 5: So now I have this:
And now we'll move onto coloring and texture. I start with an exclusion layer, which gives the image a color scheme that I absolutely love. Exlusion layers are excellent for achieving that faded, muted, aged effect.
My method: I open a new layer on top and flood fill it with a random dark blue color (I tend to stray towards the greener end of blue). Set it to exclusion; then open Hue/Saturation and play with the Hue, Saturation, and Lightness until the image takes on the effect you desire.
I settled on the color #031032. The change is slight, but it does a nice job of warming the image up a bit.
Step 6 I created a new layer and filled it with a gradient. This is only the beginning. I proceed to screw around with blend modes, opacity, and hues until I get it perfect.
So I usually start with blend modes; I'll usually find an effect I like, but the color of the gradient isn't right. This is easily fixed with the Hue/Saturation tool. I mess around with Hue, Saturation, and Lightness until the color works in a way I like. If the color is too harsh, lowering the opacity is an excellent way to fix it.
In the end, I ended up setting this gradient to Vivid Light at 70% opacity.
To maintain the warmth, I drag this layer underneath the exclusion layer.
Step 7: This gradient is next. Again with the fooling around. I ended up setting it to Color Burn at 50% opacity. Again, I keep the exclusion layer on top.
Step 8: Yep, another gradient. It's the last one, I swear. I end up with this gradient set to Color at 50% opacity.
And I've got:
It's a little dark, but don't worry...a few textures will fix that.
Step 9: I take this texture by gender and set it to Lighten at 100% opacity. Then I erase some of it off, so it doesn't cover details such as faces.
Step 10: I select a texture by colorfilter and set it to Hard Light at 100% opacity. I erase most of it away, so you can still see the details of Anakin and Padme's faces and bodies.
Step 11: I kind of feel like the textures are taking over my subjects at this point. So I drag the duplicate of my base (the one set at Soft Light) on top of all the textures and gradients. The exlusion layer is still on top.
So far I've got this:
Step 12: A texture by candycrack. This one is set to Soft Light at 100% opacity. Again, underneath the exlusion layer.
Step 13: Then I take a disappearicons texture and desaturate it, setting it to Overlay at 100% opacity. Exclusion layer? Still on top.
Step 14 Another texture, by lily_sunshine. It's set to Overlay at 50%. This is the last thing I have underneath the exclusion layer.
And here I am now:
Step 15: Then all that's left is text and a few finishing touches. I used Baramond in a medium brown color set to Linear Burn, with the opacity lowered only slightly. This is often the hardest part, and I find the simpler the text, the better.
Tip: If you have something in the background that obstructs your text (being either to dark or too light) You can do one of two things:
1. Use either the Burn or Dodge tool to make the background colors more similar.
2. Select one of the small gritty brushes from Photoshop's provided Natural Brushes. Then use the eyedropper tool to find a light tannish color from within the image. Open a new layer and brush the color on in the shape of the text - use a blend mode that makes the text more visible (I usually use Screen or Overlay). Like this:
And you did it! Here's our finished product:
Hopefully you picked up some new tricks along the way. :) Don't hesitate to let me know if you have questions!
--> Thanks to everyone who filled me on who to credit! I don't feel dirty anymore. :D
Also, I would love to see anything you come up with!