153 | Tutorials
This is a tutorial for lighting on 3 different icons asked for by kirtash_girl for Ask the Maker 6.0
First off I use CS5, so depending on which program you use, some things may not be transferable. I am going to refer to things the way that I know them so if you don't know what I am talking about or how to get to the tool I am using, please feel free to ask. Something else you should know about me....I rarely go into an icon knowing what I am going to to. Therefore, there are usually a lot of steps because I don't know where I want to go til the end. So, if my 'process' seems spastic, its because it kind of is. =)
1. First we start out with this screencap: Beauty & the Beast
2. Once it is cropped close I used the auto color feature to take a lot of the blue out of the cap and lighten it up.
>>>
3. The next step is a Gradient Map with black and a light blue color (caeefa)
>>>
4. Then a selective coloring layer is used with the following settings (everything set to 0% unless otherwise stated):
- Cyans: Black -100%
- Whites: Black -85%
5. Next is a Color Balance layer to incorporate more blue coloring into the icon. I used these settings set at 66% opacity:
- Midtones: Cyan/Red -24 / Yellow/Blue +6
- Shadows: Cyan/Red -5 / Yellow/Blue +2
6. Now, for a lighting level since it is way too dark. I use Gradient Fill layer with white and a light blue color (bad2de) set as follows:
- Linear style at a -60.95 angle
- Set on Screen
7. I would like a little more contrast so I add another selective color layer with these settings:
- Neutrals: Black +19
- Black: Black +14
8. This next step is going to be 4 different steps put together. Four different Gradient Maps and their settings.
- Black and White Gradient set to Soft Light at 31% opacity
- Purple and Orange Gradient set to Screen at 28% opacity
- Repeat of the purple and orange Gradient now set to Soft Light at 28% opacity
- Black and bright blue (75def1) Gradient set to Soft Light at 61% opacity
9. To lighten it up I used a white Color Fill layer set to soft light at 27% opacity
10. To lighten even more and add more contrast I added a Curves layer.
11. Almost done at this point so I use a High Pass layer (usually set at 1.1 Radius) to sharpen set on Soft Light. I erase the really sharp bits.
12. Still not quite satisfied I add two more Gradient Map Layers (7f8ea4 & 352626).
- The first is set to Soft Light at 49% opacity
- The second is set to screen at 49% opacity
13. Last step is to add a brightness layer because the left side of her face is still too dark for me.
- Brightness +5 / Contrast +2
1. First we start out with this screencap: Katniss
2. As usual I crop it how I want and I am not quite sure how I got the next layer but I am sure it is some sort of auto contrast/color/tone combo.
3. Next I add two copper toned Gradient Maps that should be preset into your Gradient Map presets.
- The first is set to Soft Light at 13% opacity
- Duplicate that layer but set it to reverse this time with the same settings
4. I want to get her hair lighter as well as a try and get a better skin tone so I add a Gradient Fill layer with a light pink color (fce8fa)
- Linear sytle set at a -122.47 angle to lighten her hair and face
5. Now to get a more muted coloring, which I find is better for adding vibrancy later, I add a Black & White Gradient Map set to 18% opacity.
6. Now for that Vibrancy layer.
- Vibrance +100 / Saturation +18
7. The blues in the background are a bit dull so I use a soft round brush to paint a bright blue color (92d9ed), set to soft light to make the blues pop more.
8. Her skin and hair are too blue for me here so I use a soft round brush to paint a tan color (c18c56) over her face and hair. Both layers are set to soft light at 69% & 29% opacity.
9. To get a lighter and overall tanner coloring I add a Gradient Map set on reverse and screen at 40% opacaity.
10. For more contrast I add a black & white Gradient Map set to Soft Light at 30% opacity
11. Since the icon is still a little dull and washed out in the color department I add a Selective Color Layer with these settings:
- Reds: Cyans -49 / Black +16
- Whites: Black -2
- Neutral: Black +1
- Black: Blacks +15
12. Still a bit plain for my tastes I add some light to the icon by using a Gradient Fill layer with a blue color (a4cee8) set at a 153.43 angle
13. I want the blues on the sides of Katniss to stand out more so I copy the layers from step 7 and set both to soft light.
14. Her skin tone is still too white and pasty for me so I add a Curves layer to bring out her flesh tones.
15. Now a brightness layer to add, you guessed it, brightess and contrast.
-Brightness +4 / Contrast +4
16. To sharpen her hair bit and clean up a little I use a Topaz layer. Not sure of the settings but more than likely it is set on Curly Smooth at the lowest levels you can get. I erase it completely off her face.
17. I wanted her hair to be a little lighter on top so I added a black Gradient Fill layer set to Screen at 41% opacity and at a -6.34 angle
18. It seems I am never satisfied with the brightness/contrast of my icons, so I have added another brightness layer.
- Brightness +2 / Contrast +15
19. To sharpen I use High Pass set on 1.1 Radius and set to Soft Light and erase the really sharp parts, which are usually the edges of the face and hair.
20. Hah, thought I was done didn't you? Nope, still not happy. I want it a little darker and more contrasted so I add one last Curves layer.
This icon is one that started off going one way and ended up going in a completely different direction, which you should be able to tell.
1. First we start out with this screencap: Katniss & Peeta
2. Once it is cropped close I used the auto contrast/tone/color feature to correct the coloring a bit.
>>>
3. To add more copper tones I use the copper preset Gradient Map set to Soft Light at 49% opacity.
4. To add light to the upper left side I use this texture
by vetica (one of my favorites for adding light)
5. To add a bit of contrast I use a black & white Gradient Map set to Soft Light at 46% opacity
6. To get more of a brown coloring I added a Color Fill layer and fill it with a brown color (685a40)
7. I wanted to have more dark green (466543) in the background where the trees are so I used a soft round brush and painted and set it to Soft Light
8. Their skin is too light and pale so I added a Selective Color layer, set to:
- Reds: Cyan -57/Yellow +38/Black +26
- Yellows: Cyan -12/Yellow +29/Black +15
- Greens: Cyan +63/Yellow +41/Black -30
- Whites: Black -48
- Neutral: Black +7
9. I wanted the icon to be even darker so I added a Curves layer
10. Next I used the following light textures to a bit of softness to the icon. Not sure who they were made by.
The first I set to Screen. The second I used twice, once set to Soft Light and the second to Soft Light as well but at 49% opacity.
11. In order to correct some of the whiteness of their faces I added a Vibrance layer and set the Vibrance to +73.
12. Now, for whatever my brain was telling me, I muted the colors with a black and white Gradient Map set to 17% opacity. When I am not satisfied with the coloring of my icons but I still want to try and salavage what I have done I will add this in hopes to correct the coloring in my mind. I get very stubborn when I am trying to make an icon work. This icon is just one example of this.
13. Now I add a black and white layer to add some darkness. Set to Soft Light at 38% opacity.
14. This step is where I get tired of trying to correct the coloring so I just change it to monotone using a Gradient Map of gray and a light blue (cae0ef) and set it on reverse.
15. I add a Gradient Fill layer now to add the light at the top left since the icon is too dark. I used a blue color (7ba9ab) set on Screen and set at -48.01 angle.
16. The icon looks too washed out and I want some more blues within the icon so I use this texture
by lookslikerain set on Soft Light.
17. I want to darken the darker blues of the icon so I add a Selective Color layer set to Blacks: Black +17
18. I want more vibrant blues so I use this texture
by lookslikerain set to Soft Light.
19. Now to add a bit more darkness and make the blues look deeper I use this texture
by I don't know who.
20. Sharpen using High Pass set at 1.1 Radius on Soft Light with 65% opacity
21. Now I want the light at the top left to pop out a bit more so I add a Brightness layer with the Brightness set at +16 and Contrast at +6.
22. That layer didn't satisfy me so I added a Gradient Fill layer using a light blue (83a2b7) at a -38.65 angle.
23. Finally we are at the last step! I wanted to make the darks a little darker so I added a Selective Color layer set at:
- Whites: Black-21
- Neutrals: +11
- Blacks: +11
THE END!! Hope it was somewhat helpful. =)
First off I use CS5, so depending on which program you use, some things may not be transferable. I am going to refer to things the way that I know them so if you don't know what I am talking about or how to get to the tool I am using, please feel free to ask. Something else you should know about me....I rarely go into an icon knowing what I am going to to. Therefore, there are usually a lot of steps because I don't know where I want to go til the end. So, if my 'process' seems spastic, its because it kind of is. =)
1. First we start out with this screencap: Beauty & the Beast
2. Once it is cropped close I used the auto color feature to take a lot of the blue out of the cap and lighten it up.
>>>
3. The next step is a Gradient Map with black and a light blue color (caeefa)
>>>
4. Then a selective coloring layer is used with the following settings (everything set to 0% unless otherwise stated):
- Cyans: Black -100%
- Whites: Black -85%
5. Next is a Color Balance layer to incorporate more blue coloring into the icon. I used these settings set at 66% opacity:
- Midtones: Cyan/Red -24 / Yellow/Blue +6
- Shadows: Cyan/Red -5 / Yellow/Blue +2
6. Now, for a lighting level since it is way too dark. I use Gradient Fill layer with white and a light blue color (bad2de) set as follows:
- Linear style at a -60.95 angle
- Set on Screen
7. I would like a little more contrast so I add another selective color layer with these settings:
- Neutrals: Black +19
- Black: Black +14
8. This next step is going to be 4 different steps put together. Four different Gradient Maps and their settings.
- Black and White Gradient set to Soft Light at 31% opacity
- Purple and Orange Gradient set to Screen at 28% opacity
- Repeat of the purple and orange Gradient now set to Soft Light at 28% opacity
- Black and bright blue (75def1) Gradient set to Soft Light at 61% opacity
9. To lighten it up I used a white Color Fill layer set to soft light at 27% opacity
10. To lighten even more and add more contrast I added a Curves layer.
11. Almost done at this point so I use a High Pass layer (usually set at 1.1 Radius) to sharpen set on Soft Light. I erase the really sharp bits.
12. Still not quite satisfied I add two more Gradient Map Layers (7f8ea4 & 352626).
- The first is set to Soft Light at 49% opacity
- The second is set to screen at 49% opacity
13. Last step is to add a brightness layer because the left side of her face is still too dark for me.
- Brightness +5 / Contrast +2
1. First we start out with this screencap: Katniss
2. As usual I crop it how I want and I am not quite sure how I got the next layer but I am sure it is some sort of auto contrast/color/tone combo.
3. Next I add two copper toned Gradient Maps that should be preset into your Gradient Map presets.
- The first is set to Soft Light at 13% opacity
- Duplicate that layer but set it to reverse this time with the same settings
4. I want to get her hair lighter as well as a try and get a better skin tone so I add a Gradient Fill layer with a light pink color (fce8fa)
- Linear sytle set at a -122.47 angle to lighten her hair and face
5. Now to get a more muted coloring, which I find is better for adding vibrancy later, I add a Black & White Gradient Map set to 18% opacity.
6. Now for that Vibrancy layer.
- Vibrance +100 / Saturation +18
7. The blues in the background are a bit dull so I use a soft round brush to paint a bright blue color (92d9ed), set to soft light to make the blues pop more.
8. Her skin and hair are too blue for me here so I use a soft round brush to paint a tan color (c18c56) over her face and hair. Both layers are set to soft light at 69% & 29% opacity.
9. To get a lighter and overall tanner coloring I add a Gradient Map set on reverse and screen at 40% opacaity.
10. For more contrast I add a black & white Gradient Map set to Soft Light at 30% opacity
11. Since the icon is still a little dull and washed out in the color department I add a Selective Color Layer with these settings:
- Reds: Cyans -49 / Black +16
- Whites: Black -2
- Neutral: Black +1
- Black: Blacks +15
12. Still a bit plain for my tastes I add some light to the icon by using a Gradient Fill layer with a blue color (a4cee8) set at a 153.43 angle
13. I want the blues on the sides of Katniss to stand out more so I copy the layers from step 7 and set both to soft light.
14. Her skin tone is still too white and pasty for me so I add a Curves layer to bring out her flesh tones.
15. Now a brightness layer to add, you guessed it, brightess and contrast.
-Brightness +4 / Contrast +4
16. To sharpen her hair bit and clean up a little I use a Topaz layer. Not sure of the settings but more than likely it is set on Curly Smooth at the lowest levels you can get. I erase it completely off her face.
17. I wanted her hair to be a little lighter on top so I added a black Gradient Fill layer set to Screen at 41% opacity and at a -6.34 angle
18. It seems I am never satisfied with the brightness/contrast of my icons, so I have added another brightness layer.
- Brightness +2 / Contrast +15
19. To sharpen I use High Pass set on 1.1 Radius and set to Soft Light and erase the really sharp parts, which are usually the edges of the face and hair.
20. Hah, thought I was done didn't you? Nope, still not happy. I want it a little darker and more contrasted so I add one last Curves layer.
This icon is one that started off going one way and ended up going in a completely different direction, which you should be able to tell.
1. First we start out with this screencap: Katniss & Peeta
2. Once it is cropped close I used the auto contrast/tone/color feature to correct the coloring a bit.
>>>
3. To add more copper tones I use the copper preset Gradient Map set to Soft Light at 49% opacity.
4. To add light to the upper left side I use this texture
by vetica (one of my favorites for adding light)
5. To add a bit of contrast I use a black & white Gradient Map set to Soft Light at 46% opacity
6. To get more of a brown coloring I added a Color Fill layer and fill it with a brown color (685a40)
7. I wanted to have more dark green (466543) in the background where the trees are so I used a soft round brush and painted and set it to Soft Light
8. Their skin is too light and pale so I added a Selective Color layer, set to:
- Reds: Cyan -57/Yellow +38/Black +26
- Yellows: Cyan -12/Yellow +29/Black +15
- Greens: Cyan +63/Yellow +41/Black -30
- Whites: Black -48
- Neutral: Black +7
9. I wanted the icon to be even darker so I added a Curves layer
10. Next I used the following light textures to a bit of softness to the icon. Not sure who they were made by.
The first I set to Screen. The second I used twice, once set to Soft Light and the second to Soft Light as well but at 49% opacity.
11. In order to correct some of the whiteness of their faces I added a Vibrance layer and set the Vibrance to +73.
12. Now, for whatever my brain was telling me, I muted the colors with a black and white Gradient Map set to 17% opacity. When I am not satisfied with the coloring of my icons but I still want to try and salavage what I have done I will add this in hopes to correct the coloring in my mind. I get very stubborn when I am trying to make an icon work. This icon is just one example of this.
13. Now I add a black and white layer to add some darkness. Set to Soft Light at 38% opacity.
14. This step is where I get tired of trying to correct the coloring so I just change it to monotone using a Gradient Map of gray and a light blue (cae0ef) and set it on reverse.
15. I add a Gradient Fill layer now to add the light at the top left since the icon is too dark. I used a blue color (7ba9ab) set on Screen and set at -48.01 angle.
16. The icon looks too washed out and I want some more blues within the icon so I use this texture
by lookslikerain set on Soft Light.
17. I want to darken the darker blues of the icon so I add a Selective Color layer set to Blacks: Black +17
18. I want more vibrant blues so I use this texture
by lookslikerain set to Soft Light.
19. Now to add a bit more darkness and make the blues look deeper I use this texture
by I don't know who.
20. Sharpen using High Pass set at 1.1 Radius on Soft Light with 65% opacity
21. Now I want the light at the top left to pop out a bit more so I add a Brightness layer with the Brightness set at +16 and Contrast at +6.
22. That layer didn't satisfy me so I added a Gradient Fill layer using a light blue (83a2b7) at a -38.65 angle.
23. Finally we are at the last step! I wanted to make the darks a little darker so I added a Selective Color layer set at:
- Whites: Black-21
- Neutrals: +11
- Blacks: +11
THE END!! Hope it was somewhat helpful. =)