TUTORIAL: Colour (icon: lost009)
I was asked to make a colour tutorial, and this is the first in a planned set of 4 colour tutorials for the styles I've been using lately.
Important
1) I use MACROMEDIA FIREWORKS MX. I do not use PS or PSP, so don't ask me to convert this, try and do it yourself (hey, I have do the conversions of those tutorials, so it shouldn't be that difficult for everyone else).
2) I don't play by the rules of icon making. If I can cheat, I'll do it. Happily. I usually work in 1 or 2 layers because I find it quicker. I like things that are quick to do.
Which icon will be used for this tutorial?
Note: Graphics heavy. Sort of.
Images Used:
From lost-media.com
Step One
- Open a blank canvas (100x100 pixels).
- Open image/s you plan to use, select the area you wish to use, crop, copy&paste and add to your blank canvas. Position as you wish.
- Sharpen images.
Step Two
- From here, I open up the border brush I plan on using. Because I use Fireworks, I work from .jpeg versions of the brushs (ie: stamps). The brush I'm using is by dorky_duck.
- Copy the brush onto the canvas and invert the colours. To do this, make sure the brush stamp is selected on the canvas, then go to the properties menu at the bottom of the program screen, select the + button, select 'adjust colour' and 'invert.'
- Then, still making sure the stamp is selected, I set it to 'screen.' To do this, I go to the properties menu, open the drop down menu (default set to 'normal') and select 'screen.'
So far our icon looks like this:
Step Three
- I adjust the alignment of the stamp so that the middle line crosses over where the two images meet. To do this, I need to flip the stamp vertically.
- I left click on the stamp (on the canvas), select 'transform' from the menu that appears, and then select 'flip vertical.'
Now our icon looks like this:
Step Four
- Next I add a colour rectangle using the rectangle tool from the 'Tools' menu at the side of the screen. I've added it under the stamp, but above the images, as so.
- The colour is #ad8146
- Making sure this rectangle shape (which is 100x100 pixels in size) is selected on the canvas, I go back to the properties menu and select 'Darken' from the drop down menu (default set to 'normal').
Now, our icon looks like this:
Step Five
- Selecting both images (of Charlie and Claire) on the canvas, I open the 'Curves' box. To do this, I go to the properties menu, select the + button, then 'adjust colour' and 'curves.'
- Adust colour until satisfied.
Step Six
- Next, I add another rectangle of colour. A linear gradient, set to red/blue, placed underneath the border stamp, and above the images and the darkened colour.
- Making sure the gradient is selected, go back to the properties menu and select the drop-down box. Change the default from 'normal' to 'Lighten.'
- Then adjust the transparency of the gradient to whatever you feel is appropriate.
The icon so far:
Step Seven
- I'm going to add a texture to the icon. Much like the border, it's a stamp. Also by dorky_duck. Copy it to the canvas. (I've set mine on top of all the layers.)
- As with the previous stamp, invert it.
- Then set the stamp to 'screen.'
- Then adjust the transparency of the stamp to your liking.
My icon looks something like this:
Step Eight
- Add any additional things you might like, including text.
Final Product
Hope that was okay. I'm not terribly good at describing things.
Important
1) I use MACROMEDIA FIREWORKS MX. I do not use PS or PSP, so don't ask me to convert this, try and do it yourself (hey, I have do the conversions of those tutorials, so it shouldn't be that difficult for everyone else).
2) I don't play by the rules of icon making. If I can cheat, I'll do it. Happily. I usually work in 1 or 2 layers because I find it quicker. I like things that are quick to do.
Which icon will be used for this tutorial?
Note: Graphics heavy. Sort of.
Images Used:
From lost-media.com
Step One
- Open a blank canvas (100x100 pixels).
- Open image/s you plan to use, select the area you wish to use, crop, copy&paste and add to your blank canvas. Position as you wish.
- Sharpen images.
Step Two
- From here, I open up the border brush I plan on using. Because I use Fireworks, I work from .jpeg versions of the brushs (ie: stamps). The brush I'm using is by dorky_duck.
- Copy the brush onto the canvas and invert the colours. To do this, make sure the brush stamp is selected on the canvas, then go to the properties menu at the bottom of the program screen, select the + button, select 'adjust colour' and 'invert.'
- Then, still making sure the stamp is selected, I set it to 'screen.' To do this, I go to the properties menu, open the drop down menu (default set to 'normal') and select 'screen.'
So far our icon looks like this:
Step Three
- I adjust the alignment of the stamp so that the middle line crosses over where the two images meet. To do this, I need to flip the stamp vertically.
- I left click on the stamp (on the canvas), select 'transform' from the menu that appears, and then select 'flip vertical.'
Now our icon looks like this:
Step Four
- Next I add a colour rectangle using the rectangle tool from the 'Tools' menu at the side of the screen. I've added it under the stamp, but above the images, as so.
- The colour is #ad8146
- Making sure this rectangle shape (which is 100x100 pixels in size) is selected on the canvas, I go back to the properties menu and select 'Darken' from the drop down menu (default set to 'normal').
Now, our icon looks like this:
Step Five
- Selecting both images (of Charlie and Claire) on the canvas, I open the 'Curves' box. To do this, I go to the properties menu, select the + button, then 'adjust colour' and 'curves.'
- Adust colour until satisfied.
Step Six
- Next, I add another rectangle of colour. A linear gradient, set to red/blue, placed underneath the border stamp, and above the images and the darkened colour.
- Making sure the gradient is selected, go back to the properties menu and select the drop-down box. Change the default from 'normal' to 'Lighten.'
- Then adjust the transparency of the gradient to whatever you feel is appropriate.
The icon so far:
Step Seven
- I'm going to add a texture to the icon. Much like the border, it's a stamp. Also by dorky_duck. Copy it to the canvas. (I've set mine on top of all the layers.)
- As with the previous stamp, invert it.
- Then set the stamp to 'screen.'
- Then adjust the transparency of the stamp to your liking.
My icon looks something like this:
Step Eight
- Add any additional things you might like, including text.
Final Product
Hope that was okay. I'm not terribly good at describing things.