Adding a pinkish effect
Program: Photoshop CS5
Difficulty Level: Easy (has extra steps for beginners)
Translatable: No (uses Selective Colouring)
PSD: Available if asked for
Step 01: Crop your image (whether it be a screen-cap, or a photo-shoot, etc.) at 100px X 100px.
This will provide a base image.
Step 02: Add a 'Curve' layer (Layer > Adjustment layer > Curves)
RGB: Output: 255 Input: 255
Red: Output: 71 Input: 83
(To darken the dark parts, e.g. Natalya's hair, and to add a tint of red.)
Green: Output: 128 Input: 152
(Again, to darken the dark parts and to add some contrast.)
Blue: Output: 117 Input: 118
(To lighten the light parts, e.g. Natalya's skin, and to add some orange to her hair.)
Tip: After inputting each output and input, click on and off the eye button at the side of the layer to view the effect it gives the image. This will show you what each layer is doing, and you will be more likely to remember how to use the layer.
Step 03: Add a 'Vibrance' layer (Layer > Adjustment layer > Vibrance)
Vibrance: +100
(To make the colours, especially the oranges, such as Natalya's hair, more pronounced.)
Saturation: +9
(Again, to add more orange.)
Tip: Use a low number, such as said +9, for the Saturation as using this tool excessively makes the colours take-over the image and ruins the quality. However, a high number for Saturation can be used on screen-caps of landscapes if you are to make them small images, as this enhances the colours and, if used correctly, can be very effective.
Step 04: Add a 'Selective Colouring' layer (Layer > Adjustment layer > Selective colouring)
Reds: Cyan: -100
Magenta: -5
Yellow: -77
Black: -10
(To take away most of the harsh colours of the oranges and the reds and to soften the colouring of the image. This part of the layer also adds the pinkish tint which we'll pronounce more in the next few layers.)
Yellows:Cyan: -100
Magenta: -7
Yellow: +6
Black: +16
(To enhance the orangey-pink.)
Whites:
Cyan: -100
Magenta: +13
Yellow: -8
Black: +41
(To whiten and add a bit of contrast to Natalya's skin.)
Altogether, this Selective Colouring layer gives the image a pinkish tint and softens it.
Tip: Changing the opacity of this layer will lessen the amount of pink in the image so you can change it depending on how you want your finished image to look.
Step 05: Add a 'Hugh/Saturation' layer (Layer > Adjustment layer > Hugh/Saturation)
Hugh: 0
Saturation: +5
Lightness: 0
This layer is to enhance the colours again.
Tip: I know that it's very difficult to see the change after adding this layer, but, through trying many different tutorials myself, I've learnt that small changes can make a big difference to the finished icon.
Step 06: Add a 'Colour Balance' layer (Layer > Adjustment layer > Colour Balance)
Midtones:
Cyan - Red: -30
Magenta - Green: -15
Yellow - Blue: -29
(To darken the colours slightly.)
Shadows:
Cyan - Red: -1
Magenta - Green: -23
Yellow - Blue: -6
(To darken the colours further and to add contrast.)
Step 07: Add another 'Vibrance' layer
Vibrance: +10
Saturation: 0
(Again, to make the colours, especially the orange whisps, more pronounced.)
Step 08: Copy-merge and soft light the layer
Copy and merge all the layers into one (Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E), and then set the layer to 'Soft light'
Opacity: 10%
(This layer brightens and adds contrast to the image.)
Tip: Make sure you never set the soft light layer to more than 25% opacity as the colours tend to take-over the image and ruin the quality.)
Step 09: Sharpen the image.
Copy and merge all the layers again.
Go to Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen > Amount: 8% Radius: 1.0px
Tip: Over-sharpening of an image will ruin the quality, so always set it to a low percentage.
That's it! Ta-da!
Please ask any questions or post any comments over at this entry at my journal, as any comments posted here will more than likely get lost as more people post to this community.