Tutorial #1 - Simple Coloring!
In my last icon post, everyone seemed to really like the icons that had coloring like these:
The really darling clarksgirl [who makes FANTASTIC icons of her own over @ rever_icons - go join!] inspired me to make a tutorial using this coloring, so kudos to her! *mwuah*
We'll be going from this
to this
!
Before I begin...
PLEASE don't use this tutorial to simply replicate my icons exactly! You may, of course, use the base provided to practice with, but don't claim the end result as your own. And if you use the base for a different icon, please make sure to credit me! Thanks hun.
So, to begin, find a clear, good quality image. The better your picture quality is, the better your icons will turn out! I found this picture of Angelina Jolie in an AOL image search:
Crop part of it, and resize it to 100 x 100. We have this:
And now we're ready to begin...
Step 1: Brightening your base
Duplicate your base twice. Set the middle copy [the one in between your original "Background" and your top "Copy of Background"] to "Screen" & leave the opacity at 100%. Then take your second copy [the "Copy of Background" on the top] and set it to "Soft Light," also leaving the opacity at 100%. Your icon should now look like this:
Step 2: Fill #1
Easy so far, right? It gets even easier. Add a new Raster Layer [go to the top, and select Layers ---> New Raster Layer ---> OK]. Go to your Materials pallet and add #0D0945, or any deep, dark blue. Using your Flood Fill Tool [which looks like a little paint can that has a droplet of paint coming out of it, LOL] [how's that for detailed?], create a fill using this color. Set the layer to "Exclusion" and leave the opacity at 100%. Your icon now looks like thiiiis:
Step 3: Fill #2
Add another Raster Layer. Go to your Materials pallet and #5D0A4E, or any dark purple. Using your Flood Fill Tool once again, create a fill and set the layer to "Dodge," opacity at 50%. And, look, you have this!
Step 4: Adding a texture
Add this texture:
[And, no, I don't know who made it, and I feel dumb about that!] and set it to "Soft Light", leaving your opacity at 100%. And this should be staring back at you:
Step 5: Fill #3
I almost feel like I should say that this step is optional, because the icon looks pretty good as is. But here's the last step, and I used it in all the icons I made previously:
Add a final Raster Layer, and create a fill with the color #FFEAC4, which is a subtle, creamy yellow. Set the layer at "Soft Light," and put the opacity at 35%.
Annnnnnd.... voila! C'est parfait! [To me, anyway.]
And, yes, of course you can use it, but only if you credit me in your key words. ;D
Additional Tips & Tricks
♥ I feel like this coloring doesn't work too well with pictures that have a lot of yellow in them already. If you do decide to go for it anyway, you may want to lower your Exclusion level of dark blue a lot, or maybe omit it all together and play around with your dark purple Soft Light layer.
♥ DON'T sharpen your icon first! Notice that I didn't sharpen mine at all??? That's because the picture quality was really good, so it wasn't necessary. If it looks a little dull, try one of two things: Click on your original Background image and click "Sharpen" [Adjust ---> Sharpen] BEFORE you merge your layers, and in most cases you'll get a subtle effect. Or just merge all layers and sharpen once, then go through and smooth out any ugly pixels. But I don't recommend sharpening first. Most of the time, when you go to add the "Screen" and "Soft Light" layers that brighten your base up, the sharpening looks too harsh, and you have to start all over again.
♥ Don't get frustrated if you don't end up with a result that looks EXACTLY like this. A lot of your results will depend on the original brightness and coloring of the picture itself, so every icon will start out a little different. But you don't want every icon to look alike anyway, riiight? ;D
♥ If you feel that your icon comes out too bright, try lowering the opacity of your "Screen" level, and/or the level of your last fill layer [the creamy yellow.]
♥ If you feel that your icon comes out too dark or too yellow, omit the very first "Soft Light" layer and/or the last fill.
I will happily take any questions on this!!! I owe like everything I know to tutorials [and to KAT!], and I'd love to help others. And, please, let me see your results - I'd love to see what you guys come up with!
CHRIST, this was long. Feedback is ♥
The really darling clarksgirl [who makes FANTASTIC icons of her own over @ rever_icons - go join!] inspired me to make a tutorial using this coloring, so kudos to her! *mwuah*
We'll be going from this
to this
!
Before I begin...
PLEASE don't use this tutorial to simply replicate my icons exactly! You may, of course, use the base provided to practice with, but don't claim the end result as your own. And if you use the base for a different icon, please make sure to credit me! Thanks hun.
So, to begin, find a clear, good quality image. The better your picture quality is, the better your icons will turn out! I found this picture of Angelina Jolie in an AOL image search:
Crop part of it, and resize it to 100 x 100. We have this:
And now we're ready to begin...
Step 1: Brightening your base
Duplicate your base twice. Set the middle copy [the one in between your original "Background" and your top "Copy of Background"] to "Screen" & leave the opacity at 100%. Then take your second copy [the "Copy of Background" on the top] and set it to "Soft Light," also leaving the opacity at 100%. Your icon should now look like this:
Step 2: Fill #1
Easy so far, right? It gets even easier. Add a new Raster Layer [go to the top, and select Layers ---> New Raster Layer ---> OK]. Go to your Materials pallet and add #0D0945, or any deep, dark blue. Using your Flood Fill Tool [which looks like a little paint can that has a droplet of paint coming out of it, LOL] [how's that for detailed?], create a fill using this color. Set the layer to "Exclusion" and leave the opacity at 100%. Your icon now looks like thiiiis:
Step 3: Fill #2
Add another Raster Layer. Go to your Materials pallet and #5D0A4E, or any dark purple. Using your Flood Fill Tool once again, create a fill and set the layer to "Dodge," opacity at 50%. And, look, you have this!
Step 4: Adding a texture
Add this texture:
[And, no, I don't know who made it, and I feel dumb about that!] and set it to "Soft Light", leaving your opacity at 100%. And this should be staring back at you:
Step 5: Fill #3
I almost feel like I should say that this step is optional, because the icon looks pretty good as is. But here's the last step, and I used it in all the icons I made previously:
Add a final Raster Layer, and create a fill with the color #FFEAC4, which is a subtle, creamy yellow. Set the layer at "Soft Light," and put the opacity at 35%.
Annnnnnd.... voila! C'est parfait! [To me, anyway.]
And, yes, of course you can use it, but only if you credit me in your key words. ;D
Additional Tips & Tricks
♥ I feel like this coloring doesn't work too well with pictures that have a lot of yellow in them already. If you do decide to go for it anyway, you may want to lower your Exclusion level of dark blue a lot, or maybe omit it all together and play around with your dark purple Soft Light layer.
♥ DON'T sharpen your icon first! Notice that I didn't sharpen mine at all??? That's because the picture quality was really good, so it wasn't necessary. If it looks a little dull, try one of two things: Click on your original Background image and click "Sharpen" [Adjust ---> Sharpen] BEFORE you merge your layers, and in most cases you'll get a subtle effect. Or just merge all layers and sharpen once, then go through and smooth out any ugly pixels. But I don't recommend sharpening first. Most of the time, when you go to add the "Screen" and "Soft Light" layers that brighten your base up, the sharpening looks too harsh, and you have to start all over again.
♥ Don't get frustrated if you don't end up with a result that looks EXACTLY like this. A lot of your results will depend on the original brightness and coloring of the picture itself, so every icon will start out a little different. But you don't want every icon to look alike anyway, riiight? ;D
♥ If you feel that your icon comes out too bright, try lowering the opacity of your "Screen" level, and/or the level of your last fill layer [the creamy yellow.]
♥ If you feel that your icon comes out too dark or too yellow, omit the very first "Soft Light" layer and/or the last fill.
I will happily take any questions on this!!! I owe like everything I know to tutorials [and to KAT!], and I'd love to help others. And, please, let me see your results - I'd love to see what you guys come up with!
CHRIST, this was long. Feedback is ♥