[Aeria] [Tutorial] Kos-Mos
Going from this: 
to this:
in PhotoShop CS4.
Uses: Color fill layers, Color Balance, Selective Color
Translatable: Only to other PhotoShop programs, sorry.
Difficulty: Easy-ish
1: OKAY. Let's start with the base.
I didn't do anything aside from cropping here because the soft light layer later on will give us a sharper image plus I think going any brighter for this image will leave us with... a blindingly bright icon. Like... really... blindingly bright. SO. Unless your image is A: REALLY DARK (in which case I suggest JUST ONE screen layer duplicate of your base, you'll see why only one) or B: REALLY BRIGHT (in which I suggest a soft light layer with a multiply layer of anywhere from 20% to 40%.
2:
I want a little more brightness so I go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color and click okay. I fill it with a beige-y green that reminds me of puke, namely: #b5b37b. See, it's all sick looking. Set this layer to Soft Light 100%. And, that gives me this!:
Much brighter and cleaner looking, don't you think? The light yellow brings out the whites better than a screen layer does.
3:
Now to add something that might seem a LITTLE left field but, go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color once more. This time, fill it with a deep blue... #798ab6 is what I chose. Set this layer to Multiply 50%. It gives me this.:
Now, I personally think this brings out the blacks and blues better than a soft light layer... which would give you a lot of white and a much sharper icon. You won't be able to see it in the final product but without it the icon simply falls apart and looks like junk-ola.
4:
But we need to make this less... one dimensional. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance and hit okay. Make sure "Preserve Luminosity" is checked. Now, using these settings, let's bring out the yellow again!:
MIDTONES: +30, +18, -26
SHADOWS: +14, +18, +8
HIGHLIGHTS: -25, 0, 0
That gives me this.:
Not bad, huh? It's not what we want plus it's too dark so let's continue on to finish up the icon.
5:
Duplicate your base and drag it to the top. Set it on Soft Light 100%. This sharpens the icon, brings out the whites and blacks and in general makes it look better. Just see for yourself.:
I suppose if you like this color you could stop here. In fact, I recommend it if you're not using a character who's as pale as Kos-Mos, haha.
6:
The last step! Yep, simple. All you need a selective color layer. So, got to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Selective Color and click okay. Use these settings...
REDS: -100, +18, +72, +20
YELLOWS: -50, +55, -40, +20
CYANS: +100, +100, -100, +100
BLUES: +100, -100, -100, +100
MAGENTAS: +50, +40, -50, 0
WHITES: -100, 0, 0, 0
NEUTRALS: -6, +8, +15, -10
That gives me the finished product!:
The yellows have converted to warm pink-reds, the blues are darker and more noticeable, and most noteably, Kos-Mos skin's is pink-yellow and opposed to white-pale yellow. That made her look like a zombie-ghost-thing. Now she looks relatively human!
Like I said, if you're following this tutorial EXCATLY... the selective color layer will just... look hideous unless the icon subject has really, really pale skin. So play with these settings. DON'T use them as they are. XD
.pd avaible upon request... can't see why you'd want it considering how simple this is though.
Yeah, this means an icon post is soon. :C
to this:
in PhotoShop CS4.
Uses: Color fill layers, Color Balance, Selective Color
Translatable: Only to other PhotoShop programs, sorry.
Difficulty: Easy-ish
1: OKAY. Let's start with the base.
I didn't do anything aside from cropping here because the soft light layer later on will give us a sharper image plus I think going any brighter for this image will leave us with... a blindingly bright icon. Like... really... blindingly bright. SO. Unless your image is A: REALLY DARK (in which case I suggest JUST ONE screen layer duplicate of your base, you'll see why only one) or B: REALLY BRIGHT (in which I suggest a soft light layer with a multiply layer of anywhere from 20% to 40%.
2:
I want a little more brightness so I go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color and click okay. I fill it with a beige-y green that reminds me of puke, namely: #b5b37b. See, it's all sick looking. Set this layer to Soft Light 100%. And, that gives me this!:
Much brighter and cleaner looking, don't you think? The light yellow brings out the whites better than a screen layer does.
3:
Now to add something that might seem a LITTLE left field but, go to Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color once more. This time, fill it with a deep blue... #798ab6 is what I chose. Set this layer to Multiply 50%. It gives me this.:
Now, I personally think this brings out the blacks and blues better than a soft light layer... which would give you a lot of white and a much sharper icon. You won't be able to see it in the final product but without it the icon simply falls apart and looks like junk-ola.
4:
But we need to make this less... one dimensional. Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance and hit okay. Make sure "Preserve Luminosity" is checked. Now, using these settings, let's bring out the yellow again!:
MIDTONES: +30, +18, -26
SHADOWS: +14, +18, +8
HIGHLIGHTS: -25, 0, 0
That gives me this.:
Not bad, huh? It's not what we want plus it's too dark so let's continue on to finish up the icon.
5:
Duplicate your base and drag it to the top. Set it on Soft Light 100%. This sharpens the icon, brings out the whites and blacks and in general makes it look better. Just see for yourself.:
I suppose if you like this color you could stop here. In fact, I recommend it if you're not using a character who's as pale as Kos-Mos, haha.
6:
The last step! Yep, simple. All you need a selective color layer. So, got to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Selective Color and click okay. Use these settings...
REDS: -100, +18, +72, +20
YELLOWS: -50, +55, -40, +20
CYANS: +100, +100, -100, +100
BLUES: +100, -100, -100, +100
MAGENTAS: +50, +40, -50, 0
WHITES: -100, 0, 0, 0
NEUTRALS: -6, +8, +15, -10
That gives me the finished product!:
The yellows have converted to warm pink-reds, the blues are darker and more noticeable, and most noteably, Kos-Mos skin's is pink-yellow and opposed to white-pale yellow. That made her look like a zombie-ghost-thing. Now she looks relatively human!
Like I said, if you're following this tutorial EXCATLY... the selective color layer will just... look hideous unless the icon subject has really, really pale skin. So play with these settings. DON'T use them as they are. XD
.pd avaible upon request... can't see why you'd want it considering how simple this is though.
Yeah, this means an icon post is soon. :C