sixy three
to
Photoshop CS3 Extended
Steps: 11
Difficulty: Medium to Hard
1. Duplicate your base screencap and set to 100% Opacity Screen.
With most screencaps then tend to be rather dark, so i always carry out this step. You will most likely have to change this setting depending on your image, you may even have to add another of the same Layer.
2. Flatten your image ( Layer > Flatten Image)
3. Duplicate your base.
I always like to leave a Layer with and 'untouched' image in case i want to go back and change something. This Layer therefore may be optional.
4. Use the Photo Filter ( Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Photo Filter ) And set to RED Density 25%.
The base has a extremeley blueish green hue to it, and looks very untrue to life. I wanted to work my way to making the image a little more real to life so I added a Red color to reduce the Green, making to original browns brown again.
5. Use the Photo Filter ( Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Photo Filter ) And set to Warming Filter (85) Density 25%.
This layer does the same as the layer above. It adds some more warm tones into the image reducing the blues and greens.
6. Create a Color Balance Layer ( Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance) and input the following settings, and Set to Normal 10% Opacity.
SHADOWS +18 +7 0
MIDTONES +17 -6 -7
HIGHLIGHTS +3 0 0
Here i added a small amount of Red and skin tones back into the image. I set the Opacity low here because this can effect the image in a negative way towards the end. Once you have finished the coloring you can come back and play with the settings of the layer to your desired effect.
7. Create a Curves Layer ( Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves ) and input the following settings, and Set to Lighten 100% Opacity.
RGB Output 166
Input 149
RED Output 112
Input 102
Output 180
Input 168
GREEN Output 78
Input 74
Output 154
Input 156
BLUE Output 63
Input 54
Output 178
Input 182
RGB: This really brightens up your overall image. It can sometimes wash out the image, so the rest of the Curves Layers carries on the lightening up while adding the colors.
RED: As we have been doing I wanted to add some bright Red into the image. You can leave the image here, as the coloring so far has lifted the image to a suitable image to add future coloring.
GREEN: From all the Reds added it has altered some of the actual really Green in the image. This may not be worthwhile in an image with as limited amount of Green.
BLUE: This does the same as the Green layer above.
8. Create another Color Balance Layer ( Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Color Balance) and input the following settings.
SHADOWS 0 -5 -7
MIDTONES +7 -8 -6
HIGHLIGHTS 0 0 0
This basically makes everything a bit more pretty! Following the last step the image will have seemed washed out. This color balance Layer increases the saturation of the colors.
9. Create a Color Fill Layer ( Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color) Fill with #ffffee and Set to Color Burn 70% Opacity.
When alot of coloring is bused in an image it can wash out the blacks in the image and make them lot patchy. This image helps combat this problem and make the blacks more solid.
10. Open a Selective Color Layer ( Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Selective Color ) And input the following settings.
REDS 0 0 0 +3
WHITES 0 0 0 -5
NEUTRALS 0 0 0 +6
This layer helps with the previous layer, by darken the blacks. It also adds more contrast to the image, making the background look less flat.
11. Create a Color Fill Layer ( Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color) Fill with #f5b8dd and Set to Soft Light 30% Opacity.
Because of the amount of Blues and Greens in the image it mad the overall image look 'cold' so I wanted to try and warm the whole image up. I used my old trick of adding a color on the Soft Light setting.
12 (Optional) Flatten and Sharpen as always!
It's pretty long winded I know, some Layers may be pointless with your Icon, but for the one used they work! You will have to change and adapt the instructions to suit you.
Any questions, please ask, and I'll answer the best i can.
More Examples using the same coloring, some steps changed.
