#016 ~ Lighting and Coloring guide
Hi people ! :D I finally finished this guide asked by rocketgirl2 and theroguepanda for the Ask The Maker activity. I hope it will help you to understand to way I work with my icons, enjoy :)
(lot of images under the cut)
So, this is a little guide about the way I work with lighting and coloring. It's just a way among many others and as a guide, you must be inspired by it. If you have any questions, just shoot :D
~ Textures
daynawashere ; innocent_lexys ; arctic_flower ; kawaii_chicken ; supermarieworld
I won't present textures to you. I love them, they make such amazing things ! I have so many textures that sometimes it's difficult to choose which I'm going to use. I use especially light textures, I really love the colors they bring, and the first step to lighting and softness IS light textures. I set them a lot to Screen and Soft Light. Erasing part I don't want, transforming them, coloring them, etc. But the best way is experimenting ;). Play around with a lot of different textures and see what's best. Examples talk so much more so look at that (without and with (light) textures) :
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+
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=
+
+
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~ Light Blobs
Not enough light ? Why not adding them ourselves ? I can't make an icon without these black and white little blobs. They change EVERYTHING et add a lot of softeness and brightness. Add a new transparent layer and with a soft brush amplify the lights already there with white. You can add brightness to a part of the icon too. Same with the blacks. If your blobs are too hard, you can blur them. I often set the layer to Soft Light but sometimes letting it to Normal can work. (though I have to improve \o/). With Disney icons, they bring a pretty relief. Look at that (without and with blobs) :
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~ Gradients
Another thing I can't live without : gradients. I don't make an icon without one of them, they bring contrast and light and yeaah ! You can use the classic black&white gradient which is very helpful to bring out the subject. You can use colorful gradients too, they change the colors and bring depth. You can set them in various blend mode, just try ! Look :
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x2 =
+
x3 +
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As the light blobs, be careful to which way your light comes. Changing the angle of your gradients can transform the whole icon.
(top left) // (top right) // (bottom) // (top)
You can also use gradients to correct the way light comes.
+
+
=
~ Blur
Blur can be used in many many ways. You can duplicate your icon, blur it and set it to Lighten, Screen, Overlay, Soft Light... You can erase the part you don't want with a mask, color it, ... They can bring amazing light, softness and coloring.
+
=
+
+
=
+
+
+
=
~ Color Blobs
It's the same technique as the light blobs. If there aren't enough colors, why not adding them ? Here again, with a soft brush you can paint on a transparent layer and set it to whatever blend mode you want. Even Normal work! I usually do that first before anything color related. It can be another way to bring softness.
+
+
=
+
+
=
+
+
=
No that we saw the different techniques I use, let's do a quick icon that summarizes everything. Nothing is better than practicing and experimenting !
»
{1} We start with this screecap because I love working with TLOR. I prepare the base (light + contrast).
{2} I take this texture and color it. I set it to Soft Light.
+
=
{3} I create this texture and set it to Screen 30% opacity.
+
=
{4} I take this texture and set it to Screen 80% opacity. I erase the left brown part that I don't want.
+
=
{5} I duplicate my base and drag it to the top. I set it to Soft Light. I duplicate that base and Blur / Gaussian Blur 9. I set it to Soft Light but it was a little too dark, I added a little brightness on this layer.
+
=
{6} New gradient, #5b6128 to white, angle 25°. I set it to Soft Light and duplicate it.
»
{7} I add a new transparent layer and paint my light and shadow blobs. I'm not really precise, I just amplify the light already there. Then I blur it and set it to Soft Light.
»
»
{8} Finally, Color Balance +19, +2, -10.
»
That's it!
Ask The Maker || My Thread
(lot of images under the cut)
So, this is a little guide about the way I work with lighting and coloring. It's just a way among many others and as a guide, you must be inspired by it. If you have any questions, just shoot :D
~ Textures
daynawashere ; innocent_lexys ; arctic_flower ; kawaii_chicken ; supermarieworld
I won't present textures to you. I love them, they make such amazing things ! I have so many textures that sometimes it's difficult to choose which I'm going to use. I use especially light textures, I really love the colors they bring, and the first step to lighting and softness IS light textures. I set them a lot to Screen and Soft Light. Erasing part I don't want, transforming them, coloring them, etc. But the best way is experimenting ;). Play around with a lot of different textures and see what's best. Examples talk so much more so look at that (without and with (light) textures) :
+
+
+
=
+
+
=
~ Light Blobs
Not enough light ? Why not adding them ourselves ? I can't make an icon without these black and white little blobs. They change EVERYTHING et add a lot of softeness and brightness. Add a new transparent layer and with a soft brush amplify the lights already there with white. You can add brightness to a part of the icon too. Same with the blacks. If your blobs are too hard, you can blur them. I often set the layer to Soft Light but sometimes letting it to Normal can work. (though I have to improve \o/). With Disney icons, they bring a pretty relief. Look at that (without and with blobs) :
»
//
»
»
//
»
~ Gradients
Another thing I can't live without : gradients. I don't make an icon without one of them, they bring contrast and light and yeaah ! You can use the classic black&white gradient which is very helpful to bring out the subject. You can use colorful gradients too, they change the colors and bring depth. You can set them in various blend mode, just try ! Look :
+
x2 =
+
x3 +
=
As the light blobs, be careful to which way your light comes. Changing the angle of your gradients can transform the whole icon.
(top left) // (top right) // (bottom) // (top)
You can also use gradients to correct the way light comes.
+
+
=
~ Blur
Blur can be used in many many ways. You can duplicate your icon, blur it and set it to Lighten, Screen, Overlay, Soft Light... You can erase the part you don't want with a mask, color it, ... They can bring amazing light, softness and coloring.
+
=
+
+
=
+
+
+
=
~ Color Blobs
It's the same technique as the light blobs. If there aren't enough colors, why not adding them ? Here again, with a soft brush you can paint on a transparent layer and set it to whatever blend mode you want. Even Normal work! I usually do that first before anything color related. It can be another way to bring softness.
+
+
=
+
+
=
+
+
=
No that we saw the different techniques I use, let's do a quick icon that summarizes everything. Nothing is better than practicing and experimenting !
»
{1} We start with this screecap because I love working with TLOR. I prepare the base (light + contrast).
{2} I take this texture and color it. I set it to Soft Light.
+
=
{3} I create this texture and set it to Screen 30% opacity.
+
=
{4} I take this texture and set it to Screen 80% opacity. I erase the left brown part that I don't want.
+
=
{5} I duplicate my base and drag it to the top. I set it to Soft Light. I duplicate that base and Blur / Gaussian Blur 9. I set it to Soft Light but it was a little too dark, I added a little brightness on this layer.
+
=
{6} New gradient, #5b6128 to white, angle 25°. I set it to Soft Light and duplicate it.
»
{7} I add a new transparent layer and paint my light and shadow blobs. I'm not really precise, I just amplify the light already there. Then I blur it and set it to Soft Light.
»
»
{8} Finally, Color Balance +19, +2, -10.
»
That's it!
Ask The Maker || My Thread