.047
ASK THE MAKER TUTORIALS
requested by vapor and reebeecaa
Warning: these may be a bit confusing because a lot of going back and changing stuff happened in the process but hopefully you'll get the gist of it.
>>>
using Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended
ONE
I prep my cap using duplicated layers. I'm missing the actual settings (I must've done it in another canvas) but if I have to guess it's probably base > multiply > screen x4 > stamped result on soft light, 100%
TWO
I'm using this graphic as inspiration so I crop the cap in a 100x100 canvas in a way that gives me enough room to play. I cut Hannibal down the middle using the rectangular marquee tool (select > layer via cut > hide the layer you're not gonna use) and insert a color fill layer underneath it using the color picker to pick a color already on the canvas (in this case, it's #bdd8ca)
>>>
>>>
THREE
I add a light blob to the left side. The right side is looking a bit dark so I also add lighting there (drag it underneath the hannibal layer so only the color fill layer is touched)
>>>
FOUR
using a paint brush, i paint over the background in a new layer. (the hue here is #d9eae4 which was probably the original hue of color fill layer in step two. I have no idea why I changed it, sorry.) I change the blending mode of the painted layer to lighten so that the outline of the couch shows.
>>>
FIVE
I'm fairly happy with it so I stamp everything on a new layer and sharpen it (filter > sharpen > unsharp mask > default settings probably coz i'm lazy > edit > fade to taste)
SIX
since text is an important part of the icon I will now try to lay it out first. Show the other half of Hannibal and ina new layer, paint a silhouette with a white brush. Hide the Hannibal half again.
>>>
>>>
Select the white silhouette using the magic wand tool. Right click > Make Work Path. A window will appear asking for Tolerance. the higher the tolerance, the more inaccurate the shape of your work path will be so try to keep it between 0.5-1.0. whatever you do, it will not be a perfect outlne (especially if you just used the magic wand tool which is a crummy shortcut in the first place) so just shrug it off and know that you can tweak things later.
Now click the text tool and move your cursor inside your work path. It will become a sort of "I" with a circle surrounding it. Click where you want your text to start and write (or in this case) paste the text inside the work path.
At this point, a lot of trial and error is involved. At first I tried longer paragraphs with teeny-tiny text but eventually decided I want it to be somewhat readable. (As I said in my original post, this style probably works better with a bigger canvas like the tumblr graphic that inspired it but dammit, I'm an icon-maker and I will prevail! *shakes fist at photoshop gods*) Anyway, I use the spacebar to separate the letters until they start to resemble the silhouette. Again I show the other half of Hannibal to check if it fits adding a few extra spaces in the 6th line so that his arm will be more pronounced. When you're happy, hide everything including the white silhouette and congratulate yourself because you've made it!
>>>
>>>
(the text is “Will you walk into my parlour?” said the Spider to the Fly," by the way if that's still unclear.)
SEVEN
Now that text is done, it's time to work on coloring. I decide the blues are too dark so I add this texture (by an unknown maker) and set it to screen 50%
>>>
EIGHT
I decide to play around with composition so I stamp everything into a new layer and nudge it a little bit downwards and to the left side. I add a white color fill layer underneath (it's not obvious now but it will be later)
NINE
I add this paper texture (again, unknown maker) and set it to color burn 100%
>>>
I duplicate the texture and clip on a color fill layer #b49449 (on normal) and set the duplicated texture on soft light 100%
>>>
TEN
This was made for the retro prompt at 20inspirations and at this point it's not looking very retro so I think, hmmm...let's add a circle! Take a hard brush with the color #fabd53 and paint a medium-sized circle on a new layer. change the blending mode to multiply it and move it to Hannibal's hand so that it's sort of emphasizing where he's patting on the couch.
>>>
ELEVEN
The text was looking a bit washed out so I stamp everything on a new layer and set it to multiply, 20%
TWELVE
The orange wasn't tying up so well with the rest of the icon's color so I create a new color fill layer (again #fabd53) and set it to hard light, 20%
>>>
THIRTEEN
to give it a bit of contrast (but not too much apparently) I stamp everything on a new layer, apply the gaussian blur (probably with a 1.0px radius) and set it to soft light, 33%
FOURTEEN
add a grey color fill layer #efefef on multiply to get rid of the whites
>>>
FIFTEEN
and finally, a brightness/contrast layer at 10/-10 and voila, icon!
~
>>>
using Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended
ONE
Prep the cap using duplicated layers: base > multiply > screen x4 > stamped layer on softlight. I've been trying out this new trick I learned from stannisbaratheon @ tumblr which is to add contrast with a Black & White adjustment layer on soft light so I add that on 100% opacity
>>>
TWO
My goal was to make a sort of updated version of one of my old icons so after I crop, I desaturate it using a white saturation layer, 100%.
>>>
THREE
add a light beige texture (by a unknown maker) and set it to multiply, 100%
>>>
FOUR
add a dark brown grungy texture (this one's by innocent_lexys, resized by me) on screen 100%. the effect wasn't strong enough so I duplicate the texture.
>>>
>>>
FIVE
at this point, I'm trying to settle on a color so at first I choose this light blue texture (by unknown maker) and set it to multiply, 100%. I want deeper colors so I duplicate the texture. It's still not strong enough so I duplicate the texture again and set it to linear burn, 100%
>>>
>>>
>>>
SIX
I decide I want blue instead of green so I use the hue/saturation adjustment layer to change the color at +108 hue.
SEVEN
Now I want to change the color of Bel so I paint over her in a new layer with a black brush. As you can see, it's too dark so I set it on soft light. that's still too dark so now I try to lighten it. here's where it gets confusing.
>>>
EIGHT
this is the part where i just couldn't decide what to do. first I clip on a paper texture by pandavirus to the black silhouette (and move it to the side so the text isn't seen)
>>>
then I add a grunge texture (again by pandavirus) and set it to linear light, 100%
>>>
and then i think, hmm...what if she's pink. so I add a texture by prettybutt and set it on darker color, 33%
>>>
it's too flat so I take another texture by prettybutt>, apply a gaussian blur and set it to screen, 100% and move it to the right so it forms a sort of gradient on her face.
<img src=>>>
>>>
I'm still not happy but here's what all the clipped layers look like before we move on:
NINE
so absolute black didn't work and the colored version was still meh so I decide to try absolute white. I duplicate the black silhouette layer and invert it so it's white. it wasn't working either so I set it to saturation, 100% supposedly so I can start from scratch on the coloring.
>>>
TEN
I add a color fill layer #f3ebe0 and set it to multiply, 100%
>>>
ELEVEN
and then I think, maybe it's the contrast that's wrong so I add another Black & White adjustment layer on softlight, 66%
TWELVE
it's still too dark so I stamp everything on a new layer and apply the film grain filter (not 100% sure about these settings but the closest I got was grain: 1, highlight area: 20, intensity: 2). I also apply the paint daubs filter (brush size: 1, sharpness: 1 then edit > fade to taste). Some of the edges are still too sharp so I duplicate the layer, use the blur tool on the sharp lines and lower the opacity to 75%
>>>
THIRTEEN
I change my mind about her color again so I duplicate the white silhouette and set it to saturation, 100%
FOURTEEN
I give up trying to find the right coloring and decide to work on text instead. I duplicate the white silhouette layer again, use the magic wand to select it and make a work path. once again the tolerance is somewhere between 0.5-1.0.
select the text tool and hover over the work path line. the cursor should turn into a sort of "I" with a dash between it (I tried to take a snapshot of it but it wouldn't cooperate, sorry) and type your text. At first it's gonna be a mess...
but play around with settings until you find something that works. I end up tilting it to the right so that the "P" could be read. I chose pink for the text color coz it stood out well against the blue.
<<<
now that that's settled, you can type out the rest of the text...
<<<
and...
<<<
(both rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise so everything matches)
FIFTEEN
rasterize all your text layers and add a little blur (then edit > fade to taste). it was a bit too dark so I duplicate the rasterized text layer and set it on soft light 50%
SIXTEEN
I try to solve that pesky color conundrum again by adding a light blue color fill layer #e038f3 on multiply, 66% and drag it under the text layers so they're not affected.
>>>
SEVENTEEN
I also add a grey color fill layer #e9e9e9 and set it to color burn, 50%. drag this also under the text layers so they're not touched.
>>>
EIGHTEEN
I add a brightness/contrast layer at 10/10 and decide that I'm finally satisfied. Yay!
if you have any more questions, just ask :)
profile | resources | tags | old icons | watch | request
requested by vapor and reebeecaa
Warning: these may be a bit confusing because a lot of going back and changing stuff happened in the process but hopefully you'll get the gist of it.
>>>
using Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended
ONE
I prep my cap using duplicated layers. I'm missing the actual settings (I must've done it in another canvas) but if I have to guess it's probably base > multiply > screen x4 > stamped result on soft light, 100%
TWO
I'm using this graphic as inspiration so I crop the cap in a 100x100 canvas in a way that gives me enough room to play. I cut Hannibal down the middle using the rectangular marquee tool (select > layer via cut > hide the layer you're not gonna use) and insert a color fill layer underneath it using the color picker to pick a color already on the canvas (in this case, it's #bdd8ca)
>>>
>>>
THREE
I add a light blob to the left side. The right side is looking a bit dark so I also add lighting there (drag it underneath the hannibal layer so only the color fill layer is touched)
>>>
FOUR
using a paint brush, i paint over the background in a new layer. (the hue here is #d9eae4 which was probably the original hue of color fill layer in step two. I have no idea why I changed it, sorry.) I change the blending mode of the painted layer to lighten so that the outline of the couch shows.
>>>
FIVE
I'm fairly happy with it so I stamp everything on a new layer and sharpen it (filter > sharpen > unsharp mask > default settings probably coz i'm lazy > edit > fade to taste)
SIX
since text is an important part of the icon I will now try to lay it out first. Show the other half of Hannibal and ina new layer, paint a silhouette with a white brush. Hide the Hannibal half again.
>>>
>>>
Select the white silhouette using the magic wand tool. Right click > Make Work Path. A window will appear asking for Tolerance. the higher the tolerance, the more inaccurate the shape of your work path will be so try to keep it between 0.5-1.0. whatever you do, it will not be a perfect outlne (especially if you just used the magic wand tool which is a crummy shortcut in the first place) so just shrug it off and know that you can tweak things later.
Now click the text tool and move your cursor inside your work path. It will become a sort of "I" with a circle surrounding it. Click where you want your text to start and write (or in this case) paste the text inside the work path.
At this point, a lot of trial and error is involved. At first I tried longer paragraphs with teeny-tiny text but eventually decided I want it to be somewhat readable. (As I said in my original post, this style probably works better with a bigger canvas like the tumblr graphic that inspired it but dammit, I'm an icon-maker and I will prevail! *shakes fist at photoshop gods*) Anyway, I use the spacebar to separate the letters until they start to resemble the silhouette. Again I show the other half of Hannibal to check if it fits adding a few extra spaces in the 6th line so that his arm will be more pronounced. When you're happy, hide everything including the white silhouette and congratulate yourself because you've made it!
>>>
>>>
(the text is “Will you walk into my parlour?” said the Spider to the Fly," by the way if that's still unclear.)
SEVEN
Now that text is done, it's time to work on coloring. I decide the blues are too dark so I add this texture (by an unknown maker) and set it to screen 50%
>>>
EIGHT
I decide to play around with composition so I stamp everything into a new layer and nudge it a little bit downwards and to the left side. I add a white color fill layer underneath (it's not obvious now but it will be later)
NINE
I add this paper texture (again, unknown maker) and set it to color burn 100%
>>>
I duplicate the texture and clip on a color fill layer #b49449 (on normal) and set the duplicated texture on soft light 100%
>>>
TEN
This was made for the retro prompt at 20inspirations and at this point it's not looking very retro so I think, hmmm...let's add a circle! Take a hard brush with the color #fabd53 and paint a medium-sized circle on a new layer. change the blending mode to multiply it and move it to Hannibal's hand so that it's sort of emphasizing where he's patting on the couch.
>>>
ELEVEN
The text was looking a bit washed out so I stamp everything on a new layer and set it to multiply, 20%
TWELVE
The orange wasn't tying up so well with the rest of the icon's color so I create a new color fill layer (again #fabd53) and set it to hard light, 20%
>>>
THIRTEEN
to give it a bit of contrast (but not too much apparently) I stamp everything on a new layer, apply the gaussian blur (probably with a 1.0px radius) and set it to soft light, 33%
FOURTEEN
add a grey color fill layer #efefef on multiply to get rid of the whites
>>>
FIFTEEN
and finally, a brightness/contrast layer at 10/-10 and voila, icon!
~
>>>
using Adobe Photoshop CS5 Extended
ONE
Prep the cap using duplicated layers: base > multiply > screen x4 > stamped layer on softlight. I've been trying out this new trick I learned from stannisbaratheon @ tumblr which is to add contrast with a Black & White adjustment layer on soft light so I add that on 100% opacity
>>>
TWO
My goal was to make a sort of updated version of one of my old icons so after I crop, I desaturate it using a white saturation layer, 100%.
>>>
THREE
add a light beige texture (by a unknown maker) and set it to multiply, 100%
>>>
FOUR
add a dark brown grungy texture (this one's by innocent_lexys, resized by me) on screen 100%. the effect wasn't strong enough so I duplicate the texture.
>>>
>>>
FIVE
at this point, I'm trying to settle on a color so at first I choose this light blue texture (by unknown maker) and set it to multiply, 100%. I want deeper colors so I duplicate the texture. It's still not strong enough so I duplicate the texture again and set it to linear burn, 100%
>>>
>>>
>>>
SIX
I decide I want blue instead of green so I use the hue/saturation adjustment layer to change the color at +108 hue.
SEVEN
Now I want to change the color of Bel so I paint over her in a new layer with a black brush. As you can see, it's too dark so I set it on soft light. that's still too dark so now I try to lighten it. here's where it gets confusing.
>>>
EIGHT
this is the part where i just couldn't decide what to do. first I clip on a paper texture by pandavirus to the black silhouette (and move it to the side so the text isn't seen)
>>>
then I add a grunge texture (again by pandavirus) and set it to linear light, 100%
>>>
and then i think, hmm...what if she's pink. so I add a texture by prettybutt and set it on darker color, 33%
>>>
it's too flat so I take another texture by prettybutt>, apply a gaussian blur and set it to screen, 100% and move it to the right so it forms a sort of gradient on her face.
<img src=>>>
>>>
I'm still not happy but here's what all the clipped layers look like before we move on:
NINE
so absolute black didn't work and the colored version was still meh so I decide to try absolute white. I duplicate the black silhouette layer and invert it so it's white. it wasn't working either so I set it to saturation, 100% supposedly so I can start from scratch on the coloring.
>>>
TEN
I add a color fill layer #f3ebe0 and set it to multiply, 100%
>>>
ELEVEN
and then I think, maybe it's the contrast that's wrong so I add another Black & White adjustment layer on softlight, 66%
TWELVE
it's still too dark so I stamp everything on a new layer and apply the film grain filter (not 100% sure about these settings but the closest I got was grain: 1, highlight area: 20, intensity: 2). I also apply the paint daubs filter (brush size: 1, sharpness: 1 then edit > fade to taste). Some of the edges are still too sharp so I duplicate the layer, use the blur tool on the sharp lines and lower the opacity to 75%
>>>
THIRTEEN
I change my mind about her color again so I duplicate the white silhouette and set it to saturation, 100%
FOURTEEN
I give up trying to find the right coloring and decide to work on text instead. I duplicate the white silhouette layer again, use the magic wand to select it and make a work path. once again the tolerance is somewhere between 0.5-1.0.
select the text tool and hover over the work path line. the cursor should turn into a sort of "I" with a dash between it (I tried to take a snapshot of it but it wouldn't cooperate, sorry) and type your text. At first it's gonna be a mess...
but play around with settings until you find something that works. I end up tilting it to the right so that the "P" could be read. I chose pink for the text color coz it stood out well against the blue.
<<<
now that that's settled, you can type out the rest of the text...
<<<
and...
<<<
(both rotated 90 degrees counter-clockwise so everything matches)
FIFTEEN
rasterize all your text layers and add a little blur (then edit > fade to taste). it was a bit too dark so I duplicate the rasterized text layer and set it on soft light 50%
SIXTEEN
I try to solve that pesky color conundrum again by adding a light blue color fill layer #e038f3 on multiply, 66% and drag it under the text layers so they're not affected.
>>>
SEVENTEEN
I also add a grey color fill layer #e9e9e9 and set it to color burn, 50%. drag this also under the text layers so they're not touched.
>>>
EIGHTEEN
I add a brightness/contrast layer at 10/10 and decide that I'm finally satisfied. Yay!
if you have any more questions, just ask :)
profile | resources | tags | old icons | watch | request